Photo: Mikel Lasa
This was an eye-catching seventh Running of the Bulls of this year’s Sanfermin fiestas, with bulls from the Núñez de Cuvillo bull-ranch. The bulls ran separately and at a very fast pace. The event took only 2 min. 40 sec. But there was enough time for the runners to find some space in front of the horns and display some fine running.
First reports indicate that two runners received a goring; the first of these took place on the Santo Domingo stretch where a runner was gored to his right leg and the second goring occurred at the top of Estafeta on the Espoz y Mina side of the course, where a runner received a goring to his groin. In addition, several runners are being treated for various injuries and medical examinations are ongoing at the moment.
The Núñez del Cuvillo bulls- four black bulls plus a dark-brown one as well as another light-brown one – exited the pens in Santo Domingo in a tight group and they quickly raced up the slope at a fast pace. Several runners were knocked over here and one received a goring on this first stretch.
When the bulls crossed Mercaderes all of them took the corner without any slip-ups or falls on the part of the animals which is quite unusual, as most of the bulls tend to slip up on this corner. The bulls began to separate at this point and one black bull raced ahead at the Mercaderes corner and charged up Estafeta at a very fast pace. Here, some eye-catching running on the part of some of the runners could be appreciated in front of this leading bull.
Coming up behind, the other bulls also began to separate and this allowed the runners to get in close in front of the horns. Although the bulls were running at a very fast pace, the pace was not as frenetic as had been the case over these previous few days.
All the bulls arrived at some distance ahead of the bell-oxen and when they entered the arena they all raced towards the pens but, instead of entering through the open gate, they gathered together in a tight group in the arena and began to move in circles. Not until the bell-oxen arrived, were they finally coaxed to enter the pens inside the bullring. This delay meant that, even though the bulls arrived in the arena in a time of 2 min.15 sec. it was 2 min. 40 sec. when they were finally led away into the pens.