LA CORRIDA

1. LA CORRIDA • In most Bullrings there are marked differences between the seating in the shade and the seating under the hot sun. A different way of viewing the spectacle and not only in the physical sense.Seats in the shade are found in the sections 1, 2, and 3. Sections 4 and 7 share both sun and shade depending on the hour. Here, where the public are not harassed by a strong sun, prices for these seats are the most expensive and the public is better behaved. If your intention is to watch the bulls with genuine interest, get a seat on this side. Here, you can watch the bulls in peace without suffering any distractions. The real fans of the Bull-fights are found in these seats. Make sure you arrive on time- when the first fight starts. Once the bull is in the ring, it is not permitted to allow late-arrivals to take their seats until that bull is killed. It´s a good idea to hire out a cushion to sit on. You can find them at some small stalls inside the stadium.The seating under the sun is where the "Peñas" gather, under the fierce heat of the merciless sun. The party atmosphere is at full swing here and watching the bulls fight could be purely incidental for some of the crowd. (Some would say purely accidental!) The party atmosphere means that eating drinking and singing to one´s hearts´s content comes first and foremost. • The only problem is the limited number of tickets. But that is something we will look into a little further down • So, even if you have no interest in bull-fighting and even have some moral objections to it, you can safely sit among all the pandemonium on this side and scarcely be aware that there is a bull-fight going on.

2. The seating on the sunny side of the Bullring is totally dominated by the atmosphere generated by the "Peñas". They occupy the vast majority of the seats in the sections 5, 6 and 7 the upper rows 10, 11 and 12. But it is not necessary to be a member to sit with them. The important thing is to secure a ticket. This whole side of the Bullring is pure spectacle and pandemonium. There are sixteen brass bands sporadically playing their loud music. Sometimes in unison, sometimes different tunes at the same time, creating a din and blare from the beginning to the end of the fights. The chaos has its own certain order and logic. There are some classic spots which are repeated year after year: making the "Mexican" wave, the "Eurovision", Swaying from side to side or imitating a rowing action up and down. Throwing confetti, toilet rolls, etc. at one another. Singing a sarcastic ¨happy birthday" to some luckless politicen.......anything at all that comes to mind. And despite the constant flow of alcoholic beverages, all is done in good-natured fun so that, in spite of the blare of bagpipes whistles and brass-bands a certain kind of "peace" reigns among the total pandemonium. You have to see it to believe it

3. WHAT IS BULL-FIGHT • Who doesn't know what goes on at a bull-fight ? • Well, quite a lot of people it seems. And particularily the anglo-saxon races so let's hope they will give our following outline their very best attention: • The very first movement is when two horsemen, in all their plumed finery, suddenly burst into the middle of the ring at a gallop. They turn aside in opposite directions and gallop round the arena on each side. When their paths cross the public give a loud OOH ! to acclaim the possible collision which never happens.

5. PARADE • Then comes the parade of the bull-fighters and their entourage, and all the other people who will have some part to play in the event such as the the "picadores" on their horses and carrying their lance, the "banderilleros" who are dressed like the bull-fighters but whose function is to run at the bulls and stick darts into their backs as a preliminary to the bull-fighters work. There are others similarly dressed- the "Peones" - but whose function is simply to play with the bull with their coloured capes so that the bull-fighter can watch the way that the bull charges and turns with his horns. The "Mulillas" also take part in the parade and these are the men and horses which will drag the body of the dead bull from the ring.

7. FIRST TERCIO • After they salute the balcony of the president, permission is given for the bull-fight to begin. The same ritual which has gone on for countless years. There are three bull-fighters and two bulls for each one. The order is fixed: the first bull-fighter fights the first and fourth bull, the second one will fight the second and fifth, the third will fight the third and sixth bull. • Each bull-fight has three standard movements, called "tercios". • The first "tercio" takes place as soon as the bull is released into the ring. The "peones" tempt the bull with their capes so that the quality of the bull charges can be appreciated. They will lead him over different sections of the ring so that his reactions can be carefully noted by the bull-fighter. Then the "Picador" appears with his horse and lance. He will pierce the back of the bull with his steel lance to weaken it and to tame some of his fierce energy. This is known as making a "puya" and is not popular with the crowd as they don't want the animal to be made too weak. On the other hand, the bull-fighter does want him to be weakened. The bull-fighter then plays with the bull with a yellow cape to learn more about the way it charges and turns.

9. SECOND TERCIO • The second "tercio" begins when the "banderilleros" take up their running position with a dart in each hand and they must run at the bull and stick these large darts, with a small steel hook at the end, into the back of the bull. There are usually three of these men who act in quick succession making a total fo six darts in all.

10. THIRD TERCIO • The third "tercio" is when the bull-fighter uses his red and yellow cape held by a wooden sword. He carries out several different movements where he tries to dominate the bull. When the bull is sufficiently tired, he changes the wooden sword for a steel one and with this sword he will give the final "estocada" where he must bury the sword in a small area of the animal's back to kill him.

11. Once the bull is dead, the president of the arena decides if he will concede any award to the bull-fighter. If he has done everything well, the public acclaim him and appeal for an award (This could be one ear, two ears, two ears and the tail, depending on how well he has done everything). If the bull-fighter has been bad, the crowd will boo and hiss and the luckless bull-fighter will have to wait for another better day. And the crowd await the second bull and hope for a better fight • And that's the ritual for all six bulls. And after that the show is over for another day.