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Dublin: 10 °C Friday 24 May, 2013

Spain: Four hurt at Pamplona’s running of the bulls

A further four people have been injured in this year’s San Fermin festival in Pamplona.

A reveler is tossed by a cow in the bull ring, at the end of third running of the bulls at the San Fermin fiestas, in Pamplona, Monday, July 9, 2012
A reveler is tossed by a cow in the bull ring, at the end of third running of the bulls at the San Fermin fiestas, in Pamplona, Monday, July 9, 2012
Image: Alvaro Barrientos/AP/Press Association Images

FOUR PEOPLE SUFFERED bumps and bruises but no one was gored in the fourth day of the running of the bulls at Pamplona on Tuesday.

A local hospital said those daredevils sustained injuries to the head, legs or arm in the relatively clean and fast run through the old quarter of the city. None of the injuries were serious.

The six fighting bulls weighing as much 620 kilos (1,360 lbs) stayed together in pack for much of the dash, which was good because an isolated bull is more likely to get disoriented and charge at people. They run with steer that are supposed to keep the bulls in a tight pack.

Four more runs remain at Spain’s most famous summer festival. Three people — an American and two Britons — were gored in Monday’s run but none were seriously hurt.

The festival became world famous after Ernest Hemingway made it the setting of his novel “The Sun Also Rises.”

Tuesday was the third anniversary of the last death at the so-called San Fermin festival, that of a young Madrid-area Spaniard, Daniel Jimeno, who was gored in the neck as he tried to slide under a fence feet-first to escape a bull.

His father, Juan Antonio Jimeno, placed a wreath of flowers wrapped in a red kerchief — the garment that perhaps best symbolises the dress code for San Fermin runners — at the precise spot where his son died in 2009. That was the 15th death since record keeping began in 1924.

The father’s voice quivered as he remembered his son. He said the flowers were for him and the other 14 as well.

“I was to pay tribute to all of them, not just my son,” Jimeno told Spanish National Television. “This is a hard day.”

Read: Six injured in Pamplona bull run>

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Comments (25 Comments)

  • GoGo99 10/07/12 #

    4 Darwin awards… Why not

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  • If you insist on taking on large beasts then of course there will be injury and tragedy . No sympathy for idiots who decide to risk their lives in this way.

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  • Who gives a shite they put themselves in harms way great to see the bulls getting one up

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  • Pink shirt. That’s what did the damage

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  • Scarr 10/07/12 #

    Excellent. Great to see people with no concern for the welfare of these animals having sense knocked I to them.

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  • Am I suppose to feel sorry?
    Not a chance.

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  • a good news story to start the day delighted.

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  • Good I’m delighted!!!

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  • I think its funny that a lot of the people who are against this festival probably pop down to tescos and pick up their pre-packed steaks and toddle home without thinking about that animals welfare.

    I mean fair enough being annoyed about this festival if you are a hardcore vegetarian for ethical reasons. But the moral meat eaters make me laugh. Have any of you ever been to a abattoir? You can literally drink the air in one of them from the stench of death and fear. And that is an Irish abattoir which generally have excellent standards of animal welfare.

    At the end of the day the small number of bulls killed at this festival would only have ended up being killed in an abattoir. At least this way they die with dignity and can go out with a fight. Even in some circumstances a bull can be spared if the audience judge he has fought bravely and it goes to a ranch to become a stud bull for the rest of its life.

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    • Shoving spears and swords into them in public for amusement is not the same.

      I would expect something like this out of Pakistan or Afghanistan not Spain.

      It is sick,cruel and barbaric

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    • Actually Islam forbids the killing of an animal for entertainment purposes, so you wouldn’t be likely to see it there at all.

      As with all things there is a tradition behind it, and I am not arguing whether it should be kept going or banned. It is not my culture, so its not my place to tell them how they should do things.

      The point I was trying to raise is that the majority of meat eaters who are opposed to this are happy to consume meat once they don’t see how it is killed. Bullfighting is a blood sport so it is not going to be pretty or nice no matter what kind of spin is put on it. But I have to go back to my point about how I am sure the animal would prefer dying in a bull ring than in an abattoir. At least they aren’t aware what is happening in the lead up to a bullfight and they have a chance to fight their attacker. In an abattoir, they are basically in a line waiting to be executed. They see they animal in front of them die. The smell of it is in the air.

      Anticipation of death is worse than death itself, as the saying goes. So I don’t get how anybody who eats factory slaughtered meat can have a problem with the way the bull dies in bullfighting.

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  • No sympathy for these idiots who think they can out-run a bull and who think that it’s okay to put these animals in this situation. Even when a bull manages to gore its tormentor, the people who bay for blood are not put off. They still like to go to this stupid festival and to bullfights. It’s barbaric and it makes me sick.

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  • Makes 3 of us.. Pity none were gored!

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  • This is so shocking! I can’t believe it, it’s all so out of character…and so random

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  • I was there last year with my husband and it is a great week of fun . It really should be on everyone’s list before they die.

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    • emmomac 10/07/12 #

      Couldn’t agree more. Really is one of the world best festivals

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    • No one is suggesting its not fun – otherwise why would people go? Bear baiting and public hangings were considered great fun in their day too, the point is that they are not really appropriate in modern society. . And there are lots of Spanish people concerned about the animal welfare issues but it’s difficult for them to make progress when tourists keep coming. There are loads of brilliant festivals in Spain that don’t involve bloodsports. Try the Mardi Gras celebrations, brilliant.

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  • Those As5holes deserve whatever they get, Spain is supposed to be a modern civilised society yet in some parts the cruelty to this animals is acceptable sorry but no.

    All blood sports should be banned weither it be Spain or Ireland as there is simply no need for this cruelty.

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  • What a horrible sport it’s cruel and nasty and the Spanish should be ashamed of themselves

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  • emmomac 10/07/12 #

    This is an age old festival and an important part of Spanish culture. The bulls that run through the street each morning are then used in that evenings bull fight. It might seem cruel to us but try to understand how ingrained this is in Spanish culture before flying off the handle. It is cruel but so are modern farming methods. It really is a bit rich to say you are “sickened” by this and then go chow down on a mickey d’s.

    The festival itself is absolutely brilliant for anyone who cares and I would highly recommend attending. The articles photo is taken in the bull ring where the run ends. The bull in the picture is a baby bull whose horns have been blunted (a bit). The bulls that run through the street are cordoned to safety at the end of the run after which a number of baby bulls are released into the ring. Some of the athleticism on display by the seasoned runners is truly spectacular in their evading the bull.

    The buzz/ partying continues throughout the day with that evenings bull fighting a brilliant display of colour, red wine, food and music in the stands. I would also urge everyone to read the sun also rises and yeah, after you run your beer tastes amazing!

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    • Most Spanish people despise this and as for your comments I do not agree as you are defending torturing animals.

      My girlfriend is Spanish and despises this so it in not ingrained into spanish culture.

      It is total and utter bullsh1t to think this festival is great when it is based on blood.

      I would suppose you support the hunts that occur here and coursing of live animals aswell.

      Cop on, this should be banned like anything that is similar to it.

      And I am not one of these pro animal activists, I was a hunter (for food) but no longer do it, I can see it is clearly wrong and disgusting.

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    • emmomac 10/07/12 #

      Wouldn’t call it torture really. The bulls are well able to handle themselves. Thats why everyone is running away see.

      It is not “based on blood”. it is about culture and food and partying. The blood does indeed play an important role though. It has ceremonial significance and a lot of the runners claim that seeing this kind of real violence is actually very good for us. it reminds us that real violence does indeed shed blood. A yearly spilling of animal blood helps avoid the spilling of human blood. It is actually an amazingly trouble free festival considering what goes on. Granted thats a bit deep but you never know.

      You used to hunt food? And now you think it is disgusting? Why?

      Reply

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