⌛ Plaza-de-Toro. (The Bull Ring)

During my present Tour of Duty in Spain, I have taken in 5/6 Bullfights, I do not particularly like this Blood Sport (If you can call it a Sport) It is the Bull Ring, that has got my attention, They are fantastic, with a maze of tunnels, Anti-Rooms, Infirmaries, Well it is like, a city within. The majority, are Museums to gone bye ages, when closed for the Fighting. I have been trying to do, a little research into Bull Fighting in the Philippines. Not much has been written. The Spanish Certainly tried to instill it, into Philippine Life, unsuccessfully I find, Unlike Mexico where it seems, bigger than in Spain, I found this very Surprising. Cock Fighting remained the national Blood Sport (again, if you can call it that) especially in the Villages and Countryside. (probably more Cocks than Bulls in the PI)
I have found One photo, of the Bull Ring in Manila and find that there were 4 in Total on Luzon, no reference to the other three can I find. Only that the 4 major Cities, each had one. Any built Prior, to 1750 will be magnificent, I am sure, Spanish Architecture has something to be revered. The last reference about the photo I attach is, 1899 during the Philippine-American War.
I write this thread to ask, if anyone has any knowledge, of Bull Rings, on Luzon or Anywhere else, in the PI? Any information or photos will be Great.


Jack P.:o

(I apologise, if this thread is Off putting, to anyone, Rhoody, please pull it if you think it unsuitable, given it's core.)

 

nothing has changed in the Philippines, one is working, hundreds are watching ... hehe

 

Then along came a mouse!

Mouse, or “Raton” in Spanish, weighs 700 pounds. That’s an average weight, but what sets Mouse apart is his rap sheet: he has killed three people and injured dozens of others in festivals across Spain.

Normally bulls with blood on their horns are pulled from festivals. Because the big beasts are quick studies. Once they figure out how to chase humans down, they don’t forget. Actually, they get better and better at it.

But Mouse has become a huge money-maker for his owner – and way too popular among aficionados. So he continues his bloody circuit from town to town as thousands of pueblos stage their summer celebrations.

Mouse first killed in 2006. Then again in 2008. And two weeks ago the black and white fury gored to death a 30-year-old man in Valencia.


Spain’s most famous summer festival is the “Running of the Bulls” in Pamplona. But thousands of lesser known Spanish villages also rent bulls each year. For one tense hour the beasts charge around makeshift corrals as the brave and the foolish taunt and tease them. Participants don’t kill the animal, they just try to get as close to it as possible – and then scurry to safety.

For the bull owners, a one hour festival usually earns them about $1,500. But for Mouse’s owner, death has brought even more riches. Gregorio de Jesus is earning up to $10,000 per festival this summer with his infamous bull.

“Bulls like Mouse don’t come around every day,” he told Spanish television recently. “I think it’d be a good idea to clone him.”

As the money rolls in, so do the fans.

“Raton!” screamed a female spectator from edge of a corral at a recent festival. “Let’s see if you catch someone tonight, assassin!” she said in the amateur video, posted on youtube.

Viewer Discretion Advised: Not For Sensitive Users

Anti bullfighting organizations say Mouse is proof that bull fighting is pure blood sport. They want bulls banned from the summer festivals. But town halls are likely to keep renting the animals, as long as the crowd keeping paying to risk their lives.

“A bull once gave me eight stitches in the scrotum,” said a young man earlier this year, after barely escaping Mouse’s horns. “I like to tangle with the bulls,” he said. “Just as some people like to ride motorcycles. One day you might slip up and fall. And if you do, well, that’d be that.”

Here's to Mouse!

Mouse, Spain’s Killer Bull | PRI's The World


Larry

 

Touche!

:D:D:D:D:D Reading between the lines can be fun!

Jack P.

 

Nice Piece!

Larry, Thank You for the reply, Good Reading, You know, I was in Pamplona last year, I watched the Bull Run from the Hotel Balcony, those Spaniards, are crazy Young men. Now, if they were a Herd, of Spanish Senoritas, different Story :D


Jack P.

 

Jack....I'm just curios. Hope you are not offended in ANY way, but you have said < ", I do not particularly like this Blood Sport (If you can call it a Sport) ">
I can agree with you about that, but isn't the solution just to NOT GO to the bull fight and only examine / explore the ring?
When I lived in Panama, out in the "Province" as they say (some 40 klms from the Costa Rico border), I did go to several bull fights in Panama City. The crowds were overflowing - as was the betting money! LO!. However, to be very honest, when I went to the various "Bull Fights" as held by the small villages out in the provinces, those "Bull Fights" were quite different! They only put one bull into a wooden coral and let it due what it wanted, while teasing it from the fence. Finally, of course, the beers would catch up with some idiot and the drunken guy would climb the coral fence (if he could) and go chase the bull...mostly removing his shirt and waving it at the bull. (I never saw anybody use anything red..lol) Usually the bull was so old it would chase the drunk kinda slowly and butt the guy. The bulls did have horns, but I never saw anyone get gored,,,just head butted only. All the onlookers would laugh and scream and antagonize the drunk rather than the bull. Usually the drunk would give up and try to walk away to the coral fence....maybe getting butted on his butt on the way......then he ended up crawling to the fence.
Many small tows also would erect a greased pole in the bull ring for the drunken bull fighter to try to climb. NOT!! Ferry, very funny to watch a drunk trying to flee the bull and grab onto the pole and attempt to shinny up it. And slid back down to the ground and run, or crawl as fast as he could to get out of the bull ring.
Thanks for your post about all the intricacies inside a "real" bull ring from long ago. Like you are, I'd also be interested in examining them.
Don