Sixth Running of the Bulls of Pamplona

USPA NEWS - The sixth running of the Encierros of the Pamplona Sanfermines had everything: a disappointing first part, an intermediate phase where the most beautiful races were seen and a very fast final part. The most important thing was that it ended without being injured by a bull horn, although with three transfers to the hospital. The Pamplona festivities are coming to an end. There are only two Encierros left to run and the people of Pamplona will sing 'Poor me', the song with which they express their sorrow for the end of the festivities and meet for next year's.

The Encierro began, as always, at 8:00 a.m. o'clock. The herd, compact, began the climb up the Cuesta de Santo Domingo, which goes from the corrals to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento of Pamplona. A disappointment: three meek in the lead and another two on the sides protected the six bulls from the Jandilla cattle ranch in Extremadura. Not a chance for the runners: it is not the same to run in front of a halter, than to do it in front of a brave bull.

This is how the herd arrived at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Witness to the Chupinazo, the square witnessed more of the same: the compact herd, with little space for the runners. The Encierro was already arriving at Mercaderes street, a short distance before the most famous curve in Spain - the Mercaderes curve with Estafeta. Upon reaching it, the fighting bulls began to take the initiative. Especially two of them. In Estafeta the only and best races of the young men were seen.

Upon arriving at Telefónica, the herd was already broken. But the speed that characterizes the Jandilla bulls remained intact. It seemed that the bulls were in a hurry to get to the bullring and finish the Encierro. That resulted in three minor injuries, the three Spaniards and that they were discharged after being treated at the University Hospital of Navarra. One of them was a man with an incised blunt wound on the knee; another was an 18-year-old from Pamplona with a dislocated left shoulder, and the third a 54-year-old man with a fractured ankle.

The bullfighting spirit of the Sanfermines does not disappear when the bulls enter the corrals of the bullring. After the Encierro, in the bullring they celebrate what in Spain are called "heifers", some young cows that are released so that the people of Pamplona and visitors have fun escaping from their onslaught. The Pamplona Red Cross assisted 36 people this Wednesday for blows and falls at the heifer show. Most of them were minor cures.