Seed bulls living the good life, rewarded with a life worthy of a señor. Rewarded for a few minutes of their lives when they performed well, when they demonstrated the quality of their lineage. Allowed to live as a superior member of their breed, at peace among their harem.
It is a demanding position to be in even for a strong healthy animal in his prime, one macho/male with thirty to forty cows to attend. Recently I was with a ganadero/bull breeder touring the fields of his ranch when he pointed out a semental/seed bull with his manada/herd of cows. I was impressed with how thin the bull was! Why would they choose an animal to propagate their bloodline who appeared to be emaciated? The ganadero read my thoughts and said, "Its the breeding season, during the off season he'll rest and regain his weight."
What came first the chicken or the egg? We'll never know but life begins in campobravo with a special aroma emanating from the vaca/cow. That special smell tells señor bull instinctively that its time to comply with his obligations, life begins anew. Photo # 1
I have never witnessed a brave cow giving birth, they need privacy at that special time and intinctively find a place to hide themselves and their cria/baby. I haven't witnessed the birth but I've seen the crias shortly after, walking stiff legged, their hides damp, their umbilical cords dangling in the dirt.
One afternoon on the Mexican ranch of "Jaral de Peñas" the ganadero, don Luis Barroso Barona stopped his truck next to a corral and we walked to the rock wall that surrounded it.
There were a dozen cows inside and when we arrived they all moved to the far side and stood in a group watching us. There, on the other side of the wall and almost within our reach was a beautiful newborn. It may have been a day old, it hadn't lost it's umbilical cord.
The first thought that enters a breeders mind when he sees a new arrival is, is it male or female? Usually the babes are next to their mom's so with a glance the breeder knows that cow X was with seed bull Y during the breeding season and rumbling through the files of the original computer his brain, he reviews the history of the seed bull and the cow and considers the possibilities of this newest arrival.
Juan Pedro, the breeder's son climbed the wall and entered the corral, something I wouldn't have done because brave cows are protective and ill tempered! They may not be as large as a bull or have horns as thick but they are faster, more agile and although their horns grow in peculiar styles, they always seem to come with sharp points!
Juan Pedro lifted the front legs to verify the gender of the bawling baby and then put it down. As he laughed with nervous energy I felt goose bumps rush over me as it charged him, butting the legs of a six foot man with it's hornless head. Photo # 2
Would you attempt to explain it, try to find the words to relate the experience? Or, marvel at the predisposition of a babe fresh from the womb, still learning to walk but with the instinct indicative of it's breed. A babe not old enough to have horns but attacking with it's head as if it did, born with the courage to defend itself.
Have you looked at brave bulls, I'm not referring to the bull you see from a distance in a plaza de toros/bullring, but in the corrals or fields, have you looked into their eyes? Have you seen "la mirada", the look they give you? They do not fear humans, they tolerate us. To them, we are of little importance.
They live their lives peacefully in the campo. If someone leaves the gate open they may wander out, especially if there is a patch of grass that looks inviting. But if not, they appear to be content in their pasture. If we enter the field, they will move away and continue to until we push them into a corner and then they will turn and face us, ready for the confrontation. Its as though they are thinking, "O K, I've moved away, avoiding trouble and you've continued to follow. Now, we'll settle this!"
They wait quietly and watch until we dare to enter their space, their territory and then, they will come to punish us for being ill mannered, for daring to think we have the right to come close without being invited!
One day I was walking along a road on a ranch near Coroneo, Michoacan and peeked over a rock wall. About fifty feet from me was a cow with her cria. It was at the end of the rainy season and the grass in the corral was high and green. It was a lovely scene, the dark hides of mom and her baby seemed to jump from the bright green grass. I took a few pics, I never tire of studying ganado bravo and I'll never have enough photos of them!
I was content watching them but mom wasn't with me, she took exception to my being there. She moved into a defiant stance lifting her head, her eyes locked on me and when I didn't leave, she took a few steps toward me. It was an aviso, a warning! And then as if it were a natural act for her, something she didn't have to consider, she came for me, she charged! Photo #3
I made the smart move, I ducked and moved away! An example of discretion being the better part of valor, maybe? Could she have jumped the wall? I don't think so but that's not the point, why would I want to risk her trying? She was in her space, I the intruder.
I believe one of the details that those who do not know of the bulls and have even less understanding of them is the amount of respect the aficion, breeders, toreros have for brave animals. No one wants to think that something they did had caused them harm.
Below are a few photos taken on bull breeding ranches of moms and their babes. In the first one you can see the presence of the brave bull that this youngster will some day become. His head is up, he is aware of his surroundings while still staying close to mom. His horns have not yet begun to show. He weighs maybe sixty pounds but in four years he will pass a thousand, his horns will grow thick, long and have sharp points. He will become an adult and be imbued with a bad disposition when confronted by humans.
Saludos,
Morgan
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