Matador Winners and Losers (2020 Season Review Pt2)

Just like any other year despite its brief content, whilst most matadors’ status remained as before, there were particular winners and losers amongst their ranks in 2020.

The winners

Enrique Ponce headed the 2020 escalafón (the 4th time he has topped the table, the three other occasions being in the 1990s) with 16 corridas to his name - double that of any other matador - and thus begins my list of the season’s ‘winners’. The 49-year-old veteran began the year poorly, cutting just one ear at Olivenza, one of his regular venues for triumphant appearances, but was the leading torero in making the point that corridas should continue during the pandemic, putting on a corrida himself (with his own bulls too) at Navas de San Juan (Jaén) on August 2, when he cut six ears and a tail from four animals. His next five appearances were disappointing, but the remainder of his temporada was generally successful, with triumphs at Baza (Granada) and then Nîmes, Cabra and Granada, where he faced either Juan Pedro Domecq or Victoriano del Río bulls. There were mixed views as to the Valencian’s motivation for the temporada - he apparently felt someone had “to pull the cart” in the absence of other figuras, but others put it down to his perpetual enthusiasm for getting in front of bulls, or to his need to earn money in anticipation of his forthcoming divorce, or because of the poor performance of other business ventures.

Emilio de Justo finished 2nd in the escalafón with just eight corridas. Half of these were mano a mano events, at Olivenza with Ginés Marín, when he cut three ears to Marín’s five; with Enrique Ponce at Plasencia in August, cutting four ears while the valenciano cut none; at Jaén in October, when he cut two ears to Daniel Luque’s three; and in a Gira de la Reconstrucción (GR) corrida at Estepona in November (in which his original ‘rival’, David Mora, was unable to appear), when he cut one ear after strong performances with both his La Quinta bulls. The extremeño, doubtless benefitting from being managed by two empresas - Alberto García and Simon Casas - increased his profile and is well-placed for contracts in 2021’s main ferias.

A returning coming man (at least in France) for the past couple of seasons, Daniel Luque was one of the toreros to benefit from a focus on a small number of corridas, mainly televised, in 2020. He began strongly, winning three ears from montalvos at Valdemorillo in March, then four ears from miuras at Sanlúcar de Barrameda on his next appearance in August. An afternoon with Domingo Hernández bulls in Nîmes in September was oddly unsuccessful thanks to poor swordwork and one difficult animal, but another strong performance in front of television cameras at Jaén in the mano a mano with de Justo set the sevillano, third in the escalafón, up well for a busier 2021.

Frenchman Juan Leal was another to strengthen his standing in la Fiesta. His tally of six corridas was split equally between France and Spain, with prestigious plazas in the former and smaller rings in the latter. His season began in August at Saintes Maries de la Mer, when he won three ears off Gallon bulls, and at Astorga (León) where he cut four ears from bulls of El Pilar. An encerrona at Istres with a variety of French stock yielded seven ears and he ended his season with a three-ear triumph in a GR corrida within the castle walls of Barcarrota (Badajoz). He is brave and can torear, and, if he avoids injury, should go on to greater things.

Joaquín Galdós was another extranjero to stake a claim in 2020 for further contracts in the year ahead. The young Peruvian cut eight ears and a tail from his four appearances and was fortunate with his bulls, two of which (an El Pilar animal at Astorga and a condemayalde at Valdepeñas) were indultado.

After cutting an ear from an adolfo at Ávila in July, the first big triumph of Gómez del Pilar came at Esquivias (Toledo) the following month, when he cut three ears from domecqs of Virgen María. The madrileño had another success at La Torre de Esteban Hambrán (Toledo) before winning three ears from condemayaldes at Valdepeñas and then capping his season with an impressive GR showing against miuras at Logroño, staking a claim to a place in ‘toros duros’ carteles for the next temporada.

The sevilliano Juan Ortega captivated audiences with his toreo at Linares and Jaén, and also impressed in a mano a mano with Morante de la Puebla at Córdoba, despite not winning ears. He was judged to be the season’s triunfador by Radio Nacional España’s ‘Clarín’ programme, awarded the coveted ‘Oreja de Oro’. Blessed with commercial bulls throughout his short season, Ortega appears destined to follow the path of the torero artista - not necessarily a consistent success story, but someone people will pay good money to see in the hope that everything will come good.

Antonio Ferrera only appeared thrice, but triumphed on each occasion. At Olivenza in March, he had a Garcigrande bull indultado, winning three ears and a tail. At Arles in September, a further three ears were won, and he ended his temporada with an encerrona at Badajoz, performing impressively (although his new habit of walking from a distance in to the kill is not to everyone’s taste) to claim five ears.

Following an impressive showing in Madrid last autumn, Sergio Serrano was set to begin his 2020 temporada with a place in Arles’s Easter feria. Alas, Covid intervened and the albaceteño had to make do with two corridas in comparatively minor plazas. On his second appearance, at Manzanares (Ciudad Real), he cut four ears and a tail from bulls of Las Monjas, emphasising he deserves more opportunities in 2021.

The veteran Finito de Córdoba was set to have a quiet temporada after a July corrida at Ávila in July yielded only ovations. However, he was called in as a substitute for the retired Sébastien Castella for a GR corrida at Antequera (Málaga) and reminded everyone of just what he’s capable of, his toreo winning him four ears and a tail and an indulto of a zalduendo.

Morenito de Aranda was another GR substitute, coming in for David Mora to face La Quinta bulls at Estepona (Málaga) and performing exquisitely to win three ears. His only other corrida, at Ávila in July, saw him cut an ear from an adolfo. Consistent performances like these would benefit him greatly.

The malagüeño Salvador Vega announced he would return to the bullrings in 2020 before Covid-19’s impact on the season became apparent. In the event, his sole performance was at Estepona in August, but what a performance it was, Vega cutting four ears and a tail from two bulls of Luis Algarra.

The losers

Pablo Aguado was a name on everyone’s lips at the end of the 2019 temporada, but the same cannot be said now. He made five appearances during the course of 2020 - two in March and three in August - but his only notable triumph was at his initial appearance at Ilescas (Toledo), just one more ear coming his way at El Puerto, in a corrida that became the end of his campaign. It was unfortunate that his planned appearance in the televised GR series had to be postponed until the New Year because of the pandemic.

One torero who might have been expected to “pull the cart” in 2020, El Juli, didn’t. He stayed clear of the smaller plazas and finished 20th in the escalafón after just four corridas. His Olivenza appearance produced no trophies and he ended with but three ears to his name, won at Mérida and Arles. This was not the competitive, determined matador of previous years.

Paco Ureña began the year with a new manager, José María Garzón, and doubtless hoping a lot of contracts would come his way as a result. What deception then, when, come August and Garzón had the chance to mount a corrida at El Puerto de Santa María, his manager left him off the cartel! An upset Ureña ended the relationship immediately, managing just three appearances afterwards (and two ears cut) with the backing of la Casa Lozano. He’ll be hoping for better in 2021.

Román, Jesús Enrique Colombo and Luis David Adame were all young toreros counting on 2020 as cementing their places on the main feria circuit. The pandemic put paid to that, each managing just a single appearance. The same occurred with the relatively new matador Toñete, who, after appearing in 21 corridas in 2019, decided that the uncertainties of bullfighting were not for him after all and promptly retired.

Absentees

The circumstances of the temporada meant that there were a number of notable absentees. Alejandro Talavante (who sat out 2019) and Rafaelillo (seriously gored in last year’s sanfermines) were both announced as returning to the bullrings at Arles’s Easter feria: when the feria was cancelled (as well as Sevilla’s April corridas in which Talavante was also due to feature), neither comeback took place. Talavante opted for another year on the sidelines, whilst Rafaelillo’s recovery probably benefitted from the additional time off. Unrepresented until this point, the murciano shook hands on a management deal with Manuel Martínez Erice earlier this month.

Another torero who failed to appear and used the break to consider his future management arrangements was Andrés Roca Rey. His absence from Europe’s bullrings in 2020 should help retain the young Peruvian’s novelty value, but, given the influence Roberto Domínguez had on El Juli’s development as a matador, it will be fascinating to see how Roca Rey’s toreo evolves under the vallisetano’s guidance.

Lastly, José Tomás had been signed up for two corridas at Nîmes this year, and, it was rumoured, would also appear elsewhere. The cancellation of the French plaza’s Pentecost feria and the restrictions on crowd numbers (and consequently income) at les Vendanges in September put paid to the legend’s plans. It remains to be seen whether he will make efforts to return and torear in front of the public in 2021.