Young man gored during unusually orderly Cebada Gago bull run in Pamplona

Culture

The 23-year-old suffered a minor horn wound to his right arm and returned home after receiving treatment in hospital

Beatriz Campuzano

A 23-year-old man from the province of Gipuzkoa suffered a minor horn wound during Tuesday's running of the bulls at the San Fermín festival in Pamplona, in what proved to be an unusually orderly run for the notoriously unpredictable Cebada Gago bulls.

The first official medical report said three people required treatment. One of them suffered a minor puncture wound to his right arm. Doctors discharged him shortly afterwards and he was recovering at home by mid-morning.

The other two injuries occurred inside the bullring. One runner suffered bruising, while another needed hospital treatment after a fall caused a non-life-threatening arm haemorrhage.

The Cebada Gago bulls, bred in Medina Sidonia (Cadiz) and widely regarded as among the most dangerous animals released during the San Fermín festival, completed the 849-metre course in two minutes and 26 seconds.

Over the years, the Cebada Gago bulls have gored 61 people, including one runner during last year's festival.

Despite their fearsome reputation, the bulls stayed tightly grouped for almost the entire route, leaving no stragglers and giving runners few opportunities to position themselves in front of the herd. They set a fast pace from the moment they left the holding pens.

A lead ox (cabestro) guided the herd, accompanied on its right by a large black bull. At first, it appeared that two bulls had fallen behind, raising fears that the herd might split, but they quickly caught up and remained together from the city square onwards.

The most dramatic moment happened when one runner fell to the ground and the herd passed almost directly over him. It was in the same section that the injured runner from Gipuzkoa stumbled and suffered the horn injury as he tried to get back to his feet and continue running.

Later, the herd briefly split into two groups. Four bulls and the ox entered the arena first, while the remaining two bulls arrived a few seconds later. Several runners also fell as they entered the ring.

Elsewhere along the cobbled streets of Pamplona's old town, experienced runners managed to run just inches ahead of the bulls for several metres before safely moving aside.

This year the bulls behaved unusually calmly. Although many runners fell during the race, the bulls did not break away from the herd or turn to charge at people who had fallen behind.

The six bulls will appear in Tuesday afternoon's bullfight, where matadors David Galván, Román and Manuel Diosleguarde will face them.

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