picador

A picador is a participant in a bullfight who rides a horse and uses a lance to weaken the bull's neck and shoulder muscles. This action is part of the traditional Spanish spectacle of bullfighting, where a matador and other participants engage with a bull in a sand arena, often culminating in the bull's death. The role of the picador is crucial in the first act of the bullfight, known as the tercio de varas, where they test the bull's courage and prepare it for the subsequent stages of the fight. This practice, while controversial, is considered a protected cultural activity in some regions.123