Bullbaiting Madness in Costa Rica. No bulls are hurt but 458 people are seriously injured including two Batmen! Free videos

Every year at Christmas time thousands of Ticos visit the traditional Zapote festival on the east side of San José where bull baiting is one of the most popular events.

Don’t worry about the bulls! They’re fine and never have a scratch on them but hundreds of enthusiastic Ticos are injured by the bulls every year and end up in the hospital!

This year La Cruz Roja (The Red Cross) helped 666 people and 458 of these were emergencies. Of these 458 the most serious injuries were to 163 people occurred in the bullring where the bull’s horns perforated buttocks, backs and the thighs of the ‘bullfighters.’

34 year old Adrián Vindas now known as “El señor de los anillos” (The Lord of the Rings) returned to the ring this year after spending three months recovering from last year’s injury when a bull’s horn perforated a hole just one centimetre from his anus.

To the taunts of; “I dare you boys! Get closer to the bull!” And the promise of ¢20.000 (about US$37) from Claudio Pomo – the event organizer – to encourage them to kneel in front of a confused bull weighing more than half a ton, quite a few reckless Ticos did just that including two men dressed as Batman!

Many people find this spectacle quite amusing but as the hospital tally will verify, this is an extremely dangerous activity that can lead to life-threatening injuries.

Even professional, well trained bullfighters – or should we call them torturers – have had serious problems recently as we saw with the female bullfighter Karla de los Angeles in Mexico City as she was gored twice by a 1,090lb bull known as Gamusino ob 29th December 2014.

Then again, if you stab me in the back, I’m likely to turn on you too…

Written by Scott Oliver, author of 1: How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa, 2: Costa Rica’s Guide To Making Money Offshore and 3. ¿Cómo Comprar Bienes Raíces en Costa Rica, Sin Perder Su Camisa?

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.