Man distracts bull away from human tower Sokamuturra bull running event Puerto Viejo de Algorta Basque Country Spain
Sokamuturra para cuadrillas is a part of the annual fiesta in the Basque coastal town of Algorta and is held in the Puerto Viejo (old harbour) at low tide. A tall wooden pole, liberally greased, is erected in the middle of the harbour. Teams of young Basque men and women compete to build a human tower to the top of the pole in the best time, each person climbing on the shoulders of the next. At the same time a young bull is in the arena. The horns of the bull are blunt and are wrapped in tape to reduce the risk of injury. Three men restrain the bull using a long rope tether. As the team sprints for the pole and starts to build their tower two or three team members - the cuadrillas or matadors assistants - have the task of diverting the attention of the bull by deliberately offering themselves as a more inviting target. Note: The term ‘Sokamuturra para cuadrillas’ comes from the Basque word ‘Sokamuturra’ which is a game in which participants try to catch the end of a rope attached to a young bull as it runs around a compound and ‘cuadrillas’ which is the Spanish for matadors assistants.
Size: 4000px × 6000px
Location: Puerto Viejo de Algorta, Getxo, Basque Country, Spain
Photo credit: © Basque Country - Mark Baynes / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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