Puerto de Javea, Spain. August 2007.

Not all the games that they play with bulls in Spain end up in the death of the animal. Here the young men of Javea encourage the bulls to follow them into the water. It rarely happens, but when it does there is great celebration and the bull is simply guided to a slipway where it climbs out, back onto the truck.

Fiestas Patronales, Segorbe, Spain. September 2007

The town fiestas in Spain, when the main square is covered with sand and barriers are built around it, offer the local youths the opportunity to show off any skills they have in working with bulls. This is mostly little more than good natured fooling, but sometimes someone steps out of the crowd who clearly knows what he’s doing. This chap, who has take the time to dress properly for the occasion, is executing a perfect pass with a young bull.

Fiesta de Santo Domingo, Jalón, Spain. August 2007.

In the early hours of the morning, during the fiestas in the villages of eastern Spain, when the party is in full swing, a bull is released into the town with flaming torches clamped to its horns. The spectacle sounds horrifying, but in my experience the bulls seem – astonishingly – to behave no differently with the fire. I have never seen the frantic head shaking or other signs of terror that one might expect.