President of French bullfighting association gored at bullfight

THE president of the French Bullfighting Association, Dominique Perron, was gored whilst watching a bullfighting festival in Bayonne in the south west of France on Sunday August 2. The bull leapt out of the ring and attacked Mr Perron and a photographer, Roger Martin, who was sitting next to him.

The photographer was attacked first and was gored in the testicles, also sustaining injuries to his stomach. The bull then attacked the president of the bullfighting association, whose right leg was fractured in the attack and suffered other injuries such as a dislocated ankle and was reportedly in severe pain.

Mr Perron, a keen proponent of bullfighting who promotes his local club sponsored by the French drinks company Paul Ricard, was taken to a local hospital together with Mr Martin and both men were treated for their injuries. The bull was put down after the incident.

Although bullfighting is illegal in most areas of France and carries a two-year sentence for the crime, certain towns and villages are exempt from the law. Bayonne in France has had a connection with bullfighting since 1701 when it held its first bull run in homage to King Philip V of Spain.