Ouch!

"Eight gored as bulls run scared at Pamplona festival"

http://news.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=800412004

One of those fools had his trousers torn off by a bull. He was lucky that was all that was torn off. Cheering for the bulls!

rj007 you're so right!!

I'm sorry that I wasn't able to respond to this question a little earlier, but have only recently returned from enjoying the fiesta.

The running with the bulls, the encierro, is a small but substantial part of the Fiesta de San Fermín, an important religious festival in the city of Pamplona that dates back several hundred years. Granted, there has always been a number of distracters to the running of the bulls, but these animals are raised for two purposes. One is as breeding stock and one is to fight in the Plaza de Toros before being send to the butcher shop as "Toro del día", the bull of the day.

Not everyone enjoys a bullfight, but it's historical significance can not be denied. Bullfighting evolved from the task of slaughtering the animals for market and was first performed from horseback and only by those of noble bearing.

The encierro was first used as a means of bringing the bulls to market, buy running them through the streets of a village in the early morning hours before the streets were crowded with shoppers. The bulls were of no use to the farmers except as breeding stock and were far too dangerous because of their temperament to keep around since they are not beasts of burden and will attack and kill anything that gets in their way. The bulls meat is very lean and was not eaten by anyone except the lower classes (the working class) who could not afford the more expensive cuts of meats found in the market.

Yes, there is a lot of drinking during the fiesta, but only a fool drinks before running in the encierro. Most people who are out on the route don't run, or have any intention of running, but they also have no idea about what's going on. A great number of them fail to realize that these are not farm animals down there on the street with them until it is too late, even though the information is available from several different sources. Most of those injured and a number of those killed (15 deaths since 1922) had been up drinking the night before, but even those who don't drink can get injured and even die. Things happen quickly and my advise for everyone is not to run, but there will always be runners as long as the challenge exists.

We could do away with the encierro and bullfighting, but what would become of the bulls? Would those selected to survive end up in a zoo, behind bars like the lion and tiger? What would the farmers use as breeding stock for their cattle? Or would their unique breed quickly die off because they cannot be socialized, going the way of the legendary Creten Bull.

There is one other point to be made in this matter. The Plaza de Toros in Pamplona is owned by the Casa de Misericordia de Pamplona (Meca). All of the profits from the bullfights, the corridas, go to help finance the home for the elderly in Pamplona, allowing them to live without being a burden to society.

>>They will attack and kill anything that gets in their way>>

>>only a fool drinks before running in the encierro>>

>>even those who don't drink can get injured and die>>

Whether you are drinking or not, you are still an idiot to go running with the bulls. Those 15 people killed since 1922 were idiots. The people gored are idiots. This part of the festival will continue since there is no law against stupidty.

I have no problem with the religious festival or the bullfights or aiding the elderly but common sense would tell you that they should go back to running the bulls thru the streets in the early morning.

San Fermin, Sanfermines, AKA the running of the bulls is not for everyone. Yes it is a drunken party, so if you do not like huge crowds, drunks, a place that smells like a toilet, stay away from pamplona.

Robert is right there is more to pamplona than the running of the bulls and the bull fights. There are hundreds of years of tradition invloved in this fiesta.

Most people go for a few days I believe it takes a minimum of 3 nights to get the full fietsa experience. Although the friend I went with the first time lasted 24 hours and wanted out of there so we left.
Yes there are family things that go on and the spanish are all out with there family and small children. That is the spanish way. For most people I would suggest against taking your small children to this fiesta mostly due to the large crowd size. Wives or girlfriends can also be a problem, someone always ends up mad at the other person, mostly due to drinking.

If you do enjoy large crowds, drinking, dancing, music, excitment, adrenline rushes. Then pamplona is a place to be. Yes the runs are a big part of the fiesta and the bullfights, some people do not understand that the bulls that are fought that night were the ones that run through the streets in the morning. If bullfights are not for you DON'T go.

The most beautiful thing I have seen in the bullring is when they fight the bulls on horse back. These seem to be more fair than the normal corrida. If you get the chance to see this I suggest going.

The one thing that I like to encourage is for people going to the fiesta partake in the traditions of the fiesta as well. Is it so hard to put on the tradtional dress white pants, white shirt, red sash, and red scarf? The fiesta seems to be getting larger and larger every year. The city of pamplona is trying to find ways to accommodate the great masses that invade pamplona each year. They are not throughing this party so you can go on a week long drunk and be an ass. Remember that we are their guest.

For all the rest of you San Fermin addicts like myself, I'll see you in July. Viva San Fermin Gora!!!

When is the running with the bulls??
We will be there in July---natjgc

Similar insanity happens in San Miguel de Allende, MX on the last Saturday in September.
M

A few years ago, a client of mine had just gone through a bad divorce and felt he needed to do something adventurous. He told me he wanted to run with the bulls in Pamplona. Not my idea of a good time (or anything I'd like to experience), but I sold him a ticket and he went.

After the trip, I called him to see how the trip went, and he came in to show me something. It was the newspaper from Pamplona with his photo on the cover.

He had been running along with the bulls, but being a less brave (or less stupid in another opinion) member of the pack, he was running behind the bull. This was working well......until the bull turned around. So the first photo shows him airbourn, throwing himself out of the path of the bull after it turned around in a rage (and some poor fool at the other end of the bull is desperately, but uselessly, pulling on the bull's tail). The second photo shows him on the ground while the bull is attempting to gore him.

He was VERY lucky. He told me that the horn passed just under his torso and if it had been a half inch higher, he might not have returned from the trip in one piece, if at all. When asked if he would ever do this again, he responded with one word: NEVER.

I still have a copy of the newspaper to remind me.

At the end of a long, hot but very satisfying day sightseeing in Spain, a man found himself sitting in a sidewalk cafe sipping a drink in front of a glorious sunset. Soon he heard a sizzling sound followed by a delicious aroma. He saw a waiter carrying a steaming covered dish over to another couple sitting nearby, which he then uncovered in a flourish and placed before them. The couple dug in, obviously enjoying the dish while the man, who hadn't eaten since lunch that day, grew increasingly hungry. Soon his curiosity got the better of him and he called the waiter over.

" What is that tempting dish you just took over to that couple ? " he asked.

" Ahhh Senor!" replied the waiter, "That is one of our most famous regional specialities to be found in all of Spain. Marinated bulls testicles. Delicioso! "

The man almost gagged in surprise and revultion, but after a few minutes thought, and being being of an intrepid nature, and willing to try anything once, he finally said to the waiter,

"Well that smells wonderful, and I'm hungry as hell, so I'd like to order some, please".

A look of disappointment crossed the waiter's face. He said to the man,
"Senor, I wish I could honour your wish but it is not possible. You see, we obtain our product from the bull fight that occurs here every morning and since there is only one fight a day, we are only able to prepare one portion of this dish a day. You have to come in very early in the morning and place your order and then we will have it ready for you when to come to dine with us in the evening."

The man was disappointed but determined. So the next morning he did exactly that : Went early, ordered the dish, then spent the rest of the day sight seeing until dinnertime. At the appropriate time, he again found himself seated at the cafe sipping a drink before a glorious sunset and awaiting his meal. The sizzling platter arrived, was uncovered with a flourish by the beaming waiter, and man tucked in. After several minutes when he was done licking his lips, the waiter returned to the table,

"Was everything to your satisfaction, Senor ?", he asked.

" Yes," replied the man, "It was quite delicious, but I couldn't help notice that the portion was considerably smaller than the one you served yesterday."

" Ah yes," replied the waiter, " Thats because, you see, at the bullfight, it is sometimes the bull who wins."


(Its Friday. Have a good weekend.)

The running of the bulls (san fermin) is every july 6-14. The dates never change. The same for hundred of years.

The encierro are very dangerous and I never advise people to run. If they do choose to run I tell them to get as much info as possible.

I had a client 2 years ago that got trampled by the bulls and then by the people and ended up in intensive care for 30 days in a drug enduced coma. So yes it is dangerous people die doing this. It is not a game.

I find it plenty exciting enough watching from a balcony.

The number of injuries that occur as to the number of people that run are small. Unless you are that person that is injuried. I have know 4 (2 0f them my good friends) US people that have been hurt during the running and some of my spanish friends that did it when they were young have been hurt and swore to never run again.

Yes lots of people get drunk and get into the streets and hopefully the police find most of them before the runs starts. The city of pamplona is trying to figure out a way to decrease the number of injuries. I beleive that the only way this can be done is to decrease the number of runners. Last year on the first day they estimated 8,500 people were in the street.

This is not a game, it started hundreds of years ago and since they have started keeping track of deaths in the 1920's there have been 15 people killed.

Be smart not a drunken ass!!