While in Seville, I went on a tour of the bull ring. It was fascinating, I must say and finding out

[Berni]

what goes on and how it all works has made me rather wish I could have gone to an actual bullfight.

I realise there are those who might regard this as leetle beet the morally reprehensible, but I'm curious to know if anyone has been to one and if so, what did you make of it?

[Mo Britain less Europe]

conscientious objectors.

[Classic Jorge]

I went out with a spanish girl from a family who raised fighting bulls for 300 odd years. She hated it so much se sat me down, explained the whole thing to me and then made me watch a documentary about it.

[Pokster]

[Monty91]

But seriously, I went to the same bullring when I was in Seville.

Whenever I’ve been in Spain, I’ve tried to go to an actual bullfighting event, but my various companions have always refused, the boring *******s.

[Berni]

I would want to experience the real thing right up close and then make a judgement.

There is a danger I'd love it and thereby become an awful person, of course, but one has to take these risks.

[Luis Anaconda]

[Berni]

Mind you, the cheap seats in the blazing sun are 35 euros to sit on a stone bench and the best seats are about 140 euros, so they're pricing the ordinary fan out of the game, Brian.

[Classic Jorge]

Which is why I dont vote Tory

[PSRB]

although the Bull steak we had later was magnificent

[Monty91]

It shifted the needle for me and now I suspect in 100 years we’re all going to be considered as bad as *****philes for the way we treat factory farmed animals.

[Classic Jorge]

[insert david cameron joke here]

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

[Berni]

fell down on the simple premise that human morality is to a large extent predicated on an understanding of reciprocity. ie 'Do unto others as you would be done to' and such a moral reciprocity cannot exist between human and non-human animals.

Interestingly, straight after the bullring, I had lunch and one of the dishes was foie gras with a sort of cream cheese and apple concoction with a lightly caramelised crunchy sugar topping. It was quite delicious.

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

I stayed back at the hotel, all–inclusive as it was.

Fair to say the actual killing of the beast came as a shock to them which they did not appreciate, nor the rabid behaviour of the locals demanding the kill.

[Monty91]

there is no moral equivalence between causing pain to animals and humans, and so I can enjoy eating delicious animal flesh without it bothering my conscience.

I just wonder whether this will always be the case.

[Berni]

[7evens]

Many moons back but remembered mainly because of a hideous accident during one of the fights.
It was at the stage where the Picador enters the ring. The objective being to get up alongside the beast and gouge the lance into the bulls neck muscles, further draining it of it's strength.
The horse is naturally blindfolded and heavily protected with padding along one side only.
On this occasion, the bull managed to get under the horse and with its horns lifted it clear off the ground unseating the rider.
The chap then sprinted towards one of the protecting barrier walls positioned around the perimeter of the ring.
The Bull, seeing his opportunity, turned on the poor horse, who instantly took flight and began galloping around the perimeter.
Crowd starting booing and signally much discontent when the poor horse inevitably rang straight into one of the protective barriers, impacting squarely on the chest. It then staggered to a crumpled heap on the ground. Poor bugger died pretty shortly after as the Matador and his team attempted to coax the confused beast away from the corpse.
Horse was then roped and dragged out by other picadors to much jeering and booing.
We left shortly afterwards having seen enough and wishing we'd probably not gone in the first place.
On reflection, I think one of the reasons for going was rooted in the hope that you may just get to see the bull take one of the *******s out..
I've been to the north of madrid a few times and have seen these animals graze free range in the fields. I'm told b locals that they live like kings until they enter the arena. http://www.awimb.com/images/smiley_icons/ohwell.gif

[Monty91]

Dan Carlin?

[Berni]

They were much the most feared animals in the Roman arena. They almost always won fights against every other animal and fighting them was considered the most dangerous for humans - much more so than tigers and lions.

[Berni]

mindfulness, though. That's very boring.

The one with the Phelps girl was good, too.

[Classic Jorge]

And as you know I am a small and petty man, b.

[Classic Jorge]

f**king wannabe jedi ****ers

[Monty91]

for fear of reprisal for his anti-religion shtick. Surely you only need a couple max?

[Steve Williams - gay for Mark Knopfler]

I would not have been aware before then that a beast was killed each time.

Bit of messing really, annoy the **** out of the bull and then go home. A bit like rodeo by not as gay.

[Berni]

in 2011. He was let go to go and f**k as many lady bulls as he liked for the rest of his life.

She also said that they only introduced protection for the horses in 1923. Befor that, pretty much all the horses had to be destroyed after a fight as well, having been gored.

[Witharby 2-3 weeks]