Final Day...Running of the Bulls

The final day of the running of the bulls brought us 5 injuries, but no gorings. One person suffered a collarbone injury, which I am sure was not as impressive as Matt Reisetter's broken collarbone suffered in an intermural flag football game in college (heck of a catch for the TD, and he still went to the Iowa game that weekend).

Anyways, a total of 45 people were injured this year and 4 were gored. I will miss the Running of the Bulls and who knows, perhaps I will be running next year. Susi, I know you are in. Anyone else?

Quote of the Day...

A Kentucky pastor was arrested during a crackdown on venomous snake trade (click here to read the story). The pastor was from a fundamentalist church that handles snakes on a regular basis. Illegal snakes, such as cobras, were being sold on the Internet and undercover investigators had purchased more than 200 illegal snakes during the investigation.

The quote of the day comes from Jim Harrison, a zoo director, who spoke about having snakes, such as cobras as pets. He said:

"A venomous snake isn't a pet. You don't play with it. If you do, you're an idiot."

Day 7...Running of the Bulls

Ahhh if you thought running with out of control bulls down narrow cobblestone streets was crazy enough...lets add in rain during the run. Cobblestone plus rain equals very slick streets. I think the guy in the above picture learned this. Not good. Here is a report from the Associated Press:

PAMPLONA, Spain—Bulls roughed up seven people Sunday as they thundered down the rain-slicked cobblestone streets of Pamplona during the weeklong San Fermin festival, officials said.

Sunday's run -- the seventh of the festival -- featured six massive Miura bulls, traditionally the largest and fastest-running fighting bulls bred in Spain. Many of those running alongside the bulls had to dive for cover as the pack neared during the half-mile stretch from corral to the bullring, with some crushed, cut and bruised.

One man was smashed against a wooden crash barrier as the bulls rounded a bend on the course and skidded sideways into him. Another escaped a goring when he fell just in front of the charging animals.

Day 6...Running of the Bulls

Today's results of the Running of the Bulls brought us 4 injuries and 1 person being gored. That would be the guy in the above picture. I found an interesting article about today's running that was written by the Associated Press. It reads:

PAMPLONA, Spain (AP) - Today's running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain left one daredevil gored and four others injured. The run was
quick, lasting less than three minutes. Just before it began,
police had to clear the streets of animal rights protesters.
Runners are advised to keep moving during the bull runs in order
to minimize their chances of being gored.

I find the last sentence of the article quite funny. Huh...I didn't realize that when 8-10 bulls with huge horns are running at you you should keep moving. Great advice.

Day 5...Running of the Bulls

Not much to report as Day 5 brought us only one injury at the Running of the Bulls on Friday. This weekend should be an eventful one as the festival comes to a close.

Fact of the Day: Today's bulls came from the Jandilla ranch, whose animals hold the record for gorings in a single run at Pamplona including 8 gorings in one sprint back in 2004.

In some ways, you could say that these bulls choked this year.

Day 4...Running of the Bulls

The 4th day of the Running of the Bulls brought us another goring and another person knocked unconscious along the route (probably one of the worse possible places on earth to be laying on the ground knocked out). So far this year sixteen of the injured are people from Spain. The others include four Americans and one each from England, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, South Africa, South Korea, and Romania.

Below is a video of the very beginning of the run. Imagine standing there waiting to run and seeing those bulls charging towards you...that would get your blood flowing.

Day 3...Running of the Bulls

The injury tally has reached a total of 20 in the first 3 days of the San Fermin Fesitival in Pamplona, Spain. Today a 22-yr. old Californian was gored in the abdomen while a man from Greece suffered facial injuries.

Fact of the day from CNN.com:

A total of 13 people have been killed in the runs since 1924, when record-keeping began. The last was a 22-year-old American gored to death in 1995.

If I were running with the bulls, I would not want to be in the position that guy in the above picture is in. Yikes.

More Running of the Bulls...

Here is a video of the 1/2 mile course that the Running of the Bulls takes place on. The streets are narrow and made of cobblestone. You will notice some folks that didn't quite move quick enough.

Can you imagine the adrenline rush that would take place? I guarentee I would break the world record in the half mile. Look at the size of those bulls coming at people.

I'm still in...who wants to join me?

Day 2...Running of the Bulls

Day 2 of the Running of the Bulls provided fewer injuries (4), but also produced the festival's first goring. A Spainard was gored in the thigh and taken to the local hospital, but was not in serious condition.

Interesting fact of the day I found on Fox News is:

Tuesday's run used bulls from the southern Cebada Gago ranch, considered among the most dangerous in San Fermin. In 27 years, they have gored more than 35 people.

Make that 36. Well done bulls, well done.

Someday I will do this...

Today marks the beginning of 8 scheduled runs of insanity. It's that time of the year...the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Over the next week or so, I plan to give daily updates on the events that occur during this year's Fiesta de San Fermin. My hope is to bring you "stats" of interest and photos of the insanity. Below is a great overhead shot during the first running of the fesitival that took place today. Today, there were 13 injuries and thankfully no gores or deaths.

Let the games begin...heeeey-oooo.