Sunday Night at the Bullfights

When in Spain, do as the Spaniards do. So Sunday evening
we went to the bullfights in El Puerto.

There are two windows to buy tickets: "Sombra" (shade) or "Sol" (sun).
Your choice is sitting on the shady or sunny side of the ring, and tickets are
priced accordingly.  

Everywhere you looked in the stands, fans were flicking.

The bullfight begins with a procession of the main players:
Matadors in front, followed by banderillos with hot pink capes,
and picadores mounted on horseback. Music by a 20-piece brass
band accompany the hoopla.

Each of the six bullfights are introduced by an hombre holding a sign,
 indicating where the bull was bred, the bull's date of birth
and weight, as well as the name of the matador.
 Each bull is at least 4 years old and weighs up to 600 kilos.

The bull is released into the ring. 

The banderillos, with their hot pink capes, take turns taunting the toro,
 attempting to tire him out.

Next, the picadores arrive on heavily padded and blindfolded horses.
When the bull charges the horse, the picadore lances the bull's neck,
causing the bull to lose blood and weaken.

In the next stage, three banderillos each take turns thrusting two
barbed sticks (banderillas) in-between the bull's
shoulders, which further enrages the bull.

After taunting the bull, the banderillos move to safety behind
 wood shields located around the bullring. (Wimps)

Then the matador takes center stage with his red cape. Surprisingly,
bulls are color blind; they attack moving objects. The red conceals the blood.

The matador does a number of passes. With each pass, the
audience shouts "ole!"

Within 15 minutes of the first pass, the matador prepares
for estocada (thrusting the sword for the kill)

 If estocada is not successful, the matador must then perform a descabello 
and cut the bull's spinal cord with a second sword called verdugo, to kill it instantly 
and spare the animal more pain, which is what you're seeing here.

At the end, a team of horses drags the bull's body out of the ring to
the sound of cracking whips.
 (Think about a scene from Ben Hur... minus the chariot)

So what did you do Sunday night?