.:| Stevinson Bloodless Bullfight on May 15, 2006 |:.
Review by Jim Verner

According to the announcement, cavaleiros Paulo Ferrerira (Portugal) and Tiago Pamplona (Azores) and Matador El Zapata (Mexico) faced 3 bulls from Manuel Machado and 3 from Acoriana. After the parade around the ring of the queens and officials (I guess that is what they were – all announcements were in Portuguese), and the American National Anthem and what I assume was the Azores National Anthem, the even started at the exact announced time – 8 PM. When the sun went down, the lighting at the plaza was excellent.

The bulls were big and strong. I would estimate the weights from 400 to 450 kg. Not a single bull even stumbled (Spanish and Mexican ganaderos take note!), and they came out charging from one side of the ring to the other. None were easy, and without picing and rejones de castigo, they kept their strength throughout the lidia. The horsemen and the bullfighters (the matador and three banderilleros) had their hands full.

El Zapata was chased and caught in banderillas on his first bull and spent the evening show-boating to the best of his ability while dancing away from the bulls.

Ferrerira was a good rejoneador – and he did something I have never seen in rejoneo before: he waited for the bull in the tercio in front of the toril (sort of a rejoneo equivalent of the matador waiting for the bull in front of the toril on his knees for a farol or larga a puerta gayola. It worked on his first bull, which was the best (make that easiest) of the evening, but when he tried it on his second, the bull caught the horse and threw it and rider over the barrera into the callejon. I don’t know what happened to the horse, but it was led out via the callejon shaking badly. Ferreira limped out and then returned on another horse and did a good job.

Pamplona seemed much less experienced, but did a pretty good job.

The highlight of the evening was the forcados. These brave souls took on four real bulls that had lots of power left and, after some spectacular tossings and tramplings, they managed to subdue each bull.

There was an excellent crowd – maybe not “no hay billetes”, but the ring looked full, and I asked my neighbor how many people were there and he guessed 5,000. My estimate was more like 3,000, but I don’t claim to know.

In all, a very enjoyable, and at times very tense, tarde de toros. Those types of toristas who feel bulls need to be eating up bullfighters and horses should have really enjoyed themselves. For those aficionados who seek such bulls, this bullfight was probably on par (though bloodless and cuernos arreglados, but not piced) with Ceret in France.

Thanks to the recent posts replying to my query about how to find out when these events are held I was able to attend. So thanks to all of you again. There are quite a few more scheduled over the summer, in this Central Valley area where I live, and I will certainly attend as many as I can.

Jim Verner

===============================================================
Originally posted on Mundo-Taurino Google Groups by Jim Verner
Permitted, Copyright and owned by Jim Verner