On Monday, May 24 my family and I attended the Praca de Touros at the Stevenson Ranch. I had never been to a bullfight in my life, and to walk in the ring just outside the arena while an agitated bull was inside was just slightly frightening to say the least. But despite the formidable bull inside the arena, the Forcados, Pantalones, and Matadores made me feel much safer. The bravery displayed by all who entered the arena was boundless. Those bullfighters have guts, that’s for sure. After attending the bullfight and being exposed to such a cultural and traditional-rich event, I just had to know more about the history of Portuguese bullfighting. Why were the horns on the bull covered? Obviously for safety reasons. . . Duh. But this precaution is believed by historians to date back to the reign of King Joseph the I of Portugal after his son/heir Marquis of Marialva’s horse was injured by the bull in the arena; leading to Marquis of Marialva to be thrown from his horse and fatally kicked by the bull. How long has bullfighting been around? Contrary to the common belief that bullfighting originated in Spain, bullfighting dates back to […]