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A Spanish bullfighter died for the first time in over 30 years and several people were injured throughout Spain at bullfighting festivals.
Victor Barrio was a professional bullfighter, a matador in the Spanish language. He died after being injured by a bull’s horn on Saturday.
He was participating in a bullfight in Teruel, a small town east of Madrid. Barrio was 29.
The bull weighed over 500 kilograms. Barrio was struck in the chest by the bull’s horn during the fight.
At the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona, two Spanish men were seriously injured by a bull’s horns and three others hurt their heads after falling.
Pamplona is a small city in northeastern Spain. It is a popular destination for tourists who come to run through the streets with the bulls. Later in the day, the bulls are in bullfights.
People dress in white clothing with red belts and scarves. They try to run close enough to the bulls to feel scared, but not so close that they get injured.
The death of the bullfighter and the other injuries prompted numerous comments on social media sites.
Some people expressed their sympathy for the matador. But many others used the news of the death and injuries to say that bullfighting is a cruel sport.
One person reminded us of the saying: “you mess with the bull, you get the horns.”
Another suggested that the death of the matador will help end the “supposed sport.”
Others reacted to the news that according to tradition, if a bull kills a matador, the bull and its mother will be killed to eliminate the bloodline.
One Twitter user called that “the dumbest thing ever.”
Words in This Story
belt – n. a band of material (such as leather) that is worn around a person's waist
festival – n. a special time or event when people gather to celebrate something
scarf – n. a long piece of cloth that is worn on your shoulders, around your neck, or over your head
horn – n. one of the hard pointed parts that grows on the head of some animals (such as cattle, goats, or sheep)
mess – v. to handle or play with (something) in a careless or foolish way
dumb – adj. not showing or having good judgment or intelligence : stupid or foolish