In a freestyle bullfight, the bullfighter goes one-on-one against a bull for 70 seconds. The bullfighter is judged on his willingness to expose himself to risk and on his aggressiveness. His objective is to stay as close as he can to the bull throughout the fight. Bullfighters have elevated the sport by employing spectacular maneuvers, such as jumping over a charging bull. Like the riders, the bullfighters score higher when the bull is more aggressive.
Bullfight bulls are bred to be smaller, quicker and more agile than those used in bull riding. They can compete for years and, like their human counterparts, learn from their mistakes and improve with experience. The California Rodeo Salinas boasts one of the nation’s largest freestyle bullfight with six nationally ranked bullfighters and $20,000 in prize money. A fan-favorite and our finale event, the freestyle bullfights are an exciting part of the show here in Salinas!
The Salinas Freestyle Bullfights will be sanctioned by Bullfighters Only. Bullfighters Only (BFO) was created to promote growth, popularity, and acceptance of freestyle bullfighting worldwide.
Since its inception, BFO has evolved to become a platform that serves to excite the western community, educate both the avid and casual fans, and present the sport to an entirely new audience.