In Costa Rica, bullfighting is a national pastime deeply woven into the culture. But don’t worry. If you’re already thinking about the gory spectacles popular in Spain and Mexico, you can stop.

Bullfighting in Costa Rica is an entirely different cup of tea. You’re far more likely to see human blood than animal blood during a Costa Rican bullfight. That’s because they never kill the bull and there are strict rules about what you can’t do to the bull.

The bull, on the other hand, is not bound by rules of what he can’t do to the humans. As you can imagine, an enraged bull can and does cause quite a bit of damage. Hundreds of people are injured every year during bullfights in Costa Rica and there are more than a few deaths. But, I guess, that’s what makes the sport interesting.

If you’re still reading, then you may be interested in some Costa Rica bullfighting facts. Let’s take a look.

The Bull Doesn’t Die

I don’t really know much about bullfighting. Of course, I’d heard of it before moving to Costa Rica. But all I really knew about it was that a guy in an outlandish outfit waved around a red piece of cloth and people yelled “Toro! Toro!”

After witnessing my first bullfight in Costa Rica, I learned that their way of doing bullfights is quite different from the spectacles popular in Mexico and Spain. The primary difference is that the bull doesn’t die.

Costa Rican Style Bullfighting

Instead of one “matador” (killer) that ends up slaying the bull, the Costa Rican style incorporates any number of contestants. I’ve never seen this many, but at the main celebration in Zapote during the holidays upwards of a hundred contestants can be in on the fight. The vast majority of the contestants are men–because let’s be honest, how many women are really this imprudent?

At least at the big events, contestants have to prove that they are sane and sober (although I highly doubt any fully are either). Then they gather in the ring waiting for the bull to be released. The handlers might give the bull a couple zaps with a cattle prod to get him nice and angry before releasing him into the ring.

As he charges around, the contestants try to touch him (without getting gored by those dangerous horns). Some might even try to perform tricks like leaping or flipping over the bull.

Depending on their performance, contestants can win cash prizes. Sometimes it’s for bravery or agility. Other times contestants can win bullfighting games. For example, they may be asked to put something on the bull’s back or stand in a certain formation. The last one to break formation wins.

Why the Difference?

Why did Costa Ricans decide to create their own form of bullfighting? A casual observer may think that it’s because Costa Ricans are a peace-loving people (as exhibited by their lack of an army). They may also think that Costa Rica is more “progressive” than other countries where they kill the bull.

Maybe that’s true for some people. From what I know of Costa Rican culture, it wasn’t that long ago that Costa Rica still carried a wild west mentality.

As recent as my husband’s father’s generation people still settled their differences with knife fights. Men were considered more manly if they could drink more alcohol and sleep with more women.

“Machismo” was strong and is still pretty well-rooted in the minds of many people. Although, to their credit, this aspect of the culture has changed a lot in a very short time.

But no, the real reason that Costa Ricans don’t kill the bull is a more practical one. Cattle are valuable, especially back when Costa Rica bullfighting started. People made their livelihood from those bulls. It didn’t make sense to slaughter them for sport.

Instead, they found a way to enjoy a rousing good time without sacrificing their most prized bulls.

Bull Riding and Other Challenges

This post came about because this last weekend we went to a local rodeo event. That’s where I got the pictures for this post. It was a special event held to raise money for a woman with cancer.

At this event, they didn’t have traditional Costa Rica bullfighting as the main event. Rather they did some bull riding, which is similar to what I’ve seen at rodeos in the States. A brave contestant hops aboard an enraged bull and tries to stay on for as long as possible.

Before the bull riding began, however, they held a challenge that anyone from the audience could join. Two men partnered up against a calf. The point was to catch the calf, wrestle him to the ground, and hogtie his feet.

As random audience members, some of the teams really didn’t know what they were doing.

Others, like this pair, had more of a clue.

Regardless it was interesting to watch. Plus, I thought it was a neat way to come together as a community and raise money to help one of their own.

Malacrianza: Costa Rica’s Most Famous Bull

You can’t mention talk about Costa Rica bullfighting facts without mentioning the famous Malacrianza. There isn’t quite a direct English translation but in Spanish, you would say a child that behaves badly is “malcriado”, poorly raised. The different ending changes the meaning slightly to mean “bad behavior”.

Regardless of how you translate it, this bull was one bad dude. Weighing in at 1,700 pounds, this immense black and white bull (with wicked horns to match) was not one to be trifled with. He is a household name in Costa Rica and is most famous for having killed two of his riders, both of whom were veterans of the ring.

Most bulls only fight for a few years but Malacrianza’s impressive career spanned almost 10 years. His owner retired him in 2013 and he peacefully died in his own pasture two years later.

Malacrianza is much loved in Costa Rica. You can see his photograph on display in a San José butcher shop and on T-shirts. Many Costa Ricans tattoo his likeness on their bodies. And, of course, as with anything that important, there’s a beer named after him.

Wanna See a Costa Rica Bullfighting Event?

The big main Costa Rica bullfighting event happens as part of the Christmas celebration in Zapote in the capital city, San José. But even if you’re not coming in December or January, you can still attend a bullfighting event.

There are smaller events hosted all over the country at many times of the year. Folks in Guanacaste particularly love their bullfighting and bull riding events. It makes sense since it’s cattle country up that way.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Feel free to leave a comment below!

Or contact me if you have a post idea or a question you’d like to send directly.

Until next time…

Cara