Claim: Photograph shows a man gored in the leg by a bull.
Example: [Collected via e-mail, July 2007]
Thinking of running with the bulls? Ouch.  |
Origins: The above-displayed picture comes from the Fiesta de San Fermín, a festival held every year between
through the streets of Pamplona by bulls. One of the highlights of the
in large part to its popularization through the writings of Ernest
Each day's San Fermín festivities include afternoon bullfights, and at
Most years at least a few participants end up being gored or otherwise injured during the encierro (at least thirteen people have been killed during the event since 1924), and 2007 was no exception. During what was described as "the longest and bloodiest morning bull run" during the festival, thirteen people, including a pair of American brothers (23-year-old Michael Lenahan of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 26-year-old Lawrence Lenahan of Hermosa Beach, California), were injured by bulls:
"One bull unexpectedly broke from the pack," said Lawrence. "The next thing we knew, there was a bull charging us from behind, about ten feet [away]. They're so fast." The angry, and no doubt frightened, animal gored both brothers. Lawrence suffered an eight-inch gash in his backside, while Michael took a horn in his right leg, the horn entering on his shin and tearing through skin and tissue up to his knee. "It was total chaos for a minute or two," Lawrence continued. "My brother came yelling at me, and I was hollering at him. I saw that his leg was completely open. It was ripped open. You could see everything inside. And so we knew we had a
They were at a section of the run called "Deadman's Curve," where they let the pack of bulls pass them and started running behind them.
As shown in the above photograph, a 24-year-old Norwegian, Christopher Neiff, suffered a similar injury when a bull's horn slid under his shin and tore the skin up to his knee.
Last updated: 27 July 2007
Sources:
