Bloodthirsty
Sir: The return of 'El Cordobes' to the bullring (Notebook 11 August) may have whetted the appetites of bloodthirsty crowds in Spain but it will not impress those who condemn this gruesome ritual.
The bullfight increasingly relies on the support of foreign visitors. They include many from this country who feel, or are persuaded, that they must witness at least one corrida as an essential part of the Spanish scene. They should realise that in doing so they are directly helping to maintain a form of cruelty both to bulls and horses, which many of them would undoubtedly condemn if it were permitted at home, and would probably castigate the RSPCA for not stopping it.
The matador's occupation is highly paid, so it is no wonder that there are matadors. But is it not strange that there are still supporters for a sickening performance relying for its 'attraction' on the slow and bloody torture of an animal to its death? Perhaps the fact that the bullfight has been going through a bad patch in recent years may, after all, indicate a stirring of public conscience?
R.J. Hopkins Executive Director Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Causeway, Horsham, Sussex
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