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Position: 38°41’08.0″N 27°03’44.0″W
Bullfighting is a tradition on Terceira. During the summer, small festivals and village gatherings take place on a weekly basis. On any given Friday or Saturday there may be two or three bullfights going on at any one time on the island. This is not bullfighting in a ‘Death in the Afternoon’ kind of way; it’s more like taking your pet bull out for a romp with your neighbors.
Everything is somewhat laughingly stage managed, mostly so no harm comes to the bull, or innocent bystanders. Bulls are neither stabbed, nor put to death in Azorean bullfights. They run around terrifying people, then go back to their fields as heroes. Granted, they may get a little winded, but each bullfight only lasts about 20 minutes. A typical event has four bulls in separate fights.
Fireworks
When the bull is released, a single firework is set off as a signal that the bull is running. Once back in his container, two fireworks signal that the bull is secured. Bulls are tethered by means of a long rope and five men serve as handlers. Judging by what we saw I wouldn’t rely on the handlers to pull a bull off you in time to avoid serious injury.
At a bullfight in Angara, Carol and Tai saw a young man flipped into the air by a bull. The lad landed hard and lay unconscious on the street. Medical help took 15 minutes to arrive and we still don’t know how serious his injuries were. That bull wasn’t harmed in the slightest.
