BLOOD & SAND

‘LA PLAZA’ — Bullring before the fight.

Emerson Pineda, a 30 year old banderillero talks to his wife on the phone before the fight. With each bull weighting between 400-480 kilos, it is expected to see bullfighters praying, calling their families, and then nervously shake hands and practice their moves before the fight.

A matador practices his moves before the fight. With each bull weighting between 400-480 kilos, it is expected to see bullfighters praying, calling their families, and then nervously shake hands and practice their moves before the fight.

‘PALOMO’ — A horse used for rejoneo gets its mane braided by its carer for the fight. “We have huge respect for these animals. We breed them, and know them”, Andrés explains, “Without bullfighting, this breed of cattle will go extinct; nobody would want to breed these animals otherwise.”

‘COTILLEO’ — A matador (left) chats with the picador minutes before going on the ring.

‘TRAPÍO’ — A ‘lidia’ bull looks up from its cubicle while matador Andres Chica and his team give water and wash the bulls prior to the fight to cool them down. Each bull weights between 400-480 Kilos. “We have huge respect for these animals. We breed them, and know them”, Andrés explains, “Without bullfighting, this breed of cattle will go extinct; nobody would want to breed these animals otherwise.”

‘MONTERA & CAPOTE’ — Matadores help each other to get ready for the fight. With each bull weighting between 400-480 kilos, it is expected to see bullfighters praying, calling their families, and then nervously shake hands and practice their moves before the fight.

‘VALOR & ENTREGA’ — Matadores minutes before entering the ring. With each bull weighting between 400-480 kilos, it is expected to see bullfighters praying, calling their families, and then nervously shake hands and practice their moves before the fight.

‘VERÓNICA’ — A matador performs a traditional bullfighting move called ‘Verónica’.

‘CAÍDA’ — The bull falls on after being speared by the picador.

‘DE PODER A PODER’ — A matador salutes the bull from his ‘burladero’ (shield).

‘REJONEO I’ — Andrés Chica, 22, is one of Colombia’s emerging figures of ‘rejoneo’, a form of bullfighting where the matador fights the bull on horseback.

‘REJONEO III’ — A rejoneador spears the bull from his horse during a show of Rejoneo. Andrés Chica, 22, is one of Colombia’s emerging figures of ‘rejoneo’, a form of bullfighting where the matador fights the bull on horseback.

‘REJONEO II’ — A rejoneador spears the bull from his horse during a show of Rejoneo. Andrés Chica, 22, is one of Colombia’s emerging figures of ‘rejoneo’, a form of bullfighting where the matador fights the bull on horseback.

‘CAZA’ — A rejoneador spears the bull from his horse during a show of Rejoneo. Andrés Chica, 22, is one of Colombia’s emerging figures of ‘rejoneo’, a form of bullfighting where the matador fights the bull on horseback.

‘SANGRE & ARENA’ — A matador and his bull. Bullfighting has survived and evolved since its beginnings in Spain in the XII century. However, with the growing restlessness amongst public opinion over animal rights, this tradition and this particular breed of cattle – Lidia Bulls – is under threat.

‘DESPLANTE’ — The matador turns his back on the bull in a traditional move called ‘desplante’ – defiance.

SUERTE SUPREMA — Banderilleros help the matador distract the bull, after the bull receives its final blow.

‘VUELTA AL RUEDO’ — Matadores salute admirers on their Lap of Honour at the end of a fight.

A ‘lidia’ bull lays dead waiting to be dragged out of the ring, while the triumphant matadores chat.