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A PHOTO OF a famous Spanish bullfighter training in the ring while holding his baby daughter created a stir today, sparking an official complaint from a child protection agency.
Francisco “Paquirri” Rivera Ordóñez, who last summer was gored in the groin by a bull but has since recovered, posted the picture on his Instagram account.
“Carmen’s debut, this is the fifth generation that fights bulls in our family,” he wrote.
My grandfather fought bulls like this with my father. My father fought bulls like this with me, and I’ve done it with my daughters Cayetana and now with Carmen.
The picture sparked an immediate uproar in a country increasingly torn between animal rights activists and those who want to abolish Spain’s legendary bullfights, and others who want to keep an age-old tradition going.
“We’re totally against instilling violence like that of bullfighting into children,” said Laura Duarte, spokeswoman of Pacma, a party opposed to the mistreatment of animals which backs a total ban on bullfighting.
The controversy forced the child protection agency in the southern region of Andalucia, where Rivera comes from, to respond.
Labelling it “a situation of unnecessary risk for a minor and a decision that we totally reject,” the agency said it had taken the case to juvenile prosecutors.
Rivera himself was quick to respond.
“My daughter has never been safer. I’m a bullfighter, I live for this and I dedicate 365 days a year to it,” he tweeted.
She didn’t face the slightest danger for even a second.
He subsequently posted a photo collage of himself on his father’s shoulders over 30 years ago, together with the photo of him and his daughter.
The caption on this one reads: “History repeats itself. The best legacy alive, feeling, purity, honour.”
Long-held tradition
Spain’s bullfighters’ union also leapt to his defence, saying he was up against a young bull and pointing out that bringing children to the ring was a long-held tradition among bullfighters.
The sport has been the focus of ever-increasing criticism in Spain, with several regions or cities banning corridas or annual festivals with bullfights and bull running.
According to the latest official figures, 1,868 bull-related events were held in Spain in 2014.
Combined, they attracted six million spectators in a country of 47 million residents, according to ANOET, the national organisation that arranges such events, which said the “bull business” brings in €3.5 billion annually.
Rivera himself comes from a long line of bullfighters.
His father was gored to death in Andalucia in 1984.
And his grandfather was Antonio Ordonez, considered one of the greatest bullfighters of all times.
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“My daughter has never been safer. I’m a bullfighter, I live for this and I dedicate 365 days a year to it,” he tweeted.
….and yet he was gored in the groin just last year and his father was gored to death in 1984….but we’ll just ignore that.
Sure it’s just like taking the young fella’ up on the back of the tractor isn’t it?
Training all year long to have a farm animal shred his tiny raisin nuts as he tries to torture it for the fun and amusement of every inbred soul in Spain….. He definitely shouldn’t have brought some other man’s kid out there…..
Very true. Anyone that goes to this “sport” should be put to death along with the bull.
Barbaric and inbred morons who think this is amusement.
Please don’t refer to this as a “sport”.
“Tradition” isn’t an excuse and doesn’t justify cruelty to animals
Maybe one day his daughter will take a civil case against him for reckless endangerment.
What a bellend!
Those pants are quite tight alright.
One Sheet does Plenty
What a Simpleton..This “tradition” should be banned. It’s horrendous
The Puck Fair is next on the list. They may not gore him but the intent is there!
Gored in the groin prob lucky too have kids n then does that wat a lemon!
Reminds me of the time Michael Jackson waved a baby alligator over a balcony. Or when the ‘crocodile hunter’ Steve Irwin dangled a blanket above starving paparazzi……or something like that.
Fcukin idiot
So he comes from a family of idiots. Poor kid.
Whatever about killing for food, killing for “sport” is barbaric and frankly unbecoming of anyone purporting to be a civilised individual.
This bull fighter with his child reminds me of the guy in Australia who lost his life from a Stingray . No time for anyone who tortures a animal just for the pleasure of killing it
That was steve irwin. He was the opposite of a bullfighter.
A cow lover?
I think Alan is referring to the time Steve fed a chicken carcass to Murray, a 12 and a half foot salt water croc while holding his one month old child.
Steve was a great conservationist and rescued many animals and was buying up land to stop development in natural habitats.
KJust so he could jam thumbs in their butthole
Pull the udder one
Not many kids can claim a photo with their dad like that.
Can’t see the problem really. Even if he was caught I doubt very much if the bull would harm the child.
Amazing photo.
Yeah the bull will be like ‘a sure it’s only a child I’d leave it alone,..I’m being sarcastic by the way ..the bull would rip the child apart..even if the dad got caught the child would go flying and will most likley be seriously hurt.
Oran Joyce I was going to reply to you on another topic .Ffs how in the
of hell can you say the child would be safe from the bull .What you are implying the bull would only single out the man and leave the child ? What a load of BS and as for the photo nice you do not have any feelings for a animal in pain.
My apologies for my text mix up
So.
It seems people are more interested in the fate of the bull than the infant in his arms.
Reminds me of the faux outrage over the lion last year. Cedric was it.
The same people who will sit down in a restaurant and happily tuck into a piece of steak or a lamb chop.
Don’t take the bait, people.
I have seen some idiots coming on here. This Plunker fills the A four page for the white coat
Attention seeking again Organ are we?
You have hit the nail on the head there Neil. Lol
Par for the course for Organ.
Nutter
He’s a clown and an idiot
He’s not a father
Whoops I see the old PC brigade are already out in force on this one..
Look its another mans culture, who are we to judge?
Eat meat? Enjoy the odd breakfast roll on the way to work? The unfortunately you have no right to comment.
We have culture too, Boss.
I for one, thoroughly enjoy it.
Nothing better than seeing a pompous, chauvinistic, arrogant tw@t get impaled by a 650KG purebred specimen of muscle and being thrown like a ragdoll through the air.
Then the clowns scarper on as he’s flung lifelessly around on the floor, his debilitated body writhing in pain, his fate in the hands of the beast.
Never nice how the bulls are treated in the days beforehand however, it’s never a level playing field, always stacked against the bull with an inevitable outcome.
Whatever about his culture, I’m sure his daughter has the right not to be put in harms way just so he can show off, at least until she is old enough to decide for herself.
I was just wondering how far Sean would go to protect ‘culture’ if a group of travellers set up a site beside his house.
Wonder how Sean would feel, if he’d encountered a headhunter and was made into a nice shrunken head trophy, that’s the headhunter’s culture, so he shouldn’t object to it, should he?
Think you might be milking it a tad!!
He might hold a big doll instead…
Bull looks quite happy to be honest…
Paddy . The bull was probably eyeing him up for a bit of body damage.
Sure Paddy….bulls love nothing more that to be speared and wounded behind the shoulder blades to cheer them up.
Fifth generation?
Grandfather
Father
His own stupid self
His daughter
I count 4.
Pitt the bull didn’t finish him off last year
What a prize idiot. Hopefully he’ll be killed one day soon
He might hold a big doll instead….
So what ? This has nothing to do with anyone on here.
I know of another plonker who brings his baby mountain biking. Ultimately though it should be the right of the parent to decide the level of risk to expose their children to. It’s their DNA they are risking.
Hooray, hooray, the bull fighter dies, and nobody cries.
have your say