Guardia Civil gives trainee officers bullfighting classes

There is uproar today after it was revealed that 250 Guardia Civil trainee officers were given a course on bullfighting as part of their training in Jaén this week. One of their teachers swapped the police tricorn hat for a bullfighters cap and cape, to show students how to properly torture a cow to death. The students were not impressed, with a number of videos making their way onto the internet and a complaint being Continue reading Guardia Civil gives trainee officers bullfighting classes

Cheating bullfighters under police investigation

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 Continue reading Cheating bullfighters under police investigation

New bullfighting museum of Cordoba opens

And this time, they’ve remembered to include a bull. It’s taken 10 years and 3,5 million euros to refit the museum, but the Museo Taurino de Córdoba has finally reopened to the public. But, with an eye to the change in public opinion, the gist of the museum has changed slightly – it’s now more about the bulls than the bullfighters.

Ponce “ripped apart” by bull as bullfight goes wrong

Enrique Ponce, the bullfighter, has suffered severe goring after his bullfight today went badly wrong. As he plunged the killing stroke into the bull, the animal with its last strength swiped at him and managed to gore him through the chest with its massive horns. It happened in today’s feria de Fallas at Valencia, the traditional bullfight held during Valencia’s famous las fallas festival.

Barcelona bans all bullfight related festivals

Barcelona city council, having banned bullfighting back in 2012, is going a step further and banning the simulation of bull fighting, as well as all festivals involving bulls. The prohibition means that mock bull fights which involve teasing or distressing the animal are banned, as are corridas or any public spectacle which involves the death of the animal. Also banned are those traditional implements of torture used during the bullfight, la pica, la banderilla and Continue reading Barcelona bans all bullfight related festivals

VAT on bullfighting could drop to 10%

Currently, VAT (IVA) on all cultural activities is taxed at 21% (luxury). This includes theatre tickets, entertainment values, works of art, etc. The government has confirmed it is studying reducing the VAT on works of art to 10% in order to help Spanish artists. However, the tax break would only be on handcrafted individual works of art. Another item that could be dropped is the cost of going to a bullfight, as part of Madrids Continue reading VAT on bullfighting could drop to 10%

On why bullfighting shouldnt’t have been stopped (in this way…)

So, it’s been a week since the controversial law was passed by the Catalunya autonomous government (generalitat), and the worst of the hysteria has died down. No, wait, it hasn’t. Still going strong. It’s even made Spain forget about the World Cup win. I thought it best to have a look at the law myself. Of course, it’s in Catalan, which I don’t speak, but anyone fluent in speaking Castellano with a French accent, and Continue reading On why bullfighting shouldnt’t have been stopped (in this way…)