the essential
Renowned for its rugby, the Tarn is less so for bullfighting. However, a bullfighting club has emerged in Albi. In the absence of arenas, the association organizes outings around bullfighting culture.
“We are not asking to build an arena in Albi,” jokes Michel Bressolles, president of “La Plaza de Toros”. “Everyone has their own identity, culture and history.” Since last year, this Albigensian association has been organizing bullfighting outings throughout the south of France and Spain to introduce people to this culture.
“We live in a bullfighting desert”
Camargue races, Landes races, bullfights on foot or on horseback… Visits to specialized breeding farms are also offered in Spain, Portugal, Gers, Landes to meet the players in this sector and understand how the selection of bulls is done. who will go to the various arenas. Visits to cultural sites and tastings of culinary specialties are also offered to members.
Certainly, bullfighting is not part of the culture of Tarn, but the club's ambition lies elsewhere: “We do not want to promote but to provoke meetings around bullfighting”, says Jean-Marc Pastor, former senator of Tarn and member of the association. “We started from the observation that we live in a bullfighting desert. We therefore created affinities around this same passion,” explains Michel Bressolles.
“We hear the criticism”
“You have to see the fun in and around the arenas. Bullfighting is inseparable from the festivals,” adds the president of La Plaza de Toros, “there are always folkloric events in the cities.”
However, this type of activity attracts a lot of attention, particularly bullfighting. These practices are decried by numerous animal protection associations emphasizing “the cruelty” of these shows. “We hear the criticism. I was a farmer, I took the animals to the slaughterhouse. Every year, we killed the pig, I don't think it's considered abuse,” defends Jean-Marc Pastor . The association seeks above all “open-mindedness”. “Some members of the association never go to see these shows because of the suffering,” adds Michel Bressolles.
“These shows allow us to see how man evolves in the face of the strength of an animal,” explains Jean-Marc Pastor. “I would say that it is a spontaneous manifestation of the intelligence of Man on the animal. He deploys a strategy based on the behavior of the bull and understanding how it reacts”, affirms Michel Bressolles, who leaves everyone free to make your own opinion on the matter.
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