The El Pilars flew through the streets in today´s fourth encierro of Sanfermines, and in only 2.22 minutes it was all over for the July 10th running of the bulls. There were spaces at times for those few precious seconds of what this is all about, but the speed and determination of the bulls from the El Pilar ranch also left the streets scattered with a carpet of fallen runners.
The bulls left the corrals in a pack moving as fast as a tank up the slope of Santo Domingo with oxen in front and herdsmen, behind. On reaching the Town Hall, the herd began to break apart as three bulls took the lead and three were left in their wake.
Mercaderes and the curve of Estafeta were the streets to be for the great runs with six bulls ahead and the oxen, which are also very fast, behind. Then suddenly there were six El Pilars flying ahead. Crowds of people and one bull fallen at the start of Estafeta. It was the end of the good runs.
The chestnut colored bull led the race to the end of Estafeta. Three of his brothers were behind him and another accompanied the oxen. With only a bit of distance between them, the herd entered the ring and headed directly to the corrals.
All in all, it was a clean encierro with incredible speed. Only four people were taken to hospital. Three of them with contusions and from being stepped on by a bull at the end of Estafeta. One head contusion was taken to the Hospital of Navarra. Another runner with a contusion in the left leg was taken to the Hospital Virgen del Camino. One person with a contusion in the right leg was also taken to Hospital de Navarra. The last injured runner with a contusion in the right arm went to Virgen del Camino.
