The economics of fantastic emergency medical care play out as Spain’s Gory Pastime Creates Bull Market For Star Surgeons:
As elite surgeons such as Dr. Villamor grow more skillful at treating complicated gorings and bone fractures, matadors are taking more chances to earn praise from fickle audiences. This season has been one of the bloodiest in memory.In the past, gorings often meant death or long-term disability, especially in small-town rings far from trained surgeons or well-equipped operating rooms. In 1984, a famous Spanish matador, Francisco Rivera, bled to death during a bumpy two-hour drive to a hospital in Cordoba. Most matadors used to play it as safe as they could. Many still won acclaim from less-sophisticated spectators by going through the motions in front of the bulls.
The new ringside medical wizardry has bred a deadlier dynamic. Matadors can get sewn up and be back in action in days, even after horrific injuries. As a result, crowds expect performances that constantly push the envelope. Bullfighters take more chances than ever to impress fans, such as deliberately working on the side of the bull’s more dangerous horn.
All of Spain’s top matadors have been gored this year, some on several occasions, a toll longtime observers say they haven’t seen in years. Most of today’s active bullfighters have each suffered four or five gorings that would have been fatal a few generations ago, experts say.