that critter is only a yearling or a bit older and I have never seen anything like that in cattle attacking things. I think it was weak and couldn't rise up on its feet after it fell on the guy. the other ring people likely dragged it off by the horns on its side and maybe got it back on its feet when it went through the entire rising motion.

factoid - cattle rise hind end first (that is why it looked to me like that calf couldn't get up)
horses rise front end first.

I suspect they don't use the picos on younger animals - seems like that is a training session

critter was probably just hot and tired, not sure though - not my thing at all!

Facilitating the slow and painful death of an animal for human entertainment is evil.

I know those bulls are bred and raised just for fighting so they aren't exactly beef or dairy stock.

I suspect like rodeo stock, they have a decent life until that last battle so I don't get all pETA over it, but it isn't something I enjoy. I can respect the skill and tradition but if it faded away I wouldn't care either.

I realize the PETA folks get all red assed over it, but I don't have an issue with that. I was brought up watching the yearly rodeo in my small town. I was taught at a very young age that if you're going to dispatch an animal, you do it in the most efficient way possible to prevent needless suffering. Dragging out the death of an animal for the sake of entertainment is just evil, traditional or not. That's just the way I feel about it.

Last edited Sat Aug 18, 2012, 08:17 PM - Edit history (1)

I don't see the color flags/spears that usually weaken the bull before the matador comes in for the final thrust with the sword. If there were flags, it would make sense that the bull lost control of his muscles at the appropriate time.

Without the flags, it makes no sense that this matador would start out with the sword, and that makes it a very special bull, indeed.

That's my guess.

I think the matador is a woman, and a dwarf too. - that may explain the age of the bull (and it may be a steer, at that)

and I saw a bull get lucky. He got the matador in the groin.

There's something disproportional about the matador and immature about the bull.