Horror in Lisbon: Bullfighter Killed in Front of 7,000 Fans After 1,500lb Bull Throws Him Against Wall

Horror ensued in Lisbon after a celebrated Portuguese bullfighter was killed by a frenzied 1,500lb beast. Manuel Maria Trindade was a 22-year-old bullfighter who was making his debut in Campo Pequeno before the show ended abruptly. He was picked up and rammed against a wall, killing him in an unnerving tragedy.

Recounting the Incident

The event was held in Campo Pequeno, a bullring in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Footage from the venue showed Trindade run towards the bull to provoke it into charging.

This was part of the 'pega de cara' or face catch performance. The beast would run at high speeds towards the young forcado.

He proceeded to attempt to grab into its horns in an effort to gain control. Trindade would end up hoisted up into the air and thrown against the arena's wall in a matter of seconds.

Roughly 7,000 spectators witnessed the horror as the bull's victim was left sprawled on the ground. A bullfighter, along with others, were able to subdue the animal after pulling its tail and holding up bright capes at its eye-level.

Paramedics rushed to tend to Trindade in the ring, but his head injuries proved to be severe. He was rushed to São José Hospital post-fight and was in a coma.

Trindade died within 24 hours on Saturday, 23 August after going into cardiorespiratory arrest. The company who organised Friday's bullfight sent its 'deepest condolences' to his family, the Grupo de Forcados Amadores de S. Manços, and to all the young man's friends.

About Manuel Maria Trindade and Bullfighting

Manuel Maria Trindade hailed from Nossa Senhora de Machede in the municipality of Évora. The 22-year-old fought for the São Manços amateur bullfighting troupe, who were celebrating their 60th anniversary this year.

Trindade continued a family tradition in his pursuit of bullfighting. Notably, he followed the footsteps of his father, who was also a forcado with São Manços.

While he was young, he was a renowned forcado, which is a term for Portuguese bullfighters. These individuals are particularly skilled in provoking bulls into charging.

Generally, once the animal has been enraged, a team of eight forcados are to form a single-file line. Usually, they attempt to jump on the bolting beast one by one, wrestling it to a standstill.

In contrast with Spanish bullfighting, where the animal is killed by the matador to end the show, Portuguese traditions take them away for professional slaughter. This stems from their tradition rooted from a royal law made in 1836.

Occasionally, however, some bulls can be 'pardoned' due to bravery and are retired to stud. In Trindade's case, it's not clear what happened to the 1,500lb bull that killed him.

Forcados are also unique to the Portuguese style of bullfighting. These individuals act on foot without any protection or weaponry, making the task seem taller for audiences.

Before he was dominated by the animal, Trindade attempted a face catch by grabbing onto its horns. If the stunt played out differently, his fellow forcados would have joined him.

The men would assist him by wrestling the animal to the ground to the point of submission.