Bull Jumps into Stands at Bullfight

Bullfighting always gets the animal rights activists hot and bothered, and even those who eat steak and wear leather can get a little squeamish as the picadors and matadors do their jobs. In Mexico City over the week-end, a bull managed to leap the barrier and attack spectators in the stands. Good for the bull.

Named “Pajarito,” or “little bird,” this animal was a 1,100 pound (500 kilogram) specimen of bovine anger. The usual one-sided match had been underway for a brief while and one of the picadors had left a knife in the bull’s front left shoulder. At that point, Pajarito had decided enough was enough. He ignored the bullfighters and charged head long at the red barrier that separated him from the crown.

In a leap of unprecedented athleticism (no other bull has ever done this), his front hooves rested briefly on the barrier, and then the rear pair settled on top it before he exploded into the spectators like a diver executing a perfect jack-knife. Pajarito fairly flew at the mob. As with any other sporting event, the expensive seats are down where the action is, and a few of Mexico City’s richer fight aficionados got more action than they expected.

Humans ran out of the bull’s path as best they could, but the crowded conditions in the 48,000 seat bull ring prevented a quick and safe evacuation. Several people were injured, and one woman was gored; the resulting 6-inch gash required numerous stitches. The mayhem ended with, as usual, a man stabbing the bull to death, but this time, he had to climb up into the stands to do it.

The authorities have already said they will work to improve security at the 60-year-old bullring. “We need to take preventative measures to avoid that a situation of this nature happens again,” Mayor Alejandro Encinas of Mexico City told the press. One fails to see why this is necessary. People attend bullfights for the pageantry and excitement. What could be more exciting than a bull in the stands? The truly entrepreneurial would lower the barrier, reduce the price of the ringside seats to ensure a full house and sell the whole thing on pay-per-view for a worldwide audience.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
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