Running of Bulls Is On, Bullfights Are Off at Tecate Festival

Tecate’s annual pamplonada will begin at 3 p.m. today, but the running of the bulls in this dusty Mexican border town will take place this year without the bullfights that traditionally follow the weekend event.

Local officials said Friday that hundreds of tourists and partygoers were already streaming into town for the two-day festival, but few are aware that city officials have killed the bullfights. Mayor Cesar Moreno Martinez de Escobar said that the city decided to do away with the bullfights until a permanent “and sturdy” ring is constructed.

In the past, a portable bullring was used for the bullfights. But last year the ring collapsed on the second day of the festival, injuring 140 people. An investigation by city and state officials revealed that three critical horizontal support bars were removed from a section of the grandstand, causing the oval ring to collapse like a circle of dominoes.

“The portable ring proved too much of a headache for the city. We were lucky that nobody died last year. Unfortunately, mobile bullrings are not the answer,” Moreno said.

“If people want the bullfights bad enough, someone in the private sector will have to finance and build a permanent and sturdy ring. And before that happens, all the necessary permits will have to be obtained from the city and state. We’re going to take a good look at any plans presented to us for a new ring.”

In addition to the collapse of the ring, last year’s festival also was marred by a drunken disturbance the day before. Tecate police fired shots into the air to quell a riot that began in the grandstand. The shooting and fisticuffs prompted a stampede by 1,200 spectators, who rushed for the exits while a matador was still fighting a bull.

Moreno promised that the only stampede this year will take place on city streets, when a mob of people will try to outrun 12 bulls. The first running will begin at 3 p.m. today, and the final running will be at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

The festival officially opened Friday night when a festival queen was selected from a field of contestants from as far away as Los Angeles and San Diego, according to Moreno. By Friday afternoon all of the local hotel rooms were booked, he added.

Tecate officials are thinking of changing the date of the event to August to attract more U.S. tourists. The Tecate event is modeled after the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, which is held each July 7.