Jacques Bonnier

In the culture of the United States, we just don't understand the sport of bullfighting. It seems so brutal and ugly to kill a beautiful and brave animal for the sake of spectacle. There might have been a brief time in this culture where an interest was sparked by the once-hip trends of Ernest Hemingway and his bohemian cohorts, but that time was more than 50 years ago. Now, we only see it as weird.

But, bullfighting has been and still is part of the world of horsemanship. The Portuguese Rejoneo is a bullfighter on horseback. They don't necessarily kill the bull so it is not quite so objectionable. Whether it's morally right or wrong, it still takes a lot of guts and skill to do more than gallop out of the bulls pathway.

Jacques Bonnier is a Frenchman who rose to prominence in the world of the Rejoneodores during the 1970's. You can find videos of both he and his son riding on his website: Elevage Jacques Bonnier. You will find no finer example of excellence on horseback anywhere.