Charlie Smith
AN NFL cornerback has been caught on camera performing a series of death-defying leaps over bulls.
High-octane footage shows Washington Redskins player, Josh Norman, 31, hurdle not one, but two Spanish toros.
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“It was really worth it,” the American said, after his acrobatics at the San Fermin festival, in which eight people were gored by bulls.
Not everyone is as pleased as Norman however, as this year’s week-long tradition in Pamplona, has actually been criticised for ‘not being dangerous enough’.
Veteran bull-runners have slammed the festival – known as the encierro – claiming it is ‘totally adulterated’ after the time the bulls run the course in has decreased to almost two minutes – half what they were in the 90s.
Their issue is that bulls on the 875-metre course are no longer able to break free from the castrated steers, as they are too fast and trained.
“For the runners, this is the end of the encierro as they know it,” said Joe Distler, a semi-retired American, who has completed 50 bull runs.
He was among several runners – or mozos – to stage a sit-down protest on the course before Thursday’s run.
It came despite injuries this year, including head trauma, and a man’s arm being split open ‘like a fillet’, according to San Fermin regular, the Spanish journalist, Chapu Apaolaza.
“Society has said for 20 years that the run was too risky,” said Apaolaza.
“Now they complain that there is no tragedy. It’s a bit absurd.”
