Tutbury bull run

An 1821 depiction of bull running elsewhere in England

The Tutbury bull run was a blood sport that took place in Tutbury, Staffordshire, from the 14th century until 1778. It formed part of the annual Court of Minstrels, a ceremonial legal proceeding for travelling musicians in the nearby counties. The Tutbury bull run is first recorded in 1414 but may be of earlier origin, though a story that it was begun by John of Gaunt to remind his Spanish wife of home is believed false. The bull was provided to the minstrels by Tutbury Priory and, after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, by the Duke of Devonshire. The bull would be chased through the town by the minstrels who could claim it if it was caught. It was afterwards baited to death and served in a feast. The event developed into a competition between Staffordshire and Derbyshire residents who competed to catch the bull within their own counties. After the decline of the Court of Minstrels the bull run developed into a drunken revel. It was abolished in 1778 after a man was killed during a mass brawl.