In Catalonia, the last bull has been killed by a matador’s sword. In January, a ban on bullfighting takes effect in the region and Sunday’s corrida in La Monumental bullring was the last of the season, and, probably, the last ever. There is still the possibility that an appeal against the ban will flourish, although a ruling is still a long way off, but fans and opponents of bullfighting behaved as if Sunday marked the end of an era. The Catalan ruling is indeed a landmark, although a ban has been in place in the Canary Islands for two decades. However, given the tangle of regional politics that lay behind Catalonia’s decision, it seems unlikely there will be a rash of similar bans … [Read more...] about Forget the Catalan ban, bullfighting was already in trouble
jose tomas
The king of the ring returns, but can he save bullfighting?
For some, he epitomizes the courage and dignity of the great matadors. For others, he is an artless brute, whose thirst for blood helps keep an absurd tradition alive. José Tomás divides opinion with the same drama with which he kills bulls. His skill and apparently reckless willingness to put his own life on the line make him the most talked-about torero in the world. Tomás has been away from bullfighting for over a year. He was severely gored in the leg at Aguascalientes, Mexico, in April of last year and as he was carried to the infirmary, leaving a trail of blood in his wake, many feared for his life. After a forced layoff, Tomás will return to the ring this summer, to the delight of … [Read more...] about The king of the ring returns, but can he save bullfighting?
José Tomás
Bullfighting may be suffering an unstoppable crisis, with attendance down and a ban coming into effect in Catalonia, but Tomás is its great hope. With a hair-raising disregard for his own safety, the torero from Galapagar apparently sees getting nearly gored to death as just another day at the office; one particularly angry bull nearly killed him in Mexico in 2010. The enigmatic Tomás stays out of the media spotlight, avoiding the b-list celebrity merry-go-round that so many of his fellow bullfighters revel in. … [Read more...] about José Tomás