Just a Jab from the Cebada Gago bulls

The race was very fast and apparently very clean

Photography: Javier Ibáñez
One of the classic bull breeds of Sanfermin fiestas, the Cebada Gago, with a name for being fast and dangerous in the running of the bulls, participated in the second running of the bulls this morning. The race was very fast and apparently very clean; the whole course was covered in 2 min.22 sec. The bulls shaped up as if to charge at the runners almost from the start but without actually doing so. They threatened with their horns but did not charge at the runners, some of whom found space in front of the horns to do some good running. At the Telefonica stretch, perhaps the most dangerous stretch of today’s run, one of the bulls caught a runner with its horn and gave him a jab in the leg, and this seems to have been the only direct injury from the bulls. Three runners more were taken to the hospital.

The bulls came out at a very fast pace from the pens in Santo Domingo and they ran the whole course pretty well grouped in with the bell-oxen leading them. There were hardly any trip-ups or falls on this first stretch and the bulls continued at a great pace charging into the City Hall square, without paying much attention to the runners.

In the City Hall square one of the bulls got left a bit behind but the bell-oxen continued to lead the rest of the pace in a tight group. This was the one bull who threatened with his horns but without actually charging the runners.

In Mercaderes the pack began to stretch out a bit more. Two bulls found themselves a little bit behind the other four bulls that remained closely tucked in behind the bell-oxen. The two rear bulls were also accompanied by bell-oxen.

At the corner of Estafeta the bulls did not slip up or slide on the cobblestones and they entered Estafeta at a fast pace and it was here that the runners got in some of the best running as the bulls were now separated into two groups, with four leading bulls and two more bringing up the rear. All the bulls were keeping up the fast pace and running in a noble way.

At the Telefonica stretch there were some moments of danger from the two rear bulls who now threatened with menacing horns to charge at some of the runners. One runner had his vest caught on the horns of one of the bulls. And here too, another runner received a jab in the leg from one of the bulls.

The four leading bulls charged into the bullring at a fast pace and headed quickly towards the pens along with the bell-oxen. The rear two took a little longer to enter the bullring but when they did, both bulls also headed quickly for the pens to complete a very fast time.