picadors

There are two picadors on horseback in a Spanish bullfight, and they
appear in the first stage of the sport. Prior to 1928, which is the
time period in which Sun was written, the two picadors rode horses that
had no protection against the horns of the bull. The horses were often
gored and sometimes disemboweled. It's no wonder that Jake warns Brett
to look at the points of the pics (lances) instead of the horses. The
function of the picador is to jab the pics repeatedly into the neck of
the bull, weakening the bull's ability to keep its head raised.
In the second stage of the bullfight, three banderilleros
attempt to stick two sharp flags into the neck of the bull.
In the third stage of the bullfight, the matador induces the
severely weakened bull to make several charging passes, while trying to
position it for a downward thrust of his sword between the shoulder
blades and into the heart.
Bullfighting is a very bloody sport in which horses were often
killed and injured, and the bull always dies after three stages of
suffering. Since 1928, horses wear a protective skirt around their
bodies. I'm sure Robert Cohn would be relieved.
We've discussed the parallels between the bulls and the steers
and certain characters. Who, I wonder, would we associate with the
horses?

Troy Bigelow