Tercio de varas

Tercio de varas (Stage of Pikes) Two are the goals of this stage of the lidia. First, testing the courage and strength of the bull. The picador identifies the brave or tame character of the animal, as well as his ability to get focused in his opponents and attack them repeatedly. Second, the picador has the chance to wound the animal thus reducing his strength and allowing the matador to successfully conduct the faena later. It is important that the picador wounds the bull very carefully, not too much neither too little.

Picador

The picador is supposed to drive the pike into the loin of the bull when the animal is attacking the breast of the horse. After, that he should make the horse turn so that the bull will impact the rib area of the horse while he is harming the goring animal with the pike.

The first step to successfully perform the suerte de varas is to place the bull in the right place with the capote (cape). From this position, the bull will focus his attention on the horse and subsequently attack it and the rider. Until the XVII century, torear (to bullfight) meant exclusively to provoke the bull with the vara (pike) and force him to gore. That is what modern picadors still do in the first stage of the lidia. The behavior of the bull can vary substantially in different parts of the ruedo. A good picador is able to understand those differences and force the bull to attack his horse in the room he is assigned, only one tendido (stand), no matter if he is front of a brave or a tame bull. This is an art as complex as the one matadors perform with the muleta (scarlet cloth), in which slight movements are preferred to shouting at the bull or moving excessively. The two circle white lines painted on the ruedo act as indicators of the correct distance for the picador to perform, however it is not compulsory to respect that distance. A good picador will try to face the bull as close as possible to the central part of the bullring.

The bull should attack the picador and the horse blindly confident and galloping. It is also important that he lowers his head while goring the horse and that he pushes with his rear legs, which is called meter riñones (literally push with his kidneys)