Our First (and likely Only) Bullfight!

In addition to school celebrations for Fiestas de Quito, Javier and I wanted to join in on the fun around town as well which included a trip to the bullfighting arena.  Now, Quito voted a couple of years ago to outlaw the killing of bulls in the ring, which severely lessened the number of bullfights that occur in the city.  (You can still see bullfighting where the bull is actually killed in many other cities in Ecuador).  But for Fiestas de Quito the city hosted a few days of bullfights that Javier and I decided to go to (still with no killing in the arena).  It was certainly an interesting experience...

We were first amazed at how small the arena was....we were sitting in the very last row, but still felt quite close to the action!

We were there plenty early to soak up the scene and walked down to the first row - you would definitely feel like part of the action down here!

We watched three bullfighters battle two bulls each.  Two of our matadors were from Spain and one was from Ecuador!  He was clearly a fan favorite and at 17, acted invincible in the ring.  Our experience was unique in that each matador would face the bull on horseback, rather than on the ground.

Each rider did have the equivalent of a rodeo clown that was on the ground to control the bulls between rides.  (Also their capes were hot pink....not red as I had learned in cartoons).

Here is an action shot of the rider about to spear the bull.  (You can already see one of his spears in the bull!)

Understandably so, the bull would often 'attack' or chase the rider after being speared.

Here is a picture to try to give you a feel for the arena - everyone is cheering and ole-ing during the fight.

Everyone gasped when the bull got too close to the horse.  I was surprised at how involved I felt in the show - it was certainly intense.

After each fight, the matador was awarded with a certain number of roses that signified the judges' satisfaction in their fight.  Then they would take a lap around the arena collecting roses and catching hats that audience members threw at them.  Javier and I both agreed that there was a certain amount of showmanship that went along with each fight.

While we were both glad to have the experience and did enjoy the show quite a bit, I do not think we'll be returning to the arena anytime soon.  I still had a pretty big issue with hurting an innocent animal for the sole purpose of human enjoyment.  By the 5th bull or so, I was ready to check the experience off my list and head out.  I will say that we both agreed that having the matadors on horseback really added to the entertainment value.  Before the bulls came out each matador showed off their riding skills and control of their horse.  The horses were all beautifully decorated with elaborate manes.  I was very glad that they were incorporated into the show and think it improved the experience for me.  Either way, glad we went and certainly happy to witness the enthusiasm of the Quito community. It felt like a very appropriate way to celebrate Fiestas de Quito.