In an extraordinary initiative, organisers of Ponte de Lima’s annual bull-running event have announced that this year they will be bringing in a squad of seven dwarves to act as mini-toreros up against mini-bulls.
The little men will all be dressed in blue and white, like Smurfs.
“This thing with dwarves will be great,” said local Rogério Dantas. “It’s a different way for people to enjoy the event and should be very funny.”
According to Correio da Manhã, it is “an opinion shared by many”, particularly fans of the long-running tradition of “Vaca das Cordas”.
“This looks like an activity that will go well in the programme,” Gaspar Morais, another local resident, told the paper. “We have always liked bullfighting here in Ponte de Lima. This is different, but it should be fun.”
This year’s programme will run over two days, and on the first (June 20), thousands of people take to the streets around a 500-kilo bull that is tied with ropes and pulled along before it is let loose to charge after people in scenes of deafening pandemonium.
Studying video clips of past events, the animal’s distress is palpable.
The dwarves are to be ‘introduced’ on the second day of the festival, and will be up against calves, also tied by the horns, but this time in an arena.
The man behind the dwarf initiative, Pedro Rodrigues, told CM: “This is an example of what they, like any Paralympics athlete, can do. They are artists!”
CM reports that the local council has “authorised the activity in question”.
Photo: The bull is visibly distressed as it is pulled along by spectators
