Bullfighting's Blood Brothers

60 Minutes Interviews A Star Matador, Who Is Then Nearly Killed In The Ring

(CBS)  There is a new generation of matadors in Spain who bring more excitement and more spectators into the bull ring than there's been for some time. High on this list are two brothers, Francisco Rivera Ordonez and his kid brother Cayetano.

Last October, 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon reported on their exploits inside and outside the ring and there's an update: the Spanish government recently awarded Francisco, the older brother, with the Fine Arts medal - the highest honor any artist can receive.

It led to front page news and to a national scandal. Two previous winners of the award returned their medals in disgust, insisting that Francisco didn't deserve it. His brother Cayetano believes he certainly does deserve it, and after watching and reading this story, you'll understand why.

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Francisco Rivera Ordoñez has been fighting for 13 years. In fact, while 60 Minutes was Spain in Spain filming, he fought his 1000th fight. And the crowds couldn’t get enough of him.

Cayetano, his kid brother, has to fight off the crowds. People beg to be touched by their icon. He has been fighting only three years, and although he is still a rookie, he's worshipped all over Spain. He is one of the highest paid matadors in the country.

In fact, the brothers are the two most eligible bachelors in Spain. They each fight around 60 times during the season, and occasionally fight on the same day in the same place.

"When you and Cayetano enter the bull ring together, the crowd goes crazy," Simon remarks.

Referring to Cayetano, Francisco jokes, "More for him, now, 'cause he's younger, he's taller."

Francisco and Cayetano are in different stages of their careers: Cayetano is still blossoming, while Francisco is beginning to think of retirement. The brothers don't like to fight together. They're terrified when the other is in the ring; something awful can happen.

And there's something else: "Of course, there's the competition,” Cayetano tells Simon. “And I'm very happy when he's success…"

"As long as you succeed, too," Simon remarks.

“[As long as I succeed] more," Cayetano says.

It's not just fraternal rivalry that prods them onwards. They are both competing against ghosts.

Their grandfather, Antonio, was the greatest matador of the last 50 years. Hemingway, Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Grace Kelly all came to pay homage to the maestro. The boys' father was Paquirri, a legendary matador of his time.

[Dve000]

There are absloutely few things in my life that unleases such rage as the torture of animals for thrill. I absolutely dispose those of Spain, Mexico, and all other countries' people woh embrace the torture of bulls and other animals. The pathetic cowardly infliction of intense pain and suffering is an illness, a sick character not worthy of the human race. The terms proponents use: "respectful, revered". What the...??? I am hugely against all who stand for these acts regardles of its traditions. Should 60 minutes have run this segment? Absolutely. I think it is acceptable that they do as it brings us out of our sheltered world here in the great USA and puts this subject on the table for discussion for hopefully a few more people. I truely hope that this brings people to become aware and more steadfast agains this horror. Again, I DESPISE all who embrace this horrible, cowardly and pathetic "sport" of killing. It must not be tolorated. Those involved in this sport all deserve to be "gored".

BlakeNewman.

I too saw bullfights in Colombia until my early 20s, so I know what it is to see and experience a bullfight. The problem is that since the late 60s, bullfighting became a billion dollar industry, and this caused the bull rings, breeders, and matadors to corrupt the ritual. I?ve gone behind the scenes in Colombia, Mexico and Spain and have seen how the bulls are deliberately weakened all in the interest of protecting the matador.

The bull?s horns are filed slightly to disorient the charged, the water is spiked with sulfur to induce diarrhea and dehydration, the hoofs are dipped in acid causing the bull to continually move throughout the ring (triggering the spectator to mistake this for ferocity), the eyes are rubbed with Vaseline to further reduced its vision, sand bags are hanged from the neck for hours to weakened the neck muscles, and so on. Now days, when the bull enters he ring, he is constantly falling, landing on the knees of his two from legs (in fact, you can see this on the segment when Cayetano was gored as he misstep backwards; the bull landed on his two front legs). Now, during my father?s time, bulls this weak would not have been tolerated, but today since the spectators are mostly tourist, no one complains.

The bashing towards 60 minutes are valid. Bob Simon has given the bullfighting industry a 20 minute free infomercial. There was no attempt to describe how he bull is adulterated behind the scenes to weaken the animal and to give maximum protection to the matador. There was nothing educational about this segment, just contributing to the brainwashing of naïve tourist to continue to fund this corrupt bloody ritual.

-- Tuliothx (For some reason my login name is showing blank on the postings)

estoque,

First of all, bullfighting is not art. While there is much artistic expression in bullfighting with the music, the choreographed maneuvers, the elaborate dress, there is no artistic value in watching a team of 6 men armed with lances, daggers, knifes, and swards killing on an already weaken animal. If we are to call this art, then he butcher in the slaughter house is also an artist, the organizers of dog fighting or CockFighting are also artist ?- a ridicules statement.

Let?s call bullfighting for what it is, a bloody sacrificial ritual. A ritual to kill an animal in the most cowardly and brutal way for he sake of entertainment.

Second, art is a creative process, not a destructive. It is supposed to express ideas and interpretations of the human spirit. A ritual that seeks to destroy an animal for entertainment does not classify as art.

It is just a sacrificial ritual.

-- Tuliothx (For some reason my login name is showing blank on the postings)

[estoque]

jodyki,

You misinterpret my reasoning for the Michener quote, as I personally do not find bullfighting either unnecessarily cruel, nor brutal. For true cruelty to animals one need go no further that the hugh "farms" that raise the food for millions of McWhatever eaters.

More than sport, bullfighting is an art, one that ends in death, yes; but certainly the bull in the arena stands a better chance than those in the abbatoir...

I had also hoped that by quoting Michener, rather than, say, Hemingway, I might provoke a more measured adversarial response than the posted rants of most of those opposed to the sport.

Your response quoting Albert Schweitzer is the sort of dialogue needed...

estoque

[jodyki]

Estoque, I hope you're still checking in. How can you find laudable, worth repeating a quote which is attempting to say cruelty, brutality is ok because others do it? This was very perplexing to me - and very sad. I wonder how many become blinded to what is true and good and right because of the glaring light of fame and personality.

[jodyki]

?The thinking man must oppose all cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition and surrounded by a halo. When we have a choice, we must avoid bringing torment and injury into the life of another, even the lowliest creature; to do so is to renounce our manhood and shoulder a guilt which nothing justifies.? Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965)

[googball]

The show didn't mention anything last night (April 26) about the torrent of criticism of the bullfighting segment run on April 19. They're not sorry so many people (including me) found it repulsive. They're probably happy for the extra publicity (notoriety) because all the suits care about is viewership, which means money. They're laughing all the way to the bank, if they can find one they trust. We dither in our outrage, and they're chuckling under their breath at how stupid we are. bob craven, san diego

[estoque]

Kudos to CBS for having the guts to show this story twice in spite of all of the vitriolic comments that have been posted.

As one of America's greatest authors, James A. Michener, once said, "Of course, bullfighting has elements of brutality, but so does surgery, hunting, and the income tax."

Estoque

[vegansoul]

Dear god,

Please let the bull win the next fight and then ban bull fighting all together!
Thank you.

[jodyki]

is anyone at 60 minutes reading these posts??? is anyone there??? do you care???

i am so inspired and proud of the overwhelming compassion and intelligence displayed by those opposing cruelty. thank you to all the posters who speak so movingly for those without a voice - it looks like almost 98% of posters (or more) are on the side of kindness!!!!!!

i would love a reply from 60 minutes - are you there??? - showing that they maybe get it, that they may be capable of learning and becoming better and that they WILL take the suggestions of many posters here and tell the truth about bullfighting and from here on out, choose the side of kindness, enlightenment and courage opposed to the side of cultural cruelty and cult of personality and evil.

[justiceunity]

"Rhe Greatness and Moral Progress of a Nation are judged by HOW its People treat Animals! -MAHATMA GHANDI-

This is NOT a Culture, a Sport or in any Way Cool-its cruel, barbaric, sadistic and perverted!!!!!
ITS DETESTABLE FOR ANYONE WHO IS HUMANE-everyone supporting THIS is a MURDERER, TORTURER and a HEARTLESS and SOULLESS MONSTER!!!!

[sutomu]

Quote: "Of all the creatures, Man is the most detestable. Of the entire brood, He's the one that possesses malice. He is the only creature That inflicts pain for sport, knowing it to be pain. The fact that man knows Right from wrong proves His intellectual superiority To the other creatures; But the fact that he Can do wrong proves His moral inferiority To any creature that cannot."
- Mark Twain -

What is wrong with all the human beings who are calling this a "sport"? Are they blind and are they sitting on their brains...every righteous human being, the so called thinking person, KNOW that this is willfully torture, causing suffering and tremendous pain!
Animals are sentient beings just like we humans and they can feel pain too.
It is a bloody shame that Spain and some other countries are tolerating such an abuse, allowing this to happen with an animal.

How would YOU feel when I do these things to you, instead of the bull...calling this a sport...and I will pay you for your performance in the ring...
When this is done to a dog or a cat, then it is called "torture"...what is the difference!!

Quote: "There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to animals as well as man it is all a sham.?
--Anna Sewell--

[219madison]

What I found astonishing in your story is that you found it so amazing to see something like bullfighting so popular in a 'progressive' country like Spain. A country so up to date and contemporary as to engage in quickie divorce, gay marrage and abortion on demand. Don't you enlightented, well educated newspeople realize these are as old as mankind itself? Relationships of convenience and holding life cheaply are not new ideas and have been along side practices such as bullfighting in all human history.
What IS relatively new is that stuffy old antiquated Judeo-Christian thing, (that gave us such worn out ideas as human rights and for that matter humane treatment of animals!).
Think a bit............your bias is showing. -219madison

[eschraft]

As my girlfriend said: "Wow! Those bullfighting brothers are "HOT", no wonder you like the sport." However, it is not a sport but an art and a science.

[Anniejoy1]

There is nothing sporting or glorious about torturing an animal. "Traditions" are the reason for the most horrrible cruelties in world. "Traditions" are responsible for **** fights, dog fights, bear bile farming, whale hunting, tiger farming for their bones and organs.
Perhaps a show on the horrors behind these traditions would be appropriate.

[VegCrystal]

The Ordonez brothers are "rock stars" at the moment in Spain - you've reported that. Now, I look forward to seeing 60 Minutes' coverage of the rest of the story - the cruelty that IS bull-fighting. Brutalizing animals in any scenario has ramifications far beyond those to the animal and the human involved - it damages us collectively as a society, and leads people to believe that violence toward those you can dominate is acceptable. There is nothing romantic or beautiful about killing an animal for sport. .

[claudine38]

I am very disappointed with 60 Minutes. Bullfighting should never be glorified. It is time to ban this blood sport. Never once did you say that it was so unfair for the poor tortured animal. I wish you would do a story against the abuse of animals and that bullfighting would make the list.
Claudine Erlandson, Seattle

Looks like Bob Simon barely missed the deadline. A few more weeks and the depiction of cruelty to animals would have been illegal. Here is an article from the New York Times published today April 20, 2009 ''Justices to Rule on Law Banning the Depiction of Cruelty to Animals''. It basically says:

On Monday, the court agreed to decide whether depictions of cruelty to animals should join obscenity and fighting words as speech unworthy of constitutional protection.

This is in response to comments from poster ?joshh76? at 11:17 PM : Apr 20, 2009:

?People need to lighten up. Spain is a great country, with a lot of history and traditions. This was an interesting story with charismatic personalities. If you don't like bullfighting, then don't watch it.?

Indeed, Spain is a great country with a long history and traditions. But that is not the point. The point is that if 60 minutes had a piece to glorify dog fighting in Japan or cockfighting in Virginia, then we as viewers have every right to watch it and complain about the brutality of these blood rituals. The history of 60 minutes has been to present both side of an issue, but what Bob Simon did was to present the fluffy side of bullfighting and disregarded the reality behind the scenes (bulls are given sulfur to induce diarrhea and dehydration, are beaten to sap their energy, their horns are shaved to disorient them, and Vaseline is rubbed into their eyes to blurred their poor eye sight even further).

?But to condemn it as cruelty if you are someone who enjoys eating beef is absolutely hypocritical, considering that these bulls enjoy an infinitely more rewarding life and honorable death than any of the cows that create the hamburgers and steaks that millions of Americans eat everyday. If you are a vegetarian, then post away. If you eat beef, then look in a mirror.?

The notion that death to the bull in the ring is better than death in the slaughter house is a classic bullfighting fallacy. Clearly there is a difference between killing an animal for food and killing and animal for entertainment. It?s incomprehensible why the ceremonious slow painful death of a bull in the ring by thrusting, poking, stabbing, and jabbing the animal with lances, barbed darts, swords, and daggers for 20 minutes is more noble and honorable than a quick, sterile death in the slaughter house. In the end, how does honor server the bull (a human term that obviously the animal can't understand) when it is tortured to death in the ring?

[Philanthropissed]

Since men who torture animals are known to be underendowed with small *******, they might be bachelors, but certainly are not the most "eligible".