Today we attended the Carmargue-style bull races at Arenes de Salin-de-Giraud. Over the years we have attended maybe 5 or 6 of these events at various arenas. The arena in Salin-de-Giraud is small and was mostly full of locals rooting on their runners. The weather was overcast, with some light rain, but it hardly dampened the spirits of everyone.
Prior to the bulls and the racers, women dressed in traditional Arlesienne costume, riding side-saddle on the classic chevals blancs (white horses) of the Camargue performed. Very talented riders.
The point of the bull races is for the runners to remove rosettes and cords affixed to the bulls horns, using a sort of comb-like razor attached to one hand. Points are awarded for each item removed. Each bull stays in the arena until all the items have been successfully removed from his horns. The runners need to get quite close to the bull to accomplish this, then they often need to jump the fence and sometimes climb into the stands to avoid the bull charging after them. The bulls are not harmed in the process.
Here is a little sample of the event.
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| This bull knocked out or broke about 6 boards in the fence, usually the top boards |
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| The razor is visible on this man's left hand |
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