Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Kid Matador Kills Record 6 Bulls

Bloody spectacle gets last-minute go-ahead despite controversy

By Mary Papenfuss, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 25, 2009 7:30 AM CST

(Newser) – An 11-year-old Mexican bullfighter has broken a world record by killing six young bulls in a single bloody spectacle, reports the BBC. "I'm happy to have achieved this great victory," boasted the boy as he left the ring in Merida yesterday. The controversial bullfight exhibition won a last-minute go-ahead from officials despite international objections from both child protection and anti-bullfighting groups. The boy first entered the ring at 4 and killed his first calf at 6.

As for controversy surrounding his years of facing bulls, the boy remarked: "Bullfighting opponents shouldn't stick their nose in things they don't like. No one is forcing them to watch. It's very bothersome."

[Images (9)]

[Videos (1)]

[Quotes (1)]

Michelito Lagravere Peniche of Merida, Mexico, struts his stuff after a bullfight. (AP)

Michelito Lagravere Peniche reacts after fighting a young bull in southwestern France last year. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

Michelito Lagravere fights a young bull in France last year. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

Michelito Lagravere Peniche watches a bullfight next to his father in southwestern France last year. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

Bullfighter Michelito Lagravere Peniche fights a young bull in France last year. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

Bullfighter Michelito Lagravere Peniche watches a bullfight next to his father in southwestern France, last year. (AP Photo/Bob Edme)

Franco-Mexican bullfighter Michelito Lagravere Peniche, 11, prays in front of an image of the Virgin of Guadalupe before his record-breaking bullfight yesterday in Merida, Mexico. (AP Photo/Russel Chan)

Franco-Mexican bullfighter Michelito Lagravere, 11, performs a pass during a bullfight in Merida, Mexico, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Russel Chan)

Bullfighter Michelito Lagravere Peniche, 11, performs a pass during a bullfight in Merida, Mexico, yesterday. (AP Photo/Russel Chan)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

pour plus d'information aller sur www.feria.tv (FeriaTV)

View larger videos >>

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »

Bullfighting opponents shouldn't stick their nose in things they don't like. No one is forcing them to watch bullfights - Bullfighter Michelito Lagravere Peniche, 11

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

35 Brutally Honest Reasons Men Say No to Sex (The Stir)

Which Entertainer Pulled Out of 'Inappropriate' Whitney Tribute? (NewsOne)

The French Government Wants to Tone My Vagina (Slate)

Obama Photo on Facebook Helps Catch Drug Dealer (HuffPost)

Hottest Women to Ever Appear in the SI Swimsuit Issue (Bleacher Report)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 11 comments

Chandrika Gadiewasam

Dec 27, 2010 11:58 PM CST

lets see, heres a child who beleives in inflicting pain, and suffering and cruelty, and a lot of people arguing about whether this is nice or not. hmmm. im kind of happy that my children actually do their best to give kindness to any animal they can help. call me a prude.

Guest

Jan 26, 2009 6:23 AM CST

Hmmm bloodsports. Very appropriate hobby for your kid.

Shannonals

Jan 26, 2009 4:38 AM CST

This might seem barbaric to Americans, but outside the US, in Mexico and Europe it is expected. Don't judge others by our standards. Besides, for everyone making statements about how cruel this is, have you ever watched how our livestock is treated and butchered?

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rick Santorum: Birth Control Is 'Not OK'

Valentine's Day Role-Playing Goes Very Wrong

BBC (Source Grid »)

Kids takes down 6 young bulls
Associated Press

Young matador claims record
Sky News

World • Sports

Mexico • children • animal cruelty • bullfighting • matador • Child Protective Services • boy

More Newser Stories

Bullfighting Ends Today in Barcelona

Catalonia ban comes after years of decline for blood-filled tradition

(NEWSER) - Today's bullfights at the 97-year-old Plaza de Toros Monumental arena in Barcelona will be the last ever for the venerable—and brutal—sport in Catalonia province, reports the BBC . The province voted to end bullfighting last year, the first ban on the corrida de toros in mainland Spain (it's been banned on the Canary Islands since 1991). "This is such a beautiful arena, with a lot of tradition both for bullfighters and this national celebration," said one matador. More»

Catalonia Bans Bullfights (Hemingway Saw It Coming)

Region is first in mainland Spain to abolish the sport

(NEWSER) - Score one for the bulls. Catalonia became the first region in mainland Spain to ban bullfighting today, reports the BBC . Animal rights activists who see the sport as barbaric succeeded in getting the ban passed, much to the dismay of those who see it as an integral part of the nation's tradition. More»

Barcelona May Ban Bullfighting

Catalonia vote pits tradition vs animal rights

(NEWSER) - Catalonia will vote today on whether to become the first mainland Spanish region to say adios to bullfighting. The spectacle has long been in decline in the region, and the capital, Barcelona, now only holds a dozen or so bullfights a year, with foreign tourists making up much of the audience, the BBC notes. A vote was called on the issue after 180,000 people signed a petition characterizing bullfighting as outdated and barbaric. More»

Matador Arrested for Fleeing Bull

He ran from the ring...twice

(NEWSER) - It looks like a scene out of a comedy flick, but it’s real: A terrified matador throws himself over the perimeter wall in an attempt to escape a charging bull, then is coaxed back into the ring…only to flee again. It gets better: Christian Hernandez, 22, was actually arrested for the fiasco, the Guardian reports. The Mexican matador was released after paying a fine for breaching his contract. More»

Bull Gores Matador's Throat

Surgeons struggle for hours to reconstruct mouth

(NEWSER) - A Spanish matador was struggling to recover today after suffering horrific injuries when a bull's horn entered his throat and exited his mouth. The half-ton bull caught Julio Aparicio under the chin when the matador lost his balance and stumbled while executing a pass in Madrid. Aparicio, 41, was tossed into the air and landed on the sand of the bullring, spurting blood. Surgeons worked for 6 hours to reconstruct his throat, jaw, tongue and the roof of his mouth. He's out of critical danger and is conscious, reports the Telegraph . More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Kid Matador Kills Record 6 Bulls