1- What is a bullfight?

A bullfight is an event in which specially bred bulls are fought in a series of acts in which tradition and convention are strictly observed. It is organized into 3 main stages, or tercios: tercio de picas, tercio de banderillas and tercio de matar.
The bullfight begins with the appearance of the bullfighters and the team of bullfighter?s assistants, preceded by two officials on horseback. These officials, who traditionally depend on the competitive administrative entity, act out the delivery of the key that opens the pens (given by the president of the bullfight), giving it in turn to the employee in charge of releasing the bulls. They portray this entire act on horseback and attired in the style that existed during the reign of King Philip IV. During the fight and from the ?barrier? (the fence encircling the bull ring), these officials receive and communicate orders from the president of the fight to the bullfighter.
The first stage or tercio de picas: the objective is to determine the bravery of the bull and to reduce its strength in order to fight it with the muleta (a red flannel cape with a stick inserted at the top). In order to reduce the strength of the bull, the picador---on a horse that is adequately protected---lances the bull.  The regulation establishes that during this first stage there must be two picadors: the main one, who must intervene confronting the bull, and the reserve, which must remain at the gate through which the horses enter and exit the ring.  Current regulation establishes that four jabs must be executed, but the luck of the bull actually depends on the judgment of the president of the fight, who determines how many times the bull will be jabbed.
The second stage or tercio de banderillas: in this stage the objective is to revive the bull without reducing its strength. This is achieved by plunging into the bull?s neck three pairs of banderillas (75cm-long darts adorned with multi-colored paper) whose harpoons cause a sharp pain.
The third stage, or tercio de matar, consists of two phases: the first is the preparation of the bull for its death using the muleta, and the second the death of the bull by the final thrust of the sword. This is the most important stage of the bullfight and that in which the bullfighter is best able to demonstrate his skill and art. The bullfighter is expected to dedicate his first bull to the president.

2- What types of bullfights are there?

The event is called corrida de rejones if the main bullfighter is on horseback and uses lances to fight the bull. When the main bullfighter is on foot and uses a capote (a large magenta and yellow cape), a muleta (a small red cape) and a sword to fight the bull, the event is called a bullfight. In bullfighting we can distinguish between a normal fight and the novillada. The main difference is that in the novillada, the bulls are either young animals, or fighting bulls that have not accomplished the level of bravery demanded by the breeder.

3- What is a fighting bull?

The fighting bull is a bovine raised in the country in order to be fought in the bullfighting ring.
One of the most discussed aspects of bullfighting is the origin of the breeding of bulls exclusively for the bullfighting event, involving the selection of different breeds for commercial purposes or for designating them to all manner of bullfights. It appears that during the Middle Ages no specific selection was carried out, but at that time these animals, as well as other wild animals, were kept in captivity and protected by feudal lords in order to facilitate breeding and hunting.
It seems that the breeding of fighting bulls started around the 15th or 16th century in the province of Valladolid. At that time the royal family, which was still itinerant, bred herds that could easily be the ancestor of modern-day fighting bulls. The name given to the original cattle was Raso de Portillo; it was well known until the end of the 19th century. It is believed that these bulls were the first to be used in royal festivities.
At the same time, the breeding of bulls started to emerge in different areas of Spain, Andalusia being the main region. By the second half of the 17th century, herds of fighting bulls started to appear although they weren?t yet used for clearly commercial reasons. Another century came and went before bullfighting gained in importance, and stockbreeders appeared who were interested in breeding bulls for bullfighting with commercial aims.
The current bull can be considered the result of a meticulous selection starting at the beginning of the 18th century.  This selection is carried out by the testing of calves (prueba de la tienta) in which specimens that share certain characteristics are selected for their future reproduction.  It?s very important for the bull to possess the characteristics that enable it to withstand all of the events of the bullfight, from the time the bull enters the ring until, once the matador has killed the bull, it?s dragged out by the mulillas (the team of mules that take the bull out of the ring). These characteristics have changed throughout the centuries as much as the actual bullfight itself; the only thing that has remained the same is that the bull must be brave and fierce.
Fighting bulls exhibit certain behaviors and possess some physical characteristics that are very similar to those of a completely wild bovine. This isn?t surprising if we consider that when this type of bull is bred, it is not with the aim of producing more meat or milk, or to achieve the meekness or the reduction of horns necessary to make the animal more manageable for humans. What is being looked for is to maintain and even strengthen to some degree a violent attitude that makes the bull more prone to fighting. During the bull?s life in semi-liberty in the pastures, its customs are similar to those of a wild animal---it lives in herds, and it defends itself and its territory when there are upcoming dangers.

4- What is a bullfighter?

The bullfighter is the ?main character? in the bullfight. His goal is to direct the bull?s charge gracefully and aesthetically, assess the bull while performing passes with the capote, direct the bull with the capote towards the picador (who will jab the bull), drive in the banderillas, bullfight using the muleta with smoothness and rhythm, and finally kill the bull using a sword called estoque de muerte (curved sword used for killing).
The bullfighter goes through different stages of preparation, which he acquires with practice. The first phase is that of the novillero (an apprentice who has not yet ?graduated?) in which novillos (three-year-old bulls) are fought, given that they are smaller and weaker. The novilleros usually begin in festivities that don?t involve horses, and if they are good enough they go to the novilladas (bullfights with young bulls) with picadors. In the second phase the bullfighter is now a matador, with enough skill and technique to bullfight with graciousness in each of the 3 stages of the fight. When the novillero reaches the status of matador a ceremony called the alternativa is held. This is a special bullfight in which the novillero graduates. The alternativa can be held in any top class bullfighting ring, but matadors prefer this ceremony to take place in rings of great tradition like Las Ventas in Madrid.