Corrida del Toros (Bullfights) and Pelea de Gallos

 

 

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            This page shows the last page of bullfights, with a matador getting a taste of the horns, and Pelea de Gallos, or cock fights.  Overall the bullfights are a bit brutal but there seems to be enough athleticism, artistic content and overall culture to justify the event.  I'll probably attend another one someday because the one in Tlaxcala is kind of small.  Mexico City has the biggest bullfighting arena in the world and if it fits with my trip I'll see one there.

            The Pelea de Gallos, on the other hand, didn't strike me that way.  I really tried to find a positive, enjoyable element but couldn't.  They strap razor blades onto the talons of two roosters and they kill each other.  There's some sort of betting wheel that's spun to determine the bet ratio.  Fat, greasy guys in cheap suits yell out numbers and pass out tickets that people bet with.  I have no idea how the system works and didn't care to find out.  The atmosphere is dusty and stuffy.  I watched three matches and I don't know how many there are in a night.  I think it would have been more fun to see the roosters fight people, like the guys passing out tickets, or maybe cats.

            The only enjoyable moment of the event was when I used my flash.  I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to but I knew I could get one in.  They saw the flash and were trying to figure out where it came from.  One guy knew it was me and I could see him telling another guy that it was the gringo.  In English he looked at me and said "do you speak English?" I tried to look confused and said "English??  Que es????".  More than half the crowd [of about 80 to 100 people] heard what was going on and they were looking at me; they seemed amazed that I couldn't speak English.  But I couldn't keep from laughing and as soon as they saw me smile they all started laughing.  That was the only fun moment at this event.  After everyone stopped laughing one of the fat guys in a cheap suit told me not to use the flash.  The pictures below are not very good because of the low light but you can see what's going on and decide if you ever want to attend an event.  I won't be attending anymore of these.

Click on the image and take the bull by the horns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same guy from the end of the previous page.

Good sword strike, the bull was down quickly.

This is toward the end of the fifth match (notice the red cape). I had put my camera away but noticed that this bull was particularly aggressive.

I got my camera just in time to see the ass kicking by the bull.

That probably doesn't hurt at all, right?

You can tell by his hair that he's spinning counter clock wise, around the bulls left horn. Cool.

The general feeling from the crowd seems to be that they don't want the matadors to get hurt, but if one does get hurt they don't want to miss it.

The other matadors and teammates all try to help him and distract the bull.

Ouch.

He wasn't moving and seemed unconcious.

He's awake, but needed to be helped out of the ring.

They kept the bull occupied while the matador re-grouped and actually came back, with a new ass-hole above his right cheek.

Ole!!!!!!!

Ole!!!

The bull is looking for another opportunity.

He shows some mastery machismo.

He came out of the ring and returned one more time to have his elbow popped back into place. This is after his second return.

It was an okay sword strike, it took the bull about a minute and a half to go down.

He got an ear for the fight, in his teammates right hand. Probably would have gotten two if the sword strike was better.

Next match, fat guy on a padded horse. The Picadors tend to be larger guys.

Perfect Banderilla strike by one of the matadors teammates. The matador in this match let his teammates do a bit more than the other matadors.

Ole!!!!

More bull mastery machismo.

Good aim, but not quite enough power behind this one.

The bull went down quickly even though the sword wasn't all the way in. The crowd was not impressed with the bull.

The matador did well but the bull was not very aggressive and sat down several times during the match. Everyone started leaving before the award.

Pelea de Gallos. Two roosters getting ready to cut the hell out of each other. I think it would have been more fun to watch them fight people.

Lots of feathers and dust.

Sometimes they both are hurt so bad it's hard to declare a winner. This was a long match, they kept picking the roosters up and starting over.

Same two from the previous picture. Both could hardly move but the one on the left made one last killing move and won. I assume they usually both die.

This is the one flash picture that made them ask if I could speak English.

Only picture from the second match I saw.

The third one I saw was over very quickly. I don't have any idea how many matches there are in an event, I would guess 10-20.

Quick move.

It was very quickly obvious that this rooster was done, note the pool of blood under his head from his sliced throat.