I didn't know all about bull fighting until I went to Ecuador some years back. An official of the State Department in Washington D.C. asked if I would go down to Ecuador and give some engineering advice to a group of manufacturers and government people. Since it didn't cost me anything to give this service, I decided to hop a plane and head south-a-way.

Always pleasure before business on such trips, I met my guide from the State Department and we headed for the Equator, a fairly short but exciting bus ride from our hotel in Quito.

After looking at the monument to the Equator, we headed for the bull ring. That's were I learned what one needs to know about bull fighting. The thing you must know and never forget is this: Always Kill the Bull!

Now, I know that is not criter friendly!, so I must explain. I don't want any hate mail from The Friends of Ferdanand.

It is in the bull ring at the Equator where young bull fighters are trained.

To my surprise some seoritas were also learning to fight the bulls. They fought the bulls under more hazardous conditions than the young toreadors-to-be. They used the men capes which were too long for them to handle and they often tripped to the ground when they got them tangled up under their feet.

This delighted the bulls who were having a great day anyway. They lowered their heads, dug into the turf with their front hooves, and charged.

Thankfully, the toreadoras-to-be were rescued by the gallant toreadors-to-be, but things were very close, and at times, the helpful toreadors and the toreadoras got knocked on their posaderas.

You all know that a bull ring has little sections of fence for the toreadors to hide behind. The bull with his humongous horns can not get to them through the narrow pathway, right?

Well, the Ecuadorian bulls were very smart. They just cocked their heads sideways and charged right through behind the fence sections scattering toreadors and toreadoras from hell to breakfast.

Man that was fun to watch!

We sat there for an hour or two watching the bulls outsmart the toreadors and toreadoras. Finally, bruised and tattered, the youngsters gave up. The bulls had one again.

The fact is, they always won.

They did a lot more fighting than the trainees. They were ring smart and loved doing what they were doing which was knocking toreadors and toreadoras on their posaderas.

Anyway, my new friend from the State Department and I figured out the Golden Rule for all bull fighters. I give it again here for emphasis: You Must Kill the Bull!

If you don't, he will kill you!

Where in the heck is Osama Bin Laden anyway?

The End

copyrightJohn T. Jones, Ph.D. 2005