Although I share your enthusiasm for bloodless bullfights, and am the announcer and judge at Fred Renk's Plaza Santa Maria, in south Texas, I take issue with you about the killing being "not a pretty thing to see". On the contrary, especially as the kill is the most dangerous part of the entire lídia, a well-placed sword is a beautiful thing to witness. And, if you have seen Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza place the rejon of death, you have witnessed the grace and beauty of honorable death. Also, consider that in countries such as Portugal, where traditionally, the bull is not killed, the animals are given lídias, then allowed to stand around in the corral, cooling off and allowing the adrenaline to disappear, thus resulting in great pain, until somebody mercifully gives them the death of a common non-brave-blooded steer. That, to me, is a far more less pretty thing to see than a matador who may miss a few sword thrusts, before finding the right spot. I've been there. I know how difficult it can sometimes be to kill a bull with the sword, to miss, and to lose the trophies that I might have otherwise earned for putting my life on the line in quest of supreme artistry.

Lyn Sherwood