The world of bullfighting is also inextricably linked to iconography linked to religious piety in Spain, with bullfighters seeking Mary`s protection and often becoming members of religious brotherhoods. [77] [78] Spanish political parties` opposition to bullfighting is generally strongest among the left. The PSOE, the main center-left party, has distanced itself from bullfighting but refuses to ban it, while Spain`s largest left-wing political party, Podemos, has repeatedly called for referendums on the issue and expressed disapproval of the practice. [61] [62] The PP, the largest conservative party, strongly supports bullfighting and has asked for large public subsidies for it. [63] The government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was the first to oppose bullfighting, banning children under 14 from attending events and imposing a six-year ban on live bullfights broadcast on state television, although the latter measure was reversed after Zapatero`s party was defeated in the 2011 elections. [64] Spanish-style bullfighting is usually deadly for the bull, but it is also dangerous for the matador. The danger to the bullfighter is essential; If there is no danger, it is not considered a bullfight in Spain. Matadors are usually eaten at any time of the year, with picadors and banderilleros eaten less frequently. With the discovery of antibiotics and advances in surgical techniques, deaths are rare today, although 534 professional bullfighters have died in the ring or from injuries sustained in the ring over the past three centuries. Most recently, Iván Fandiño died from injuries sustained after being stung by a bull in Aire-sur-l`Adour, France, on 17 June 2017. [ref.
needed] Bullfighting is one of the most well-known and controversial traditions in Spanish culture. Proponents claim that bulls live better and longer than other cattle. They see it as art, a bit like ballet. As bullfighting lover Ernest Hemingway said in Death in the Afternoon (1932): “Bullfighting is the only art in which the artist is in mortal danger.” Critics claim it is nothing more than torture. I have to admit that I attended a bullfight in Mazatlan in the 70s and would never go back. From the stands, it didn`t seem as “real” as I know it now. When I heard about bloodless bullfights in La Gloria, Texas, I was curious to see how they differ. Another type of French “bullfight” is the “Course Landaise”, in which cows are used instead of bulls. This is a competition between teams called cuadrillas, which belong to some breeding farms.
A cuadrilla consists of a rope maker, a coach, a jumper and six spacers. The cows are brought into the arena in boxes, and then taken out one by one. The rope maker controls the hanging rope attached to the cow`s horns, and the trainer positions the cow to face and attack the player. The spacers will try to avoid the cow at the last moment, and the author will jump over it. Each team strives to perform at least a hundred evasive maneuvers and eight jumps. This is the main scheme of the “classic” form, the formal Landes race. However, different rules may apply to some contests. For example, competitions are organized for the Jeannot Lafittau Cup with cows without ropes. [ref. needed] The bullfight boss The Bulletpoint Bullfight warns that bullfighting is “not for the grumpy” and advises viewers to “prepare for blood.” The guide describes the prolonged and heavy bleeding caused by spear riders riding horses, the loading of a blindfolded armored horse by the bull who is “sometimes doped and oblivious to the proximity of the bull,” the placement of barbed arrows by banderilleros and the deadly thrust of the matador`s sword.