Statue of bulls fighting in Cayma district of Arequipa in Peru

Being an ex Spanish colony means that Peru has many traditions that come from Spanish culture. Bullfighting is one of them, but in Arequipa it is with a difference.

In Arequipa the tradition of bullfighting has been adapted so that two bulls fight each other, so it is more like bull wrestling.

Arequipa is surrounded by rich farmland and this became a popular event for country people and those from the town too.

The fight has many people placing bets on the outcome and cheering their favourite. It is popular enough to be broadcast on local TV channels.

The rules are simple the bull that runs away loses. The bulls lock horns, snort and push as hard as they can, twisting and trying to push the other aside. Eventually one will either become tired or give up and the other will chase him away.

The bulls are treated with care because they are not killed like in Spanish bullfights – instead they win trophies and become champions and are treated well by their owners. If the fight becomes too aggressive the bulls are separated before they really hurt each other. If the bull that wins keeps trying to attack the bull that is running away they have to lasso him and pull him away to end the fight.

The bulls can be very aggressive animals, a fighting bull with many trophies decided one day to attack a horse on my uncle’s farm. When he tried to stop the bull it attacked him too! The horse sadly did not survive. This is normal behaviour for bulls, it is in their nature to fight…  you can see sometimes in a field they will just decide they don’t like the look of another bull and start a fight – these bulls can be selected for fights because they are naturally aggressive.

But also sometimes, the bulls when they come together just decide not to fight – and nothing that the farmers can do will make them fight! I have sometimes seen this on television.

In Arequipa, there are sometimes fights with matadors, but the bulls are not killed.

Here is a bullfight in Arequipa:

And another – no so good quality:

Here is a fight from Urabamba, Peru:

Tags: Arequipa, Traditions