It seems cheating is as endemic in bullfighting as so many other venues of life – the old practise of filing down the horns of the bulls is back in vogue.
Police are investigating the remains of hundreds of slaughtered bulls from bullfights across Spain to see whether allegations of widespread cheating in the industry is true.
It seems, according to television TVE (clip below), that it’s commonplace for the horns of the bulls to be filed down before the fight, to reduce the danger to the bullfighter.
This is, typically enough, illegal under the bullfighting act, and is punishable by several years in jail and a €6000 fine.
TVE says that bullfighters know well that filing down the points of the horns can be the difference between life and death if they get gored. Rather spoils the fun tho’ – surely we only watch in the hope that the besprangled prat gets one through the danglies?
‘Bespangled prat’. Love it.