Bullfighting
Bullfighting (Spanish:
corrida de toros or
toreo; Portuguese:
tourada ), also known as
tauromachia or
tauromachy (Spanish:
tauromaquia listen (help·info), Portuguese:
tauromaquia; from Greek: ταυρομαχία "bull-fight"), is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Hispanic American countries (Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru) and the Philippines, in which one or more bulls are baited, and then killed in a bullring for the entertainment of the audience. Although a blood sport, by definition, some followers of the spectacle prefer to view it as a 'fine art' and not a sport, as there are no elements of competition in the proceedings. In Portugal, it is illegal to kill a bull in the arena, so it is removed and either professionally killed or treated and released into its owners' (ganadero) fields. The bullfight, as it is practiced today, involves professional
toreros (of which the most senior is called a matador) who execute various formal moves which can be interpreted and innovated according to the bullfighter's style or school.