A steamrolling start from the Garcigrande

A leading Garcigrande bull makes some violent charges at the runners in the Santo Domingo stretch and two runners are gored

Photography: Javier Martínez

We had no idea how these debutante bulls would behave on the course. And this first-ever appearance of the Garcigrande bull-ranch turned out to be exciting as well as dangerous on the very first stretch in Santo Domingo, where the leading bull charged at several runners.

 

It proved to be a bad start for the runners, who did not know what to expect from this new Garcigrande bull-breed in The Running of the Bulls. As soon as the pack came out of the pens, one of the bulls charged ahead and created many dangerous situations for the runners, several of whom were caught by the charging bull. At least one runner suffered a goring  to his right leg, and other one a goring to his left leg. Another runner received severe contusion.

 

At the corner of Mercaderes this leading bull was enclosed by the rest of the pack and stayed in a compact group with four other bulls which ran together with two of the bull-oxen in tight order. Several runners tripped and fell on the stretch leading into the bullring, but without suffering any serious injuries.