The bull is mightier than the sword: Spanish matador tossed into the air like a ragdoll after being gored in the backside during bullfight Rafael Cerro was hit in the backside by the charging 75 stone bull during a fight at the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid The 23-year-old matador had only recently returned to the sport after being gorged in the abdomen in April Annual event sees runners cover a 850m route as they flee from bulls through Saint Sever in France The five-foot-tall beasts, which are used in bull fighting, were unleashed on to the streets yesterday One runner, dressed in traditional white clothing, was gored through the leg and taken to hospital for treatment This is what is known as a bad day at the office. A Spanish matador was gored in the backside, just weeks after returning to the sport after a career-threatening injury. Rafael Cerro was thrown into the air by the charging 75 stone bull before being hit in the backside in front of hundreds of people at the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid. Cerro, one of the rising stars of the sport, told his website that the clashes were one of the biggest 'challenges' of his life. Bull 1, matador 0: Spanish bullfighter Rafael Cerro is gored in his backside as he is thrown into the air by the charging bull Painful: Cerro's costume is ripped as the bull lifts him into the air in front of hundreds of fans at the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid Eye-watering: Cerro has only recently returned to the sport after suffering a 20cm gash to his stomach in a separate bullfight In April, the 23-year-old needed surgery after he was gored by a bull in another bullfight. He had to be treated in hospital when the bull's horn pierced his scrotum and reached his abdominal cavity, according to reports. But, despite his recent injuries was confident that it would be a 'beautiful evening'. His return started well yesterday when he killed a bull with a sword in front of hundreds of fans. But things then did not go to plan after he was hurled into the air by another bull. Spanish media said the 23-year-old tried to bluff the charging bull but was then flipped by the animal. As he fell, he was then gored in his backside. However, Cerro only suffered bruising in the clash with the 75 stone bull. He was not the only matador to have a bad day in the ring. Comeback: Cerro killed a bull with his sword before earlier in the day before he was injured Tradition: Cerro uses his cape as he faces his first bull of the evening during a bullfight in Madrid Sebastian Ritter was gored twice in the back of his leg forcing him to leave the ring. Bullfighting is an ancient tradition in Spain and the season runs from March to October. In another tradition, thousands of adrenaline-fueled sprinters took part in this year's first running of the bulls in France yesterday. The annual event sees the five-foot-tall beasts, which are traditionally kept in an enclosed ring for brutal bull fights, unleashed in to a small sectioned off area of Saint Sever. Dressed in traditional white clothing, these dramatic images show runners tripping over each other or falling to the ground as they try to flee the bulls sprinting through the streets of the province. Lethal: The first Running of the Bulls of this year got underway in Saint Sever, France, yesterday Leap of faith: A runner manages to get out of the way of the charging bulls in Saint Sever by jumping up on to the fencing Charge: It was the first time that Saint Sever's famous encierro took place with bulls that would be used in bullfighting in the arena And, as is often the case in the running of the bulls, one runner was a bit too slow and gored in the leg after being cornered by a bull. The injured runner is believed to have been taken to a local hospital to be treated for his wounds after the event known as encierro in Spain. While some 'encierros' date back hundreds of years, the event in Saint Sever has only been running since 2003. Its started at twelve minutes past midday, the route covering a distance of 850 meters over and back across a prepared course through the city. The most well-known running of the bulls is the Pamplona during the San Fermin festival in Spain, which became world famous after the publication of Ernest Hemingway's 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. The week-long event starts on July 7th. Daring: Many of the participants wore the traditional white bull-running outfits while others opted for bright reds and greens Ouch: One runner was wounded after being gored above the knee - a frequent occurrence during the running of the bulls The injured runner is cheered by members of the crowd as he is taken to a local hospital for treatment