San Isidro, May 20: A masterpiece by one, the Puerta Grande for another
El Juli in a pase de pecho to the fourth bull
For the second day running, a torero’s faenón brought the Las Ventas crowd to its feet several times, throwing their arms in the air to express their delight, their voices roaring approval of what was happening down on the sand.
This was the second faena of the day by El Juli, who had been obliged to take saludos at the start of the corrida in recognition of another great (and unrewarded) performance by him here on May 11. To show what that performance achieved, the applause that led to today’s saludos began in Tendido 7. With his first of today’s garcigrandes, Julián had no option but to cut things short - the animal was dreadful, frequently falling to the ground and also bucking in passes. The killing was protracted - three pinchazos, a metisaca and an off-centre estocada - El Juli receiving silence and the bull dragged out to whistles.
Two more photos from Julián’s faenón to the fourth bull
His second bull, the largest of the day at 618 kilos, took a worryingly long time to gather in the capote, but Julián brought off some lovely slow verónicas and two equally templada media verónicas when man and bull finally came together. The garcigrande overturned horse and rider on its first encounter with the puya, but showed its manso nature when it quickly turned away from its second puyazo. An attempt at a quite fizzled out, but the faena was one that just got better and better as it went on. Showing his absolute dominio, El Juli cited the bull from a short distance, encouraging the charge, then gradually extended the length of the suertes, curving the animal around him but keeping the muleta in the bull’s face and securing linking. When series were extended to their maximum and closed with pases de pecho, the crowd went wild. A good sword would have netted two ears and the Puerta Grande, and made up for Julián’s tearful disappointment of May 11, but once again the estocada proved elusive - two attempts were needed, and by the time the bull fell dying, two avisos had sounded. A majority petition arose nevertheless, but the president chose to ignore it and El Juli was given a vuelta instead. Today marked his final appearance in the feria, but it would not be a surprise if he is asked to take Emilio de Justo’s vacant spot in the Beneficencia, such has been his impact here.
The Puerta Grande did open up for the first time in the feria today, and it was young Tomás Rufo, taking his confirmación de alternativa, who was carried through it.
Tomás Rufo on his first bull
His first garcigrande was no easy matter; although it stayed a long time in the peto, its charge was unpredictable and it took to pawing the ground. There was no opening capework of note, but a lovely, despacio quite of feet-together delantales and a revolera. Come the faena, dedicated to the heavens, Tomás gave the bull half-kneeling passes to acclaim before going on to construct series con temple of derechazos and naturales, ended with chest passes, and adding some de frente muletazos performed with the feet together. He went on longer than he should have done and then had trouble lining the animal up for the kill, an aviso sounding. When it eventually came, the estocada was a solid one and the ear awarded merited.
The estocada to his second
People in the tendidos (Rufo is from Toledo province, so likely had many followers here) were discussing the possibility of his going out the Puerta Grande before the afternoon’s last bull came in, and there was an element of wishful thinking about the second ear awarded. The capote was dragged from his hands after one verónica and thereafter Tomás concentrated on testing lances, closed with a half-kneeling larga. Fernando Sánchez was given an ovation for his two pairs of banderillas to this bull (indeed, he has been great all week). The garcigrande was not keen to go to the muleta and sometimes halted when it did do so. Rufo stood his ground, but the passes were irregular, with several enganches; the highlights were the opening doblones and some naturales de frente towards the faena’s end. Tomás launched himself over the bull for the kill and delivered a bajonazo. Most in the crowd didn’t care - the pañuelos were waved, and a second ear and the Puerta Grande was his.
A natural from Alejandro Talavante
Alejandro Talavante, the supposed comeback king of this year’s San Isidro, had a second disappointing afternoon in the feria (two further appearances - one with adolfos - await him). He seemed taller and chunkier than I remembered him, and with his first bull today appeared to be practising toreo, receiving whistles at the end. With his second animal, he put in more effort, getting down on his knees twice (after a narrow escape the first time) at the start of the faena, and then sticking mainly with the left hand for some decent series. His first attempt with the sword was a pinchazo and the second an awful bajonazo. He was still given an ovation after the bull had been applauded en arrastre, but one wonders if his best days are now behind him.
Rufo’s triumph, on his debut in this plaza as a matador de toros and following so soon on his departure through Sevilla’s Puerta de Príncipe, will doubtless resonate for the rest of the season. It was also the youngster’s second successive puerta grande at Las Ventas, the last time as a novillero.
