Santiago Barrero San Román died after being gored during the toros ensogados celebration in Beas de Segura.
BEAS DE SEGURA, Spain — A 33-year-old cattle breeder died Friday after a bull gored him during the San Marcos festival in Beas de Segura, a town in southern Spain where ropes are used to guide bulls through the streets, authorities and organizers said.
Santiago Barrero San Román died after the bull struck him during the toros ensogados, or roped bull, events tied to the annual celebration in the province of Jaén. The death turned one of the town’s best-known traditions into a public mourning period and led organizers to suspend Friday’s remaining events. Barrero was known in Spain’s fighting bull world through his family’s cattle work and his own Toros de San Román project.
The goring happened about 7 p.m. Friday, April 24, during the festival’s street events, according to reports citing the Hermandad de San Marcos and the Beas de Segura town government. A bull charged Barrero and caused several horn wounds with different paths, leaving him with severe injuries to his abdomen, groin and chest. Emergency teams moved him to the infirmary set up near the San Marcos esplanade, where medical workers tried to stabilize him. The Association of Fighting Bull Breeders later said it “deeply regretted” the loss of the young breeder after what it called a fatal goring in Beas de Segura.
Medical crews worked on Barrero before a planned transfer to a hospital, but his condition did not improve. He died about 8 p.m., roughly an hour after the attack, according to Spanish reports. Andalucía’s 112 emergency service alerted Civil Protection, local police and the Civil Guard, who went to the scene. Public reports described the attack as taking place on Calle Palomares, a crowded point on the route that local bull-running followers have described as especially dangerous. Video described by several outlets showed people trying to pull the animal away with a rope tied near its horns while others took cover behind barriers.
Barrero was the owner, with his wife, Vanesa, of the Toros de San Román cattle brand, which was founded in 2022. Spanish reports said the cattle are of Torrestrella origin and graze in Villamanrique, in Ciudad Real. Barrero was the grandson of Antonio San Román, another breeder of fighting bulls, and had led his grandfather’s cattle operation before starting the family project with his wife. He left behind a young daughter, and his wife is pregnant with their second child, according to public reports. Family members and others in the bullfighting world shared tributes after his death.
The San Marcos festival is one of Beas de Segura’s main annual events. The town’s tourism office says the celebration runs from April 22 to April 25 and dates to the 15th century, with a first written reference from 1575. The events center on the release of roped bulls and cows through town streets, with handlers known as sogueros guiding the animals. The festival is listed as a Fiesta of Tourist Interest in Andalucía and draws large crowds from the region and beyond. Organizers say the main draw is the release of nearly 100 roped fighting cattle through the streets.
The tradition blends religious observance, rural identity and public bull events tied to San Marcos. Tourism materials for Beas de Segura say the festival includes processions, the adornment of animals with bells and embroidered coverings, and street runs that have changed over centuries. The roped bull format is also practiced in nearby Arroyo del Ojanco. Supporters describe it as a defining cultural event for the Sierra de Segura area, while fatal injuries and other serious gorings have kept Spain’s bull-related festivals under regular public scrutiny.
After Barrero’s death, the Hermandad de San Marcos expressed sorrow and offered condolences to his family and friends. Local reports said the organization called for unity, respect and calm as the town absorbed the news. Friday’s remaining events were suspended. Saturday’s program was expected to continue under the festival’s rules, but with a minute of silence and a trumpet tribute in Barrero’s memory. Reports from the area said the town remained crowded for the celebration even as the mood shifted from festivity to grief.
The fatal goring came during a week in which Spanish bull events were already drawing attention because of other serious injuries. Morante de la Puebla, one of Spain’s best-known matadors, was badly gored days earlier during a bullfight in Seville. Barrero’s death, however, happened in a street festival rather than a bullring, placing new focus on popular events where spectators, handlers and cattle move through narrow public routes. Officials had not announced any criminal investigation or specific rule violation tied to Barrero’s death as of Monday.
Questions remained about the exact conditions on Calle Palomares at the moment of the attack, including crowd density, the position of barriers and how quickly handlers could move the bull away. Public reports did not identify the animal by official name, though one local account said it belonged to Peña El Quiebro. No public statement had announced any changes to future festival rules. The immediate official response focused on emergency care, mourning and the schedule for the rest of the San Marcos events.
As of Monday, April 27, Barrero’s death had been confirmed by bull-breeding groups and Spanish news reports. The next public milestone is expected to be any further statement from local officials, festival organizers or emergency authorities about the handling of the incident.
Author note: Last updated Monday, April 27, 2026.