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Bulls

The different stages of a Bullfight

The preliminaries

El paseíllo

The spectacle begins exactly at the time previously announced when the presidente waves a white handkerchief giving the order for the paseíllo de las cuadrillas (entrance parade) to begin to the strains of the music played by the band . It is headed by the alguacilillos, followed by the matadors - the most experienced in the central position, the next most experienced on his right and the youngest on his left. After them come the matadors assistants and the mulilleros (those whose drive the team of mules used to drag the dead bull from the ring). The procession crosses the ring to the president's box where the matadors and their assistants greet the presidencia , bowing and taking their hats off. When the parade has finished, the team heads for the burladeros to change the capote de paseo for the capote de brega.

The ring is cleared

The president takes out his white handkerchief again to the sound of drums and bugles. After these signals and after checking that the matadors and their assistants are all in position, the bull is released from it's stall into the ring and the fight begins.

The fight in its strictest sense, is divided into four parts (the three acts previously mentioned and the death of the bull) as described below.

The bull come into the ring

The fight starts when the door to the bull's stall is opened and the first bull enters the ring. The torilero (the man who releases the bull into the ring) provokes the bull by shouting and screaming. The bull comes out of the stall at great speed and after crossing part of the ring is met by a cape brandished by the senior member of the matador's team.

After this, it's the matador himself who begins to fight the bull with the cape while at the same time studying the bull's characteristics, breeding and ferocity.

The first act: la suerte de varas.

The first act of the fight is called the suerte de varas in which the aim is to weaken the bull. This is the job of the picadors, who have to be strong enough to stick the bull and at the same time keep control of the horse.

To position the bull in front of the picador, the matador who is fighting the bull may use different passes with the cape (veronicas : the fundamental two handed cape pass named after St. Veronica or chicuelinas: a pass invented by Chicuelo where the cape is pulled in tight against the body), leaving the bull to face the suerte de varas.

The ferocity of the bull is measured by the way in which the bull charges the horse. He should attack several times without a thought for the punishment he receives from the picador's lance. In some cases, the bull's strength as it pushes at the horse is so great that he manages to push the horse over or throw the picador from his saddle with the resulting danger for both man and horse.

When the president has decided that the bull has suffered sufficient punishment, he puts an end to this by taking out his handkerchief to signal the change of acts (cambio de la suerte).

The second act: la suerte de banderillas.

With the second act comes what is called the suerte de banderillas. Three pairs of regulation darts can now be put in place by "specialist" assistants from each team or by the matador himself. This is done with no cover or protection and with the aim being to injure the bull more so as to get it to place it's head in position ready for the faena de la muleta (the final act where the bull is fought using the muleta). La suerte de las banderillas can be carried out by going in search of the bull or by waiting for the bull to charge.

The third act: la faena de la muleta.

This begins when the president takes out the regulation handkerchief and the drums and bugles announce another change of act.

While the assistants keep the bull away from the presidential box, the matador picks up the muleta and crosses it with the estoque addressing the box as he does so ,thereby asking permission to begin the part of the fight called the faena. It is also the symbol of the traditional dedication ceremony. He may dedicate the fight to the president, another person in particular or to the public in general.

After this the matador is left alone with the bull in the ring. The faena begins with a few passes to weigh up the bull and test its reaction. The matador then carries out a variety of passes depending on his inspiration, with emphasis, amongst the great many in existence, on the natural (a left-handed pass using the muleta without the sword being used), el trincherazo (A right-handed muleta pass), el molinete (muleta pass where the matador spins round after the horns of the bull have passed), la monoletina (the muleta is held over the matador's back and lifted over the bull's head), or the pase de pecho (the muleta is held at chest height as the bull passes).

The fourth act: The death of the bull.

This is the moment of truth. It is the most important moment when the bullfighter, positioned in front of the bull with the muleta lowered and gathered up the estoque in his right hand waits for the bull to charge the muleta enabling him to stab the beast in the back of the neck. Knowing how to wait for the bull's charge is the key to success in this act. After this, the bull, mortally injured, approaches the barrier before finally falling, beaten, onto the sand.

Epilogue

El arrastre (the mules removing the dead bulls from the ring)

The arrastre concludes the fight. The mulilleros tie the dead bull to a team of three mules and it is dragged out to the slaughterhouse. If the bull has shown particular ferocity and breeding the president may grant him the honor of a lap of the ring before being dragged out.

The trophies

It is also at this moment when the president, in accordance with public opinion, may award the matador a trophy (one or two of the bull's ears). At the end of the fight, if the matador has had a resounding triumph, he will be carried from the Maestranza on the shoulders of the public through the Puerta del Principe.

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