Sport in Venezuela - Bullfighting

Bullfighting

Corrida de toros, or Bullfighting, in Venezuela is thought to be the least popular out of the five Latin American countries. Also, bullfighting is considered to be more of an art form that the Spanish colonist brought with them, but is still a sport. The modern sport started in 19th century with the Spaniards arrival. The industry started from the city of San Cristóbal. The first bullrings were built of wood and didn't have many seats, but they eventually grew to the modern "large bullring," such as the Nuevo de Caracas that was built in 1968. The industry now has 55 bullrings, more than twenty-five breeding farms for bullfighting bulls, and two schools to teach how to fight the bulls. Festivals were normally held in honor of the patron saint or Virgin. Two of the most important festivals held are the Feria de San Cristóbal and The Feria de Sol (Festival of the Sun). These festivals have one week where each night there is an event with about four or five matadors, the "bullfighters," and an equal number of bulls. Even though these are two big events, bullfighting happens in these two places all year long. The quality of a bullfight, and how exciting the event is, is based upon the strength and power of the bull plus the skill of the matador. Bullfighting is legal in Venezuela because there is no national or state animal protection legislation that prevents animal cruelty.