The last Ole Bullfighting comes to an end in Catalonia

[Synicus Maximus]

Source: The Telegraph

While Jose Tomas, Spain’s finest matador, was the undisputed star of the evening, the honour of killing the last bull on Catalan soil fell to torero Serafin Marin, a native of Barcelona.

When Marin delivered the estocada, a half tonne bull dropped to the sand, just as reflections of the sun faded in the matador’s suit of light.

On a day when bloodthirsty spectacle was staged for the last time, Spain’s leading exponent of the sport took a triumphant bow in his favourite arena.

The final Ole! at La Monumental arena in central Barcelona marked the end of an era and cast the uneasy relationship between the Catalans and Spain into thick swirl of emotion.


Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/spain/8788046/The-last-Ole-Bullfighting-comes-to-an-end-in-Catalonia.html

[Botany]

1. I am a big fan of the bulls

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. I always rooted for the bulls.

Glad this monstrosity is finally being done away with. :applause:

[Warpy]

3. I dunno, this is so deeply seated in the culture

and has been around since pre Christian times. My guess is that it will just go underground, the fights taking place in rural areas rather than bullfighting arenas in the cities. It's never going to go away completely.

In the meantime, the best bullfighters will go to countries where it's still legal, most notably Mexico, as well as the parts of Spain where it remains legal.

While I recognize the skill of a good fighter in a deadly ballet with a wounded bull, I root for the bull, too.

[Mojorabbit]

6. l never understood it

Till I attended a bull fight in the Azores. They do not kill the bulls there. They are put out to pasture after the fight. When the rhythm started between the bull and fighter it was like a breathtaking beautiful dance.

[Warpy]

8. Yes, they stop sticking the bull to enrage it with pain

and concentrate on the sometimes deadly ballet, and I can dig it as art.

Bloodless bullfighting would be a wonder to behold.

[TygrBright]

10. 'Zackly. Ask any cockfighting aficionado how hard it is to find a meet.

Identifying cruelty with machismo seems to be hardwired into human DNA somewhere.

All the laws and disgust and shaming from decent people make not the slightest difference to the ones who got the "make animals bleed = tough, dominant, adventurous" gene.

wearily,
Bright

[byronius]

4. Happy to see this barbaric, disgusting practice end.

The pleasure some humans feel at watching the torture of living creatures is bizarre and frightening to me. Any cessation in these practices is golden.

[DerBeppo]

5. No matter your thoughts,

everyone should read Hemingway's Death in the Afternoon at least once in their life.

[Synicus Maximus]

7. Remember it is only in Catalonia which barely considers itself

part of Spain.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

9. I saw one in Palma, Spain, not what I expected

The matador doesn't face a healthy animal. First, the picadors come out on padded horses, and stab the bull with pikes, many times. The matador taunts the wounded (but still dangerous) bull. Finally, after much dancing, the swords are used to finish off the bull.

Ultimately, it was a boring spectacle, but the sun was nice and the wine was cheap.

:hi:

A matador without picadors would be like Libyan rebels without NATO bombers. Dead meat.