The Course Landaise

This evening we went to the French/Spanish championships of La Course Landaise.

The course Landaise is an ancient form of bullfighting held in oval or rectangular arenas covered in sand, that does NOT involve any bloodshed. It is one of the various forms of entertainment involving a bull or a cow found throughout the south of France, and the Iberian peninsula. The course Landaise is for the most part the main attraction of the yearly celebrations held in villages of western Gascony (Bas-Armagnac, Chalosse, and Bearn) and as far west as Bayonne.
This form of bullfighting is a traditional game of bull dodging and leaping. One needs courage, composure and agility to participate in this dangerous sport. Death of toreros or écarteurs, although rare, unfortunately occurs occasionally. The écarteurs are well-respected professionals but never earn enough to support themselves with the sport alone. However, their passion for this dangerous sport allows them to benefit from the full support of the aficionados throughout the region.

It was really tricky to get a decent action shot with poor lighting and very fast movements! This was the best I could do.