TOROS COLEADOS

"tailed bulls"

HISTORY

Toros Coleados is believed to have originated in the llanos, the vast plains of Venezuela, after cattlemen established large ranches more than a century ago. Cowboys who originated form that area developed a technique for halting runaway cows by pulling their tails. This everyday technique has evolved into a major sport today and is the Venezuelan equivalent of the rodeos in the western United States. This sport has gained tremendous popularity and is now practiced in parts of Colombia, Brazil and Panama. Some Venezuelans make a living as full-time coleadores, traveling from town to town for weekend competitions pursuing prizes up tp $10,000, but a majority of the participants are amateurs. Competitors from all classes and walks of life compete in these daring competitions. Males of all ages from teenagers ranging to men in their middle and late forties come together to show off the finesse and skill of this demanding sport.

Unsurprisingly, the sport has been the subject of controversy following accusations of animal cruelty but,there have been no bans such as those imposed in some regions of Spain. Unless and injured bulls in Venezuela are not slaughtered following the end of matches, and no bull is ever used more than once.

RULES:

Objective: The main goal of this sport is to flip over or topple a charging bull while on horseback.

Four men on horseback chase a bull within a corridor about the length of a football field for about five minutes, competing to see who can tip the animal over the most times by pulling its tail.
Matches take place on the manga de coleo, a corridor of bare earth about 100 meters long, bordered by fences on both sides and allows seating for spectators.
Technique: One must get a firm hold of a running bull’s tail from behind and the competitor must hang from his horse’s saddle as he chases the charging bull from behind. As horse and rider move ahead of the bull, the rider pulls on the tail in order to spin the bull as it runs. With perfect timing and velocity, the speeding bull falls due to its inability to sidestep.
Scroing/winning the match: Points are awarded according to the quality of a rider’s technique, and should the bull roll following its fall, it is considered the ultimate achievement. After the first fall, the coleador must get the bull back up and running. That is often accomplished by twisting its tail and some daring riders even bite the tail. On some occasions, attendants use an electric rod to shock the bull back onto its feet. Which ever player can get the bull down to the ground the most times out of the all the riders in five minutes wins.
The aftermath: After the match, many of the bulls have injuries such as bruises, broken limbs, or are experiencing extreme fatigue. The bulls that are no longer healthy enough to be a part of the sport are no longer used for matches.