MADRID – Despite the waning interest in bullfighting in Spain, summer is the high season for this kind of event. That also means a higher risk of accidents. Two bullfighters have recently been injured, including the famous ‘El Cordobés‘.
On Monday afternoon, bullfighter Alejandro Conquero was seriously injured. That happened during a bullfight in the Madrid town of Cenicientos. The ‘torero’ from Huelva was violently knocked over by the third bull of the event, with the bull hitting him in the rectal area with his horn. The event was temporarily halted to allow Conquero to stabilise in the arena’s medical post.
After an initial assessment, the injury has been described as “a stab wound in the post-perianal area, transecting the rectum through the tailbone and possibly affecting the external sphincter of the anus,” according to statements by Dr Olmeda shared with the taurine portal Culturo.
Doctor Olmeda has confirmed that the injury is serious. As a result, Conquero will be transferred to Rey Juan Carlos Hospital in Móstoles.
ÚLTIMA HORA.- Herido de gravedad Alejandro Conquero en Cenicientos (Fotos) @PhilippeGilMir @Davidcv96_ @alejandroconque #Cenicientos https://t.co/tybNciWNgQ pic.twitter.com/sFAoGxD3Ru
— Burladero (@burladerotv) August 14, 2023
The shocking footage shows Alejandro, dressed in traditional clothing with a brightly coloured cape, challenging the white bull. After which he is impaled by the animal’s horns. As the bull charged, Alejandro was thrown into the air and landed on the ground, only to be attacked again by the relentless beast.
El Cordobés seriously injured in the Huesca bullring
On Saturday it was the turn of Manuel Díaz, better known as El Cordobés. This bullfighter was seriously injured on Saturday by the first bull of the event in the bullring of Huesca. Following the incident, El Cordobés was treated urgently at the arena’s medical post given the severity of his injuries.
According to the medical report, the bull at the torero “inflicted a stab wound by the horn in the right triangle of Scarpa [a triangular slit on the upper-inner side of the thigh] with an upward and external route and another downward and internal route, with a length of about 20 cm without muscle damage”. In addition, the bullfighter was injured in the “second finger of the left hand with an open and comminuted fracture of the phalanges with severe tissue damage and damage to the radial collateral artery,” the report said. The report, signed by doctor Enrique Crespo, ends with a diagnosis of “serious” for the bullfighter in his farewell season.
Stab wound to the thigh
Participating in a tribute due to his ties to the local feria, the well-known matador was attacked by a maroon bull owned by breeder Salvador Domecq. He had no time to defend himself with his capote, as described in the bullfighting report of the ABC newspaper.
The bull charged at him at high speed and threw him into the air, much to the horror of the audience and his team, who could do nothing for him and saw him at the mercy of the bull.
When the bull’s attention was diverted, El Cordobés was able to leave the arena with the help of his team. He walked to the medical station on his own, suffering pain from his bleeding hand and a stab wound to his thigh.
Declining interest in bullfighting
On Tuesday we wrote about the waning interest in bullfighting in Spain. For the first time in decades, the number of spectators has fallen below a million. The number of people watching bullfights on television also continues to fall. These are figures enthusiastically welcomed by animal welfare organisations and the Anti-Bullfighting Committee. They have been committed for years to end the cruel spectacles in which their death struggle serves for public entertainment. And a battle is not a good word, because the bulls always get the short end of the stick regardless.