Shorty’s Runs With the Bulls! Thanks to Equine Vet and Intrepid Traveler, Dr. Joe Carter
Terri, Rylie, and Joe Carter at The Running of the Bulls. All photos provided by Dr. Joe Carter.
By: Brittany Bevis
Imagine running alongside 2,700 pounds of snorting bovine as you dodge and weave through the narrow streets of Pamplona with hundreds of fellow thrill-seekers. Sound like fun? For Dr. Joe Carter of Oklahoma Equine Hospital this seemed like the perfect family-bonding activity to try when he and his wife Terri recently traveled to Spain to visit their daughter Rylie.
“Rylie was doing an advertising/marketing internship for a start-up in Valencia called Relendo,” Dr. Carter says. “We had planned all along to go visit her at the end of the internship and then have her show us around Spain. We noticed, while we were going to be in Spain, that the Fiesta de San Fermin was going on in Pamplona. My son did it three years ago and had a great experience. When the opportunity presented itself, we jumped on it!”
Here they come!
For those not familiar with the Encierro, “Running of the Bulls,” this famous 8-day festival takes place in Pamplona, Spain, where it draws hundreds of locals, tourists, and news reporters each year. During each day of the festival, when the clock at the San Cernin Church strikes 8:00 am, a small group of cattle is let loose in a sectioned off part of town in the old quarter of the city. The group generally consists of six Toro Bravo (Spanish Fighting Bulls) and nine steers. The path eventually leads to the bull ring, and it’s said the average speed of the herd is 15 mph!
In order to partake in this adrenaline-inducing experience, seasoned runners offer a few tips for success. First, you need a rolled up newspaper, to participate in the San Fermin chant at the race’s start, and to distract any wayward bulls. Then, there is the proper dress code: white shirt, white pants, red scarf, red waistband, and of course running shoes!
The Shorty’s hat that was recently retired.
Dr. Carter had a unique addition to his ensemble that garnered plenty of attention along the race route, a 100x Shorty’s hat. This isn’t the first time his beloved Shorty’s has accompanied him on his trips around the globe. Dr. Carter’s first Shorty’s hat was a gift from horse industry veteran, Carol Rose. Over the course of ten years, that particular hat traveled to the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Vietnam, Europe, Central America, and New York City. It went fly fishing on the Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and visited Israel three times.
Alas, after a decade of travel, it was time for his companion to retire. The hat has since been signed and sits on display in Shorty’s new store in the Oklahoma City Stockyards.
“I always wear my Shorty’s hat summer/winter,” he says. “It doesn’t matter. I figure a felt hat is ‘the Caboy Way.’ For some reason, people fly me all over to look at horses, so Shorty’s hats have been a lot of places.”
“You can’t believe how many people came up and asked me where I got my hat: Spaniards, Australians, Americans, two dudes from France, ect. Everyone wanted one. I would just take my hat off and show them the Shorty’s name, and they would write it down. I have worn a lot of hats and Shorty’s are the most comfortable, fit the best, and the 100X beaver holds up to a vet’s lifestyle.”
Where is Joe!
Carter’s wife, Terri, found an unexpected benefit from her husband wearing his trusty Shorty’s during the Running of the Bulls. “The Shorty’s hat made it easy for my daughter and I to keep up with Joe,” she says. “It was a very popular hat. He had several people want it!”
It goes without saying that the Running of The Bulls is certainly not for the faint of heart. Since the race began record-keeping in 1910, 15 people have died, mostly due to goring. Every year, approximately 200-300 people are taken to the hospital for various injuries.
“I worked my way through high school, college, and vet school at cattle sale barns and feed lots, so bulls don’t bother me too much,” he says. “We had a good plan to stay out of their way. Terri and Rylie had a few second thoughts the morning of, but I convinced them I had a good plan and they rolled with it.”
Thankfully, Dr. Carter and his family managed to escape unscathed and thoroughly enjoyed the local food, wine, and culture of the area.
“Pamplona is a beautiful town with a great climate in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains on the border of France,” he says. “Interestingly, Pamplona is in the Basque Country. It was apparent, by the signage, that the Basque separatist movement is alive and well. I am the vet for the Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno, NV, and we always celebrate trainer Don Murphy’s birthday at a Basque restaurant. That was interesting. After Pamplona, we went to Barcelona and then Valencia.”
“Wine is cheaper than water, so we seized the opportunity to try many different local wines. The seafood is amazing; We had a whitefish that was packed in sea salt and then baked, which was phenomenal! The paella is awesome as well.”
Where is Dr. Carter headed next with his trusty Shorty’s in tow?
“Trainer Todd Crawford and his wife Pam, along with Terri and I, are riding mules to the bottom of the Grand Canyon after the Snaffle Bit Futurity this fall,” he says. “My family wants to climb Machu Piccu in Peru this winter, but we have no firm plans yet.”
Best of luck to the Carter Family on all of their future adventures!
