Living in Spain - Bull Running

Bull Running in Spain.

Although everyone knows of Spain’s famous bullfights, many will not be aware of the ‘scaled down’ version – bull running. Sometimes just as dangerous to humans – although the bulls don’t get killed, this ‘sport’ is something that all the Spanish participate in – from children of 3 up.

Nearly every village or town in Spain has 3 or 4 days of bull running during certain fiestas. For those towns on the coast, it is usually ‘bous del Mar’ whereby a ring is set up on the sea front with a spectators gallery around it. Various objects such as tables and wooden stairs are placed in the middle for those participating to jump on to avoid the charging bull. Alternatively, they can dive straight into the sea – often followed by the bull. The bull is then hauled back to shore by men in small boats with a looped wire on a stick over his horns.

During his time in the ring, the bull is subjected to people throwing cans, poking him with sticks, and crowds running within the ring waving their arms, shouting and generally antagonising him. Each bull has to endure this for between 20 – 30 minutes (depending on how often he is dragged from the sea, during which time there is a delay in the ‘entertainment’).

Below the spectators gallery is an open area with bars wide enough apart to let the ‘bull runners’ in and out. Unfortunately, these bars are also wide enough for the bull to get his horns through. Every year there are serious injuries as well as fatalities, and this year was no exception. Local papers reported a young British girl on holiday who was tossed around by a bull from within the confines of these ‘safety’ bars and seriously injured. The same report mentioned that an enquiry was being made into the death of a bull by drowning. The safety of the bull is of high importance - those participating are not allowed to grab the bull by the horns, even to protect themselves from a head on attack – yet these animals are clearly terrified during their time in the ring.

In the villages it is different. Usually the main street, or ‘plaza’ (town square) is blocked off and the cages are erected to provide protection for shops, and houses as well as for the spectators and bull runners. Again, wooden structures are put up for runners to avoid the bull. During the 4 day period, the timetable is generally the same. Baby bulls for children in the afternoon, mid-sized bulls for teenagers in early evening, and full size bulls at night. Between midnight and 2am, street lights are turned off and the ‘bulls with fire on their horns’ are released. Rags are tied to the bulls horns and set alight, and the bulls are freed into the street, where they are again antagonised by runners and spectators alike. All the villagers participate, I have even seen old ladies hitting bulls with sticks. During the running of the bulls, these terrified animals run slipping and sliding along the streets, and often suffer from broken bones. They are unable to stop quickly, and often crash straight into anything in their path.

During a bull run in La Xara, where our apartment overlooked the main street where the fiestas took place, I caught on video a fully grown bull totally demolish a cage where about 50 people were standing. These cages are built pretty solidly and each pole is bolted into the ground, but a couple of head butts from a strong bull and they collapsed. These same people who had previously been terrorising the bull were now terrified themselves. Fortunately for them, the bull was trying to extricate himself from the bars, which gave them time to take shelter elsewhere.

In Jalon last year, one of the village men who was said to be a professional bull runner, was gored to death and out of respect the remainder of the fiesta was cancelled. However, this year they continue to run bulls.

When their time in the street, or ring is over, the bull is collected by the mother bull who is lead out by their owner. On spotting this mother bull, the bull will run to her side and follow quietly back to the holding pen.

These bulls are magnificent animals, apparently cared for by their owners like gods, but they are dangerous animals and no one should be surprised that those that choose to run with them may well get seriously injured or killed. The Spanish, as well as many foreigners appear to ignore this fact and are shocked when people get hurt. I have seen children knocked over by baby bulls, adults tossed around in the air , and a teenager gored through the stomach, yet I rarely attend these events. When a bull gets hold of someone, he doesn’t let go but continually tosses them or head butts them until others step in to rescue the unfortunate victim. Anyone who escapes a near miss, or even a hit, is classed as a hero just like the bullfighter, and it is seen to make the boy a man and a man a god. (I use the term ‘man’ loosely as young girls and women also run with the bulls).



A teenage boy being subjected to an attack. The bulls horns had punctured his abdomen in several places before the bull was distracted from his victim and an ambulance crew arrived.