Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)By Wendy Williams
A bull has injured at least 30 people after leaping into the stands and charging at a crowd of terrified spectators at a bullring in northern Spain.
National television showed dramatic footage of frightened crowds scrambling to safety after the animal managed to scale the fence and run amok through the stands.
The incident happened in Tafalla, in the northern region of Navarra, during a contest of “recortadores”, where participants try to dodge the bull as it runs around the arena.
During the rampage, a 10-year-old boy was left in a serious condition with stomach wounds while another spectator was gored in the back.
The other injuries were minor and were treated by medical staff on site.
Spectators and officials eventually succeeded in tying a rope around the bull to bring it under control.
The animal was then removed from the arena with a crane and later killed.
The incident comes amid intense debate in the country over the future of bullfighting as last month Catalonia become the first major Spanish region to ban the controversial sport.
See amazing footage at Euronews at http://www.euronews.net/2010/08/19/bull-jumps-into-crowd-at-spanish-arena-40-hurt/
Well that’s what happens when you torture an animal – what do they expect? Young children could have been killed here. The Spanish never learn.
Bull’s eye! Serves the sicko spectators right. Disgusting: bringing up your children to enjoy torturing bulls (They should arrest the paraents of the injured kid). About time Spain grew up and followed Catalunya’s good example. Let’s hope a few more bulls fight back. Larga vida a los toros!
I’ve never enjoyed this shows. But before giving explosive opinions I suggest to look at what recortadores are. It’s some sort of acrobatic show with profesionals jumping and running around the bull, there’s no blood in it.
Carlos, I never give explosive opinions, just factual ones. And I never mentioned the word blood – you did.
Are you saying that professionals (lol) jumping around, whose job it is to annoy and intimidate the creature are enjoyable to it? Are you really saying the bull likes this treatment? Is that why it was so stressed out and jumped out of the ring into the crowd?
The creature was later lifted out on a crane and then killed afterwards. Did it enjoy that too Carlos? Are you stupid Carlos? No need to answer the last part btw.
Fred you simply can’t get any lower, do you? I start to pity you, for living in a place where you virtually hate everything and everybody. There’s a fact for you there. I’m still looking forward to read a positive comment from you about Spain in this webpage.
The stress of a bull in a recortadores show is no different to that of a horse race, like those in Prescot, or a dog race, so popular in your homeland, or a Polo game. No surprise that many of the antitaurinos approve it.
But if the bull gets out the ring it becomes a serious threat and has to be put down. And I doubt a tranquilizer would do the job. Some maybe would argue that the life of the animal is above human life, i’m not in that group. And that’s not enjoyable.
I see now that more people are falling in the same mistake, taking the oportunity for the popular Spain-bashing on this paper. I regret so many speak out of ignorance of a show that’s nothing more than an acrobatic.
Carlos, just answer the question – does the bull enjoy being initimidated and cajoled in this way? Would you like to be put in a ring and then irritated (or stressed, as you yourself call it) in this way?
It is quite amazing how brainwashed the Spanish are on this subject. They still make comparisons with dog and horse racing – activities that could not be more dissimilar. Dogs and horses at least get a chance to run and compete; the poor bull just ends up being driven mad (and killed if it breaks the rules.)
Sorry Carlos, but you hide under the disguise of “Spanish-bashing” to justify the most stupid of arguments and activities. Spain is seeing some sense luckily, and these events will be banished in time.
What’s the difference between running in a bullring, or running in a hypodrome with a naughty jockey hitting your ass? It would require a veterinarian specialized to tell the difference. However groups against animal cruelty have pointed out that these sports also create level of stress in the animal. It’s a shame to try to take a moral high road condemning one sort of show and protecting another just because mine is popular in my country and the other isn’t. And we could still talk about many other practices that involve animals in public shows.
If recortadores shows are prohibited in Spain next on the line are horse and dogs races. One last thing, if a horse scapes from the field it might well not kill anyone because is not in his instinct to attack people, that’s not the case with a bull.
Dear Sir, I have been reading the ‘Olive Press’ for some years now and what a great paper it is,just one fault,this person naming himself Fred in your comments section,his remarks putting down the Spanish,being rude and ignorant to all and sundry. I don’t think that this is what the readers expect of such a good quality news paper.I respectfully ask for the good of your paper and the people that read it.that this man be stopped.His written abuse and liable rants,are going to end badly and he needs to be stopped. If an official complaint is needed then this is it .Please conside rmy comments carefully.The good of your paper for one man. Yours respectfully J.Durkin Bye bye Fred you racist nasty little nobody. Time to end it all. before someone does it for you. the world is full of detritus like yourself.with nothing better to do all day but drool venom and hatred for the amusement of who? Selling newspapers,learn to respect the people of Spain , but most of all respect yourself.in the name of everything you believe in, please stop please.
Nick, please supply comments of all the racist posts that you mention. I am awaiting your reply. If you can’t supply such material then I expect your apology. In the meantime, get a life.
Btw, horse and dog racing can be stopped too; I don’t enjoy any activity that uses animals for profit and/or for exploitation by humans. Bullfighting and bullbaiting are clearly more stressful than the said racing events since they intimidate and cajole the animal on purpose (in this case making it leap out of the ring twice and on the third attempt with success). The animal clearly wanted to escape out of fear. Not nice.
Your time is up, you are off to the bigot bin.Spain does not need you,I don’t need you,and if necessary I will see that you get what you deserve in a Spanish court of law,for incitement to racial hatred,which is a severe offence.Once again for your own sake I beg you to stop your nastiness and behave yourself or reap the whirl wind that is heading your way.Turn your negative attitude into doing some kind of good.You really don’t want to end your life in a sea of hatred and bile.life is too short. goodnight and god bless you.
Nick, put a sock in it and just provide the evidence. Were you drunk when you posted your earlier nonsense?
.Were you drunk when you posted your earlier nonsense?
Aug 21st
The Spanish never learn
Aug 20th 2010
Buyer beware, they say. However, what chance has the buyer if the legal system does not work. Whose fault is that? SPAIN of course
Dec21st 2009
Super efficient Spain and laid back Spain are like oil and water; hard to mix, and culturally not what people want – so they get the system they end up with, which is what they have now: CRAP.
March 4th 2010
Anyway, it’s no surprise to me. The Spanish people are secretly overjoyed that so many
expats are leaving the country. Do you really think they like expats? I do so laugh when people say they are “integrating” in Spain
Feb 16th 2010
Whatever you say, Nob.
March 17th 2010
There is a mental health clinic in Alhaurin if you need the address, Pancho.
June 4th 2010
It is quite amazing how brainwashed the Spanish are on this subject
Aug 20th 2010
YOU ARE A BIGIOT AND A RACIST.HERE IS THE PROOF.IF YOU DETEST THE SPANISH SO MUCH ……GO HOME……..
No Nick, those are not comments of a racial nature, those are just comments, and opinions, about life in Spain. Many are echoed by my own Spanish friends.
You want to act like a dictator and tell people what they can and cannot have an opinion about, and that is a system that Spain themselves left behind half a century ago. Also, you also have no sense of humour (re Pancho comment).
Now run along child.
Bigot and Racist. I win you loose
Whatever you say, Nick. lol. Are you a teenager?
ED: Hi Nick, I have had a number of spats myself online with the very
irritating ´fred´, who is a keen cyclist and outdoor nature lover living
in the Alpujarras as it happens. He is an extremely outspoken man, who
occasionally oversteps the mark. He has already been warned by us not to
be abuse or racist to the Spanish or to be too abusive to our fellow
commentators. I agree… if he continues to be rude or abusive he will
have to be banned, which would be a real shame, as he happens to be our
number one critic and user, with nearly 250 comments a year! Fred, I do
hope you are reading. This time we mean it.
When you say ‘spat’, I take it that you mean you have a difference of opinion to me? Your rants are boring. Keep to the topic and post something useful and relevant. At least I keep to topic.
And yes, I do love nature, indeed I was walking through the beautiful Spanish mountains yesterday with a group of seven Spanish friends doing some geotagging – while you were being a boring troll and were stuck at your keyboard writing codswallop. The racist tag will not stick Nick, let it go. I have more Spanish friends than you do lol.
Not defining Fred’s remarks as racist they certainly are abusive and have been an irritation for some time now.
British sports are just as cruel and lethal as bullfights. The number of horses killed a year is considerable. On its 60 racecourses 178 were killed in 2009. Not to speak of the gruesome training and mutilation of a jumping horse.
And than there are the commercial Dog-races. The Sighthound Wellfare Trust calculates that as many as 50 dogs a day are slaughtered in this sport/industry. That makes 15.000 a year (http://www.greyhoundaction.org.uk/) The cruelty of the training is not mentioned.
We will only mention the “sport” of Fox hunting in passing here.
A fighting bull has grown up in a free roaming herd and has developed his fighting instincts in a natural way. His life doesn’t become stressful before he is carefully transported to the arena, where he will be killed in a fight he doesn’t know he will loose.
The wounds he receives during the fight are deep cuts to his muscles. As anybody with equal experience will confirm the pain comes afterwards…when he is dead.
The awful tradition of cattle slaughter around the world is infinitely more cruel and stressful for the animals.
Ernesto, are you really saying that a bull that has swords thrust into it, which is cajoled and slowly killed in front of a cheering crowd, is less cruel and lethal than horse and dog racing? Is that really what you are saying? Do dogs and horses get swords thrust into them during a race? Do they get killed at the end?
I’m sure someone who has had swords thrust into their muscles will come forward and tell us how this activity inflicts no pain on the recipient lol. My earlier comments stand and as I said already, let us ban all sports that exploit animals by humans. I agree that horseracing cares little for the animals at the end of the day, and that when they are past their best they end up as dog food. But I do not agree that the act of a bullfight is less, or as cruel, as a dog or horse race. You would surely agree on that point Ernesto?
Doesn’t matter which of those practics are more or less cruel. What really matters at this rally is that at last you are tangled by your words and you may face the fact that animal cruelty is common in UK. What a hypocrisy!
My words are far from tangled Juan – you just like to cherry pick the elements that personally suit you, whilst at the same time avoiding answering a very simple and straightforward question. If you can’t see the difference in the level of cruelty between the act of a bullfight in which an animal is tortured to death, and a horse or dog race, then it really does make you look rather silly. There can be no greater act of cruelty to stab an animal to death whilst it is alive, whilst annoying and taunting it whilst it is dying. Great “sport” that is.
The taurine fightback continues…
“http://bit.ly/duDjbv”