SPANISH NATIONAL SPORT.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 August 1924, Page 7

SPANISH NATIONAL SPORT.

BULL-FIGHTING AT BARCELONA. A PERILOUS PASTIME. In the course of an interview granted to an Otago Daily Times reporter, Mr. J. B. Merrett, of the New Zealand Poultry Association, who represented the Dominion at the recent World’s Poultry Congress, held at Barcelona, Spain, gave some interesting sidelights on the Spanish national sport—-bull-fighting. Contrary to his preconceived idea, Mr.. Merrett found that he thoroughly enjoyed the fights. The huge bullrings are in the form of an amphitheatre, and seat up to 70,000 people. When the bull is released it enters the ring, where picadpres awa,it with spears, which they thrust in the withers of the bull. Sometimes the horses suffer; that is the worst part of the sport.

The bandarilloes, who carry no shields, and who are on foot, then have to throw darts at the bull, and they have to rely on their agility to escape the charges of the infuriated animal. AY hen the bull is in a state of frenzy the matador, who is the idol of thousands of Spaniards of both sexes, appears in the ring. He is aimed with a short, fine sword, and on his appearance he is greeted with tumultuous applause. Some of them receive prizes of a value equivalent to £6OO for one kill, and it is an exciting moment when the wild animal charges down on the matador, who, standing still, calmly waits till the bull is almost upon him. He then endeavours to make the fatal thrust, and he has only the fraction of a second to jump dear. • Frequently the blow is misdirected, but should the matador succeed in his thrust the spectators stand and shout in their excitement and throw gloves, hats, bracelets, jewellery, etc., iifto the ring, and these become the propertv of the matador. The Spaniards claim that the bull is the most courageous of all animals. Dther animals are afraid of the bull, which does not fear either them or even man. Consequently the Spaniards believe that a, man who can kill a bull with a sword shows the highest possible courage.