Death at the running of the bulls

A dead and three more gorings in a tragic bullrunning of Jandilla ranch

Photography: Pablo Roa

The Jandilla bulls once again created terror in this fourth running of the bulls of Sanfermin 2009. This bull-breed is one of the most feared by the runners and the one which has caused the most injuries over these last few years, and today they brought about the death of a young man from Madrid, Daniel Jimeno Romero. There were also three other gorings and another eight runners suffering diverse traumatisms, who were all taken off to Pamplona’s two public hospitals this morning.

It was a tremendously exciting and dramatic run which lasted 4 min. 28 sec. with one bull, “Capuchino” capturing all the limelight. This bull slipped up in the City Hall stretch and when it got to its feet it immediately charged a group of runners on the right side of the fencing. It continued the rest of the course on its own, separated by several meters from the rest of the pack, and along the whole stretch of the course it charged at the runners, particularly in Mercaderes and in the final stretch leading down into the bullring. Here it tossed a runner standing on the left side of the fencing into the middle of the pavement. The same bull also turned round several times, creating moments of great tension and danger. It seems that four runners suffered a goring and six others were also taken to the emergency services of the two Pamplona public hospitals.

The Jandilla charged out of the pens in Santo Domingo at a fast pace with one of the black bulls leading the pack from the start. The bulls did not pay much attention to the runners and soon a brown-colored bull passed ahead to lead the others at a very fast pace.

This brown-colored bull quickly captured the attention of everyone as it slipped up at the entrance to the city hall stretch y when it got to its feet it charged at the runners on the right side of the fencing. The bull remained a few seconds there pushing with his horns at the runners behind the fencing. Meanwhile the rest of the bulls continued racing ahead at a fast pace. Some way ahead, one of the black bulls slipped up but got quickly to its feet and raced on. The brown-colored bull was now left behind and running alone. In Mercaderes it charged into a runner who confusedly thought all the bulls had already passed and who did not see “Capuchino” coming from behind.

The five black bulls in the pack ran together along with the bell-oxen and they all crashed against the fencing at the bend of Mercaderes but none of them fell to the ground. The brown bull was creating a lot of panic coming some distance behind and all alone.

In Estafeta Street the pack began to stretch out somewhat and here some runners were able to get in close to the horns to display some fine running as there was much more space today than in yesterday’s run. The brown bull coming behind created moments of panic entering the Telefónica stretch when it stopped and turned. It repeated the same action at the beginning of the stretch leading down into the bullring and here, it caused several moments of terror as it charged at the runners on various occasions; as he did with the death young runner. The animal was totally disorientated and alone and it continually tried to pick out runners to charge them. With a lot of effort and good work, the “pastores” or bull-minders, with the help of some of the runners, managed to lead the bull towards the bullring and once in the arena, the bull was quickly led away to the pens, which it reached over a minute after the other bulls had already entered.