Being a bullfighting fan today is not within everyone’s reach. Fan, not spectator, it is understood. To be willing to suffer, to admiration, to shock, to enthusiasm, and also to pain, to boredom, to despair… and after an afternoon of hopeless annoyance to return the next day with renewed enthusiasm, you must be possessed of a temper that borders on heroism or a vocation close to the madness that produces that mysterious virus of a party as ancient as it is politically incorrect.
Perhaps that is why, at the bullfighting festival there are usually no half measures; That is why, perhaps, there is only one step between euphoria and desolation; and today, in the midst of modernity, with bullfighting vilified in equal parts by both, by bullfighters – businessmen, ranchers and bullfighters of gold and silver -, by politicians – some, for their cowardly complex; others, for their false and hypocritical verbiage, and the rest, for their authoritarian and despotic attack—, and the passionate and hard-working animalist currents that find so much space in the media, (an inexplicable situation that breaks the basic norms of journalism), States of discouragement are more frequent than satisfaction among fans.
The seasons end and the impression is left that the party is going from bad to worse, precipitated at full speed by a cataract of decadence; and the idea usually remains that the enemies are gaining ground, those who want their disappearance as soon as possible.
Well no. Despite this prevailing pessimism, which often also takes over the spirit of the writer, the 2024 bullfighting season has been full of brilliant memories that allow us to face the next season with well-founded hope.
Despite a certain prevailing pessimism, 2024 has been full of brilliant memories that allow us to face the next season with enthusiasm
Here are some of them.
– The new year started with the echoes, still in memory, of the tail that Morante de la Puebla cut off on April 26, 2023 in La Maestranza, the 90 years that the Pharaoh of Camas turned 90 on December 1Curro Romero, and the reopening of Plaza México, canceled since June 2022. Three pieces of news for excitement.
– On February 1, the posters of San Isidro —26 celebrations, 13 of ‘no tickets’ and 6 full—, and the first surprise came from the left hand of the bullfighter Jarocho, who came out on his shoulders on May 21. Borja Jiménez, established as the winner of the long cycle, also crossed the Puerta Grande, like Fernando Adrián. David Galván, for his part, left a mark of exquisite inspiration. And renowned bulls were fought: Proudby Fuente Ymbro, with which Román triumphed; Parakeetfrom La Quinta (Emilio de Justo); Caneby Baltasar Ibán; Expert and Dachshundby Santiago Domecq; Sweetby Victoriano del Río; Rebeco, by Juan Pedro Doemcq, and others by El Torero, Conde de Mayalde; and outstanding steers from Fuente Ymbro, Montealto and Guadaira.
– The hero of San Isidro It was the Colombian John of Castile. On May 19, he fought in the morning in the French town of Vic Fezensac in a tough bullfight through water, and in the afternoon he faced a bullfight from Miura in Las Ventas.
– It had been held before the April Fair —15 bullfights, 7 afternoons of ‘no tickets’—, with the prominence of Morante de la Puebla five afternoons—and Borja Jiménez, three. The first knock came from Calerito on April 7, who cut off two ears in the second fertilizer run, although it was of little use to him. Two days later, a run by Santiago Domecq and a two-ear victory by David de Miranda, also forgotten. Miguel Ángel Perera, Daniel Luque and Roca Rey left on their shoulders through the Puerta del Príncipe, and on April 15, Juan Ortega cut off both ears of a bull belonging to Domingo Hernández and became one of the winners of the Fair along with Luque and the bull Tabarroby Santiago Domecq. In Victorino Martín’s bullfight, Manuel Escribano became the hero of the fair when he went out to fight his second bull after suffering a bullfight in the first.
– In the first bullfight of the San Fermín Fair in Pamplona he was seriously injured Borja Jimenez when he went in to kill a bull from La Palmosilla, which he cut off both ears. Roca Rey came out on shoulders the two afternoons in which it was announced; Emilio de Justo, Tomás Rufo and Jesús Enrique Colombo also entered the front door. Román walked one ear before a Cebada Gago bull, and Juan de Castilla left his mark on the afternoon of José Escolar’s bulls. The House of Misericordia awarded the prize for the best bullfight to the Fuente Ymbro ranch, and the Carriquiri trophy for the bravest bull to Bellby Victoriano del Río.
– At the Valencia July Fair, Roman pardoned a bull from Santiago Domecq.
– The feat of the year was carried out by the right-hander Sanchez Vara on August 17 in the Navarra square of Tafalla when he was locked up alone with six bulls from Casta Navarra. It was not a successful celebration, but it was exciting and intense due to the obvious difficulties of the bulls and the pride of the bullfighter.
– Fuente Ymbro also triumphed at the Bilbao Fair, in which Borja Jiménez cut off three ears the afternoon of his hand-to-hand with Daniel Luque.
– Fortesanother forgotten by companies, was the winner of the Malaga fair. He cut off four ears in a one-on-one with Roca Rey and became the most outstanding bullfighter of the cycle.
Borja Jiménez and the Fuente Ymbro cattle ranch, winners in Madrid, Pamplona and Bilbao
– At the September San Miguel fair in Seville, Talavante left through the Puerta del Príncipe after a performance that was little worth it.
– At the Madrid Autumn Fair he said goodbye Enrique Ponce on shoulders ‘through the false door’; Roca Rey was injured in the middle of a brawl on the linesand Miguel Ángel Perera and Emilio de Justo were able to shine more before a successful and exciting bullfight by Victorino Martín.
– On October 9, Ponce said goodbye to his Valencian countrymen in a loving and triumphalist day.
– And the most unexpected news of the year occurred at the San Sebastián Film Festival: ‘Lonely afternoons’by director Albert Serra, with Roca Rey as the protagonist, won the Golden Shell, and more than one person’s flesh opened.
So far some of the positive ‘pearls’ of the 2024 season. They are not all, certainly, but they are the most outstanding.
It is true that bullfighting has changed, but it remains alive despite the many vicissitudes it suffers. And that is the most important thing. The fans have been replaced by a generous public, but who comes to the squares to a greater or lesser extent, and maintains the spectacle. Hence, hope.
Babelia
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