No Bull: A Dangerous Tradition Keeps on Running in Spain

Some people are good at giving advice, yet terrible at following it for themselves. Take for example “Buffalo” Bill Hillman, an American, and one of 10 co-authors of the book Fiesta: How to Survive the Bulls of Pamplona, who was gored in the leg during the Running of the Bulls festival in Pamplona, Spain this Wednesday. But since Hillman was a seasoned veteran, perhaps it’s just a matter of the odds catching up with him. Really, how many times can one taunt already agitated bulls, and expect to get away clean?

For those of you who are unfamilar with the event: The Running of the Bulls, in which people actually run alongside and dodge galloping cattle in the streets of Pamplona is a tradition going back centuries that's became popular amongst modern adventurers, mostly due to the Ernest Hemingway classic The Sun Also Rises. Though romanticizing the run and the bullfights that followed, Hemingway wrote as a spectator. And with good reason — though few deaths occur (15 recorded to date), every year a good number of tramplings, gorings, and other injuries are suffered, to the surprise of no one. In fact Hillman’s injuries are amongst the least serious of four other related injuries, all Spaniards, in week one of the three-week-long tradition — his are simply the most ironic. By the end of last year’s running, 50 people were taken to the hospital, with many more being treated for minor injuries on-site.

But it’s hard to know who to feel sorry for during all of this. Bull runners are there to get a rush of adrenaline, and a story of heroics that last a lifetime. The bulls, well, they don’t really have much of a lifetime left. The origins of the event are in leading bulls from the pen to the bullring for fights, where they're eventually killed. The bulls, which are not aggressive by nature, are prompted to run by startling gunshots into the air, cattle prods, and kicks by runners and spectators. Though the attacks by the bulls seem horrifying, they’re running for their lives, not for sport. We won’t go into detail about the graphic nature of the bullfights, but suffice to say, they’re hardly in a condition to fight anyone by the end of their less-than-a-mile journey. Each year, a number of animals rights protestors also attend these events, from groups like PETA, and League Against Cruel Sports. While their supporters are growing, due to the deeply linked cultural heritage of the tradition, they have yet to gain much traction.

While it remains a little unclear why anyone would want to do this, The Running of the Bulls will continue through July 14th, with thousands of tourists flooding the streets of Pamplona all the while. We can be sure to see a lot more injuries from runners, spectators, and bulls alike. And probably more of the same next year. And the year after that.

[Pic via Flickr - Ian Mackenzie]