Recortes Explained

Recortes are a style of Spanish bullfighting where the bull is not harmed and recortadores must dodge charging bulls acrobatically without the use of capes or props, i.e. solely with their own body's movements. It is traditional to the Spanish regions near the Ebro river, Basque Country, Madrid, and Valencia.^[1] It has been proposed as an alternative to traditional bullfighting corridas as the animal is not harmed or killed. It is also considered easier to market.^[2]

As opposed to traditional bullfighting, recortadores do not wear elaborate outfits and instead usually wear jerseys.^[3] It is also cheaper to become a recortador than a traditional bullfighter, although prizes are also lower.

Types

• Concurso de Recorte Libre (i.e. "free trim competition"), where the recortadores take turns leaping and dodging over various different bulls;
• Concurso de Cortes (i.e. "competition of cuts"), where only some types of dodges (the ones called recortes) are allowed;
• Concurso de recortadores con anillas (i.e. "competition of recortadores with rings), which is usually done in couples and where recortadores compete to place as many rings as possible in a bull's horns within the allotted time.

See also

Course camarguaise, where the competitors try to retrieve a white rosette from between the bull's horns.

Notes and References

1. Web site: 29 August 2016 . Recortadores: la alternativa a la tauromaquia . 2023-09-02 . . es.
2. Web site: 2017-05-14 . La edad dorada de los recortadores: el festejo popular llega a la primera feria del mundo . 2023-09-02 . El Español . es.
3. News: The Borderline-Insane Bull Jumpers of Spain . en . Men's Journal . 2023-09-19.