The Fighting Bull

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The Fighting Bull

History, breeding,
behavior and place
in Andalusian society

The fighting bull, also called brave bull in Spanish, is a breed of cattle originating from the Iberian branch, raised according to a specific extensive model in areas whose generic name is the Campo Bravo.

It is distinguished from other domestic cattle by a selection focused on behaviour , aiming to preserve qualities such as bravery, mobility, responsiveness and territoriality.

Inseparable from the rural landscapes of the Iberian Peninsula, the fighting bull is the product of an ancient balance between animal, man and territory , passed down through centuries of agricultural and cultural practices.

History & Geography
of the fighting bull

Historical origins

The use of cattle in the context of festive celebrations is attested in the Iberian Peninsula since the Middle AgesSources such as Cuéllar Bullfighting Festivals (1215) or the Siete Partidas The records of Alfonso X the Wise attest to the presence of bull games as early as the XNUMXth century.ᵉ century.
However, the exact origin of the livestock used in these games remained largely unknown for a long time, and research into the genesis of the fighting bull race remains partially open even today.

It is from the fifteenth century that we observe the first clear signs offarms practicing a selective breeding towards the bullfighting games. The ganaderia of Raso de Portillo, in the province of Valladolid, is generally cited as one of the first to supply animals to the itinerant court of the Catholic Monarchs.
Although comparable farms already exist in Andalusia and Castile-La Mancha, it is especially in the XVIIIᵉ centurywith the rise of bullfight as a modern show, that the breeding of the fighting bull became structured sustainably.

From this period onwards, the modern bull fighting breed was built through continuous selection work, based on observation of behavior in the ring and on the genealogical transmission.

Castes and encastes

In the second half of the 18th centuryᵉ century appear the castas fundacionales (founding breed), the true original roots of current lineages, called encastes.
These castas are defined both by their genealogy, their morphological and behavioral characteristics, and by their territorial anchoringa concept similar to that of terroir.

In particular, we can distinguish:

  • Castile Castilla, Morucha
  • Navarre : Caste Navarra
  • Madrid and La Mancha : Toros de la Tierra, Jijona
  • Puerto de Santa María (Andalusia) Cabrera, Gallardo
  • Utrera (Andalusia) : Vázquez, Vega Villar, Vistahermosa

It is generally accepted that approximately 90% of contemporary farms descend from the Vistahermosa caste.

Geography of Campo Bravo

The traditional areas for raising fighting bulls remain predominant today.
Le Campo Bravo is primarily organized around Salamanca, Castile, Extremadura and Andalusia, with extensions to Portugal and South of France (Camargue, Landes).

The most characteristic breeding environment is the dehesa, an agroforestry system specific to the Iberian Peninsula.
This landscape combines open pastures, holm oaks, cork oaks and Mediterranean vegetation, in an ancient balance between human activity and the natural environment.
To a lesser extent, cattle ranches are also found in the Guadalquivir marshes or in areas of middle Mountainparticularly in Navarre.

Breeding methods and selection
of the fighting bull

General organization of livestock farming

The fighting bull is raised according to a semi-wild method.
A ganadería consists of:

  • a herd of breeding females (vacada),
  • a limited number of sementales (breeding males),
  • of their descendants divided by age groups.

A bull is considered an adult after its fourth birthday.

The females and young animals live in freedom, under survey, in vast pastures where they have almost complete autonomy.
From the age of two, the females are selected: the approved cows join the breeding program, the others are destined for the meat industry.

The males, on the other hand, are directed towardsbullfighting shows or popular bull games, in different forms, at two years old (erales), three years old (utreros) or four years old (toros), depending on their morphological qualities and the objectives of the breeder.

Batch composition and preparation

The cattle breeders establish themselves from the age of two homogeneous batches, usually of six animals, corresponding to the standard format of bullfighting shows. One or two animals are added to anticipate losses due to the fights.
These lots are put together by searching for a physical harmony, a fundamental criterion of professionalism in livestock farming.

The animals are then separated and fed according to their destination. Their diet, rich in plant proteins and quality nutrients, aims to ensure optimal muscle development.
Although they are monitored for their health, they are not trained in any way: it is essential that their instinct remains intact.
A bull destined for the arena must remain "limpio"that is to say, never having been confronted with the cape or the muleta.

The necessary handling (sorting, moving, exceptional care) is traditionally carried out on horseback , a practice that originated in much of the rural culture of Andalusia.

The selection: the tienta

The selection of the fighting bull is based primarily on thefemales, the males cannot be tested before entering the ring.
Between two and three years of age, heifers are subjected to the tienta (probe) , behavioural test carried out in the private bullring of the farm.

The young cow is tested with a cape, a spear and a muleta by professional bullfighter and picador.
Based on her reactions, she is either kept as a breeder or culled.

The approved cows then return to the herd, where they can live for more than fifteen years , participating in the transmission of the desired traits.

Specific behavior
of the fighting bull

The behavior of the brave bull constitutes the very heart of the race.
Unlike farm cattle, in which docility is sought, the "brave breed" values ​​traits generally eliminated elsewhere: aggressiveness, territoriality, combativeness, reactivity.

However, this is a form of aggression. in context, linked to the environment and stimuli, and not to blind violence.
The fighting bull is an animal very sensitive to its environment, endowed with a strong memory and a great capacity for adaptation.

Raised in vast spaces, without close contact with humans, it develops a instinctive relationship to the territory, to its peers and to external intrusions.
This behavior explains why the brave bull cannot be raised intensivelynor displaced outside its ecological setting without profound alteration of its qualities.

The brave bull in society,
culture and the economy

Cultural dimension

The fighting bull occupies a central place in theIberian imaginary, far beyond bullfighting.
It is present in literature, painting, popular music, local festivals and the landscapes themselves.

Historically associated withbullfighting games, of which the corrida is the most codified and best known form, the fighting bull has contributed to structuringagricultural, equestrian and artistic knowledge passed down from generation to generation.

Like ancestral traditions such as sumo in Japan, the breeding of the fighting bull is a repository of gestures and terminology that do not exist anywhere else.

Economic and territorial dimension

The breeding of fighting bulls plays an essential role in the preservation of vast rural areas, often poorly suited to other forms of agriculture.
It contributes to the maintenance of the dehesato biodiversity, local employment and the transmission of sustainable practices.

The industry is not limited to entertainment: it includes livestock farming, forestry management, horse breeding, gastronomy and cultural tourism.

Discover the fighting bull today

It is now possible to discovering the brave bull outside of any arena, by visiting the farms and the Campo Bravo.
These visits allow us to understand the animal in its natural environment, its way of life, its behavior and its role in the balance of the territory.

It is precisely this cultural, landscape and educational approach that Les Visites du Campo Bravo offers , providing visitors, whether they are amateurs, curious or novices, with a complete and peaceful reading of the world of the fighting bull and rural Andalusia.

The fighting bull is neither a simple domestic bovine, nor an animal reduced to the arena.
It is the result of a long story, specific territory and unique agricultural know-how, at the heart of Andalusian culture.

To understand the fighting bull is to understand the Campo Bravo, its landscapes, its people and its traditions.
It also opens a privileged door onto theinland Andalusia, far from clichés and as close to reality as possible.

FAQ

The fighting bull (or toro de lidia ) is a bovine from the Iberian branch of Bos taurus , raised extensively in areas called Campo Bravo . It is distinguished by selection focused on behavior (bravery, mobility, reactivity, territoriality), and not on docility or yield.

Yes. In spanish, we say"Toro bravo" (Brave bull) or "Toro de lidia (fighting bull)" ; The terms refer to the same thing: a type of cattle selected and raised according to a specific model linked to the Campo Bravo.

Primarily found in Spain (Andalusia, Extremadura, Castile, Salamanca, Navarre), but also in Portugal, southern France (Camargue, Landes) and several Latin American countries. Its farming remains predominantly extensive , in environments such as the dehesa (Mediterranean agroforestry system).

Campo Bravo refers to the large areas of extensive breeding of the fighting bull: farms and pastures where the animal lives in semi-freedom, with little close contact with humans, in order to preserve its behavior.

Bullfighting games are documented in the Middle Ages (e.g., Cuéllar, Siete Partidas ). Evidence of breeding specifically for bullfighting games appears more clearly from the 15th century onwards. Breeding became structured primarily in the 18th century with the rise of bullfighting as spectacle, and the modern breed is the result of continuous selection ever since.

The foundational castas are the major historical stock that gave rise to the breeds, that is, the current genetic and behavioral lines of the fighting bull. They are associated with breeding territories and morphological/behavioral profiles.

A ganadería (bull ranch) comprises a vacada (breeding females), several sementales (breeding males), and young bulls categorized by age group. A bull is generally considered an adult after four years . The ranch relies on large pastures and pastoral management, often using horses.

The tienta is a selection test carried out primarily on females (heifers) in the private arenas of the ranch. A cow is evaluated on her reactions to the cape, the picador's lance, and the muleta. She will be kept for breeding or culled depending on her behavior.

Because a bull destined for the arena must remain"limpio" (clean): it must not have been exposed to the cape or the muleta before its public presentation. Genetic selection therefore relies primarily on females and pedigree.

The fighting bull is selected to retain behavioral traits that are not highly valued in commercial livestock farming:reactivity, combativeness, and territoriality. This agressive reaction iscontextual(linked to the environment and stimuli), and the animal remains strongly influenced by its surroundings and its history of contact.

No. The fighting bull come in a wide variety of colors and markings, just like other cattle. The image of the bull as always black is more of a cultural stereotype.

Historically, the fighting bull is linked to Iberian bullfighting games , of which the corrida is the best-known form. But the breeding of the fighting bull is also an agricultural, territorial and cultural reality : landscapes, rural know-how, horses, extensive management and heritage.

Yes. A visit to a ganadería and the Campo Bravo allows you to observe the animal in its environment, to understand its breeding, its selection, its landscapes (dehesa, marshes, countryside) and the rural culture that surrounds it.

Extensive livestock farming contributes to the maintenance of large areas, traditional agricultural practices and a local economy (livestock farming, horses, rural jobs, crafts, gastronomy and cultural tourism).

Because the region offers direct access to the landscapes and breeding practices: seeing the bull in its natural habitat allows one to understand the logic of selection, the role of the land, and its links to Andalusian culture. This is the natural setting for the Campo Bravo Tours near Seville.