Portuguese-style bullfighting differs in many aspects from Spanish-style bullfighting. The cavaleiros and the forcados are unique as well as the horsewomen (cavaleiras).

Most Portuguese bullfights (corridas de touros) are held in two phases: the spectacle of the cavaleiro, followed by the pega. In Portugal, the main stars of bullfighting are the cavaleiros, as opposed to Spain, where the matadores are the most prominent bullfighters. Nevertheless, bullfights with matadores are frequent, notably with Portuguese matadores who practice their trade in Spain and who, when in Portugal, replace the sword in their final strike with a bandarilha. Examples of famous Portuguese matadores are Vítor Mendes and Pedrito de Portugal.

The cavaleiro

During the cavaleiro, a horseman on a Portuguese Lusitano horse (specially trained for the fights) fights the bull from horseback. The purpose of this fight is to stab three or four bandeirilhas (small javelins) in the back of the bull.

Pega de caras

In the second stage, called the pega, the forcados, a group of eight men, challenge the bull directly without any protection or weapon of defense. The front man provokes the bull into a charge to perform a pega de cara or pega de caras (face catch). The front man secures the animal’s head and is quickly aided by his fellows who surround and secure the animal until he is subdued.

The bull is not killed in the ring and, at the end of the corrida, leading oxen are let into the arena and two campinos on foot herd the bull along them back to its pen. The bull can be either killed, away from the audience’s sight, by a professional butcher or, after a good performance, restored to health and released to pasture for breeding. Nevertheless, tradition was so strong at the small frontier town of Barrancos, where the bull was illegally put to death in the arena, that the government was forced to relent and permit the town to follow its ancient matador tradition and kill the bull in the arena.

There are other forms of traditional bullfighting in Portugal, some differing markedly from the version described above.

The public television station RTP usually shows bullfights in prime-time. This has been notoriously criticized by left-wing parties who have tried to ban the programme and, in another instance, rating the show to an adults-only classification.

In Portugal, more than 4,000 bulls a year are killed for bullfighting and other cruel events. Bullfights are also organized on the Azores Island (an autonomous archipelago that belongs to Portugal), such as on the islands Terceira and Graciosa.

February and March 2007, Metris GfK national survey in Portugal: 

“Do you think that bullfighting should be forbidden by the law in Portugal?”, 

• 50,5% of the respondents said “Yes”

• 39,5% said “No”

“Would you want the Municipality of the town where you reside to declare it a town where bullfighting activities are not authorised?”,

• 52,4% of the respondents said “Yes”

• 36,8% said “No”

Despite popular belief outside Portugal, bulls in Portuguese bullfights are always injured with several banderilhas and very often killed (in public in a handful of bullfights, and in private after the ‘show’ for the rest).


maxresdefault-1600x1200

THE MONSARAZ CASE

In 2012 a bull was killed unlawfully at the end of a bullfight which took place in the medieval village of Monsaraz, Alentejo, keeping a tradition that the local population has vowed to uphold despite being widely controversial.

After the final stab was plunged at around 8.35pm, the bull was tied to the makeshift sides of the temporary ring, covered with a cloth to shield the killing from the eyes of the 1,000-strong spectators (and by doing so, keep the identity of the perpetrator under wraps) and killed.

According to witnesses there was no sign of police within the ring during the fight, which took place inside Monsaraz’s castle walls. It is illegal to kill the bull in Monsaraz as it was refused permission to be considered an exception to the general rule. There is only one town in Portugal – Barrancos – where special permission has been granted to kill the bull during fights, due to it being a long-standing tradition.

The vast majority of Portugal’s population doesn’t watch, go to or support bullfights. This is only done because the government still allows it. Several activism actions and polls have been made both on newspapers, websites and on social media, where more than 90% of the answers are AGAINST this horrible tradition. These activities are unfortunately sponsored by the municipalities (with taxpayers’ money) and there is currently a petition to try to cut those funds.

[cs_video column_size=”1/1″ video_url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLWvKpQdjSo” video_width=”500″ video_height=”250″][/cs_video]


PETITION TEXT:

To the Attention of the Portuguese Government

Hereby to express my deepest indignation for the perpetration of bullfights in Portugal, this brutal and cruel tradition is not supported by the majority of the Portuguese population and neither by the international community.

Bulls are wonderful animals, and they need to be respected and not tortured in order to amuse the persons attending the show. Hurting them for entertainment is an horrific and irresponsible behaviour, that does not consider the importance of this animals’ lives.

I’m asking to stop immediately bullfights in Portugal.

Personally, I will not visit Portugal, and I will ask all my acquaintances to do the same, until this situation will be solved.


Sign OIPA Petition and stop bullfights in Portugal!

The petition will be send to the Portuguese Government.

TORTURE is NO CULTURE!

STOP BULLFIGHTS IN PORTUGAL! SIGN THE PETITION

To the Attention of the Portuguese Government

Hereby to express my deepest indignation for the perpetration of bullfights in Portugal, this brutal and cruel tradition is not supported by the majority of the Portuguese population and neither by the international community.

Bulls are wonderful animals, and they need to be respected and not tortured in order to amuse the persons attending the show. Hurting them for entertainment is an horrific and irresponsible behaviour, that does not consider the importance of this animals’ lives.

I’m asking to stop immediately bullfights in Portugal.

Personally, I will not visit Portugal, and I will ask all my acquaintances to do the same, until this situation will be solved.

%%your signature%%

816 signatures = 8% of goal
0
10,000

Last signature
816
Susan H.
Dec 03, 2024
815
Rita F.
Oct 07, 2024
814
Susana F.
Oct 07, 2024
813
Patricia O.
Jul 16, 2024
812
Ayesha A.
Mar 20, 2023
811
MV L.
Mar 14, 2023
810
Carla D.
Mar 11, 2023
809
Deirdre M.
Mar 10, 2023
808
ER3TSW0PH2S www.yandex.ru E.
Mar 09, 2023
807
Lynsey B.
Mar 06, 2023
806
yvonnemuller@hitmail.co.uk M.
Feb 15, 2023
805
Helen A.
Feb 05, 2023
804
Marie I.
Jan 23, 2023
803
Fay H.
Jan 04, 2023
802
elisabete m.
Dec 30, 2022
801
Sasha K.
Dec 29, 2022
800
Patti D.
Dec 25, 2022
799
Julie A.
Dec 18, 2022
798
Shirley J.
Dec 18, 2022
797
Lisa G.
Dec 04, 2022
796
Marcia R.
Nov 13, 2022
795
keren h.
Oct 30, 2022
794
Paul H.
Oct 23, 2022
793
Milton N.
Oct 17, 2022
792
Fiona L.
Oct 10, 2022
791
Amira I.
Sep 24, 2022
790
Rui S.
Sep 23, 2022
789
Sandy L.
Sep 05, 2022
788
Shar O.
Sep 03, 2022
787
Karen L.
Aug 24, 2022
786
Sophie B.
Aug 15, 2022
785
WILLIAM H.
Aug 11, 2022
784
HANS H.
Aug 09, 2022
783
EDITH L.
Aug 01, 2022
782
Bernardo g.
Jul 31, 2022
781
Pippa B.
Jul 30, 2022
780
Antonella J.
Jul 30, 2022
779
Alex F.
Jul 29, 2022
778
Dagmara D.
Jul 29, 2022
777
Bos C.
Jul 29, 2022
776
Cherie L.
Jul 29, 2022
775
Gino A.
Jul 29, 2022
774
John S.
Jul 29, 2022
773
Johanna W.
Jul 29, 2022
772
Brigitte F.
Jul 29, 2022
771
Paul A.
Jul 28, 2022
770
Nathalie E.
Jul 28, 2022
769
Elaine V.
Jul 28, 2022
768
Mariia S.
Jul 28, 2022
767
Pamela D.
Jul 28, 2022