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The Bull-Leapers of Madrid
Nyah-nyah-nyah!! Missed me!!
While the bull fighters of Spain are legendary, its bull leapers are not as well known. These are the brave souls that practice the sport of bull leaping, which true to its name, involves jumping over a running bull!
Believe it or not, the bull isn't touching him.
He's beginning his backflip.
Mid-flip
Huh??? Where'd he go???
How to attract a bull
While some of the leapers like to use a red cape to entice the bull to run at them, some prefer to simply act like a helpless target. When the bull attacks, there is a variety of ways the leaper has to foil the bull's attempt to kill him.
The simple forward jump
You can even go on the buddy system
The leapfrog approach
The sidestep method of avoiding death
The forward hop
The most difficult - grab the bull's horns and swing over it's back.
Though the sport dates all the way back to the Bronze Age (3000 - 1200 B.C), it has recently enjoyed a resurgence amongst young thrill-seeking Spaniards, who come together at the Plaza de Tores stadium in Madrid every year, to battle it out for the championship.
Each team comprises of five to seven bull leapers or 'recortadores', who sneak their way into a bullring that may have as many as three bulls, at a time. Once inside, they each take turns calling the bulls towards them.
As the bovine comes charging at full speed, the recortadores, dodge or leap over them with amazing speed and agility.
The events, which can sometimes last four to five hours, are very popular with spectators, young and old.
They are not only exciting, but also, have none of the cruelty issues associated with bull fights, which involve matadors that use swords to defend themselves.
The one danger is that the leapers themselves could get hurt if, gored by a bull. However, so far, there have been no injuries. The young Spaniards really know what they are doing, and we sure hope it stays that way forever and ever!
Just one word of caution for those who want to try this at home......
Get your timing right
FEEDBACK MAP
To learn more about the Bull Leapers, take a look at the following web sites:
Damn Cool Pics blogspot (Lots of pics)
Dogonews - fodder for young minds (Also has a very nice video)
Daily Mail On-Line
Word IQ web site
NOTE: Photographer Mery Nunez travelled to the Plaza de Toros bull fighting stadium in Madrid, Spain and witnessed these amazing acrobats displaying flips, leaps and jumps.
Like the bull jumpers themselves, photographer Mery had to rely on reflexes and instinct to get these incredible images. 'To take pictures like this, especially action shots, you have to visualise the scene in your mind,' she said.
Our thanks to Mery Nunez for making these photographs available to the public.