Former Matador Is Gored to Death Before Annual Bullfight in Spain
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Ricardo Ortiz, a 51-year-old retired matador from Malaga, was fatally gored by a bull while handling bulls in the corrals ahead of the annual Corrida Picassiana bullfight in Malaga, Spain.
- The event's organizers, Lances de Futuro, confirmed the incident and noted that the bullfight proceeded as planned the following day with a tribute and moment of silence in Ortiz's honor.
- Ortiz began his bullfighting career in the early 1990s, following his father's footsteps, and had recently been working with Lances de Futuro despite having retired from active bullfighting.
- Bullfighting remains a culturally significant yet increasingly controversial practice in Spain, with declining popularity and polarized opinions regarding its ethical implications and political symbolism.
- Fatalities in bullfighting are rare but have occurred occasionally, with notable deaths in recent decades highlighting the inherent dangers of the sport.
