Toro de la Vega
toro de la vega bull meadow spanish medieval bull festival tournament celebrated town tordesillas valladolid spain tournament consists hundred lancer chasing – either foot horseback – bull town street corralling open area bull drawn away town killed spearing tournament follows series strict rule procedure dating back mid th century festival faced legal challenge animal right activist since early leading regional ban ruling spanish supreme court outlawing killing bull part tournament since initial regional ban festival removed killing portion ritual billed toro de la peña bull virgin mary festival held annually since limited intermission first recorded reference bull relation religious festival region mentioned sacramental text dating rule general francisco franco tournament banned period four year francoist spain franco sent soldier town attempt stop festival bull still released two lancer claimed victory year toro de la vega imprisoned beaten festival treatment bull diminished franco reputation abroad respectively two bull pardoned townspeople able escape rise animal right activism spanish bullfighting generated increased notoriety around festival tournament partially funded revenue government subsidy town council purchase bull wholesale tournament paying € bull september annual festivity local protested toro de la vega madrid puerta del sol year variety spanish actor musician attended alternative bloodless bull run tordesillas support animal right activism year festival journalist j jiménez gálvez antonio lorca writing el país criticized supporter festival comparing nonviolent bullfighting bullrunning may regional government castile león banned killing bull local tordesillas government disapproved ruling cautioned regional legislator would welcome town decision widely denounced town official mayor promising appeal overturn ruling local protest followed banner reading tordesillas se rinde tordesillas isnt giving regional ban passed ritual converted traditional encierro bull run rebilled toro de la peña bull virgin mary first bull survive festival century kg pelado aged five september festival march spanish supreme court upheld lawsuit animal right activist madrid effectively banning public bullkilling lawsuit local council tordesillas argued event critical town culture fan attending event compared animal activist tournament consists hundred lancer chasing – either foot horseback – bull town street corralling open area meadow town tordesillas bull typically chased riverfront area river duero bull drawn away town typically killed spearing throwing spear lance strictly prohibited operation motor vehicle bull surpasses limit tournament lancer able kill pardoned includes bull escape territorial limit town winner tournament person inflicts mortal wound bull bringing knee following accredited supervisor cut neck bull mercy killing participant fined € breaking town ordinance law festival lancer attempt kill bull subject arrest since late amid growing animal right concern tournament featured running bull without customary killing end bull must weigh kg four seven year old order participate festival festivity typically held annually early september second tuesday month alongside virgen de la peña religious festival often held september tournament town tordesillas population double historical name tournament toro de la vega spanish bull meadow namesake regional geography tordesillas name toro de la peña derives significance town patron saint virgen de la peña virgin mary collectively bull virgin mary literally translated toro de la peña noted bull rock name changed cumulative societal discontent bullkilling winner contest named festival known bull meadow antibullfighting city running bull spanishstyle bullfighting