The yearling calf , “becerro” (a one or two-year old bull) is born, after nine months of gestation within a group called “Punta”. During the rst nine months of life, it is fed with breast milk and it stays along side of the other young, its mother and the stud bull. Nine months later, the males separate from the females into different groups. When the animal turns two, it is no longer a yearling calf, but rather a “Novillo”. The “Novillo”, under the
age of three is called “Eral” and the one who has already turned three is called “Utrero”. Only when the animal has turned four can it be called bull,“Toro”.
The “Erales” (two or three-year old males) undergo different trials in order to select the best bulls capable of producing off-spring that are“toros bravos”, ghting bulls. The “Tienta” is the test that the stockbreeder conducts in order to check the ghting spirit of the males and females. The behavior of the rst offspring in the bullring will be the de nitive test to determine if the stud bull becomes part of the stockbreeder’s team or if it must be sacri ced.