by Donna DeYoung, breeder of Pure Spanish Andalusian
Horses for sale
This video provided below is best watched in full sound with the lyrics "Bring Me to Life"
by Evanescence.
While I do not condone bullfighting either on foot or by horseback (it is
cruel to the bull, horses, and people who get hurt and killed), it is part of
the heritage of the Andalusian horse and especially of the Lusitano horse breed.
This video features Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza who raises mostly horses of "pura
sangue Lusitana" or Lusitanos. His stallions include Cagancho, a famous black
bullfightin horse from Joao Batista, Chicuelo, brother to Cagancho and a grey
from Hdad. de Pinheiro, Gallo, a bay Lusitano, Danubio, a grey from Murteira
Grave, and Nativo, an elegant grey from Vasco Freire, Chenal, a dark bay.
The horse shown in this video is Merlin. Here is what was found about him:
"Merlin" (formerly Orpheo) is a bullfighting Lusitano stallion
(7/8's Lusitano, 1/8th Quarterhorse) from the breeder and former "rejoneador"
Jacques Bonnier (the tall gray haired gentleman who greets de Mendoza before he
returns to the bull).
Merlin was initially trained by Rafi Dumond (seen in the
opening). He is currently owned and ridden in the bullring with panache and
style by Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza. Although a Spaniard, de Mendoza, fights in
the Portuguese style in which the horse and rider (rejoneador) dispatch the bull
rather than merely weakening the bull as the horse mounted "picador" does for
the "matador" in classical Spanish Bullfighting. De Mendoza is called the finest
rejoneador in the world by Bonnier.
While many people "viraled" this video and called it amazing, you must
understand that the horses bred for this type of work are natural athletes and
naturally collected. They live to work and perform. On the other hand, the
training methods used to result in a consistent and trust-worthy mount under the
attack of a bull can be harsh - to say the least. Most of these types of horses
are trained into a long shank curb bit and are ridden with heavy spurs and
stirrups. Many horses will have scars on their noses and sides from the style of
training.
