Wednesday, April 19, 2006

No, they don't kill the calf.




12 comments:

Oscar Grillo said...

Pity they don't kill him...Imagine the Veal cotoletta alla milanese they can do with it.

Elliot Cowan said...

This is your handiwork again?

limbolo said...

Yes, Elliot,
I've been hoping to get shots of the children's corrida for a while. These boys are training to become matadors de toros.
Oscar, actually these are lady calves...3 in all: one for each of the lads.

Matt Jones said...

Look at the attitudthose kids have already! The lad in the 1st & 3rd shots is a true performer. Looks like he's using some kind of hypnosis trick in the 3rd shot! Great pics. Had no idea young torreros were trained in this manner.

A. Riabovitchev said...

Great photos!How interesting!They are So young and already very emotional!Is it from film?Probably Alberto will be glad. :O)

limbolo said...

These kids have to learn the manner as well as the moves. It is very engaging to see them switch from being ordinary teenagers into strutting machos from days of old.
I took the pictures on a Nikon digital camera. It's just a pea shooter, but the light was perfect.

Elliot Cowan said...

It is just a small arena?
You seem remarkably close.

limbolo said...

Yes it's very small and the calves charge around in total panic. I was as close as the folks you can see on the other side. You don't pay for this kind of thing so everyone just crowds into barrier at the last minute. The town around is full of people boozing, eating and jumping up. Meanwhile the oompah bands march up and down the streets blasting away. One of these little bands obliged with the classic pasa dobles while the boys went through their paces.

Elliot Cowan said...

I love the work of the oompah.

alberto mielgo said...

Those pictures are beautifull, neil.
I love all of them, Each of them looks slow motion.

limbolo said...

xoxdslI have been hoping and praying for 4 years that I could find something in the Corrida that I can work with and do honour to those who have risked life and limb for centuries in pursuit of this extraordinary cult which survives, against reason and morality, into our modern world: this last remnant of the Bronze Age cult of blood sacrifice.
It is profoundly moving to witness the death of the Fighting Bulls. No less moving was the declaration last year by the matador, Stefan Fernandez Meca - on the occaision of his last Corrida - that he hoped that none of his children would have the idea of becoming a matador.

Matthew Cruickshank said...

It's clear to me that you are not talking Bullocks.