By Jack Donnelly

Malacrianza killed two people and is much loved for it.

Malacrianza (bad upbringing, badly raised) is Costa Rica’s most famous bull. He killed two of his riders—a huge career boost—during his time on the circuit. He performed for the last time in 2013 and was found dead in his pasture in March of 2015.

He came from Hacienda La Nueva Esperanza in (Playa) Garza, Guanacaste, between Sámara and Nosara. Last year his owner erected a statue to his memory. It sits on a hill overlooking the main road leading out of Garza toward Nosara—you can’t miss it. It is a majestic tribute to a legendary Costa Rican bull.

 

The site for the statue was chosen because it was one of the bull’s favorite spots. The location also allows him to keep a watchful eye on the current herd that includes his granddaughter.

The family of his owner remembers him fondly. They don’t like to talk about the people he killed or the sensationalist names coined by the press (e.g. El Toro Asesino, The Killer Bull). They refer to him as simply Malacrianza or Su Majestad, His Majesty. They describe him as a very normal bull, neither exceptionally fierce nor, as some people claim, puppy-dog tame when not performing. They say he seemed to understand it was his role to be aggressive in the bullring and always rose to the occasion.

His head has been preserved by a taxidermist and it hangs in the house of his owner in Garza. It will remain there and not, as reported by some sources, be sent to a museum.

His name and image are widely used in Costa Rica: there is a beer named after him, t-shirts feature his likeness, tattoos depict his image, a San José butcher shop displays his photograph on their awning, to name a few. Malacrianza has earned his place as a uniquely Costa Rican and enduring cultural icon.

About the Author

Jack Donnelly has been a life-long enthusiast of Latin American folk culture. As a young man, during the 1960s, he studied cultural anthropology at the Universidad de las Américas in Mexico City. He went on to volunteer with the U. S. Peace Corps in Guatemala.

Now, Donnelly lives in Heredia, Costa Rica. He travels around the country investigating and documenting folkloric events. Donnelly is the author of COSTA RICA: Folk Culture, Traditions, and Cuisine,which is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.