The Overview of Bullfighting
Monday, June 29th, 2009We appreciate the excitement when people scream in bullfighting. The brave and strength we see from the cowboy make us respectful. And there is a glorious era of bullfighting all over the world. But now the time has gone away.
Although we can still see the compaign of bullfighting, latest polls show that over 72% of Spanish citizens have no interest in bullfighting, yet, because of a small group of influential people in Spain, this inhumane tradition is being kept alive. Fortunately, in Europe and Latin America a growing segment of the population is standing up against bullfighting and calling for an end to this cruel spectacle.
We have to examine the history of bullfighting to understand the previous situation about it. There is not much specific information on how or where bullfighting began, but it is thought to date back to Roman times when many different species of animal were killed for the sake of entertainment in public arenas.
Bulls were also sacrificed for religious purposes and more recently, bullfights were (and often still are) held on Sundays, as part of Christian Saints festivals.
Most people associate bullfighting with Spain. Within Europe, bullfighting can be found in France and Portugal besides Spain. Approximately 40,000 bulls die in bullfights every year in Europe.
In Latin America, bullfighting can be found in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. ‘Bloodless’ bullfights can also be found in the USA. Approximately 210,000 bulls in bullfights die every year in Latin America.
But bullfighting differs according to the country. There are 3 types of bullfighting ’styles’ - Spanish, French and Portuguese. The Spanish version is the most common across both Europe and Latin America. Bulls die in both the Spanish and Portuguese versions, although in the Portuguese style it happens behind the scenes, after the bullfight has finished. The French style does not lead to the death of the bull but is also very stressful for the animals involved.