One hundred and forty-two youngsters made up Europe’s 2022 escalafón de novilleros - 28 more than the previous year - with 12 novilleros appearing 20 or more times over the course of the season compared to just three in 2021. Although novilladas con picadores are still proving economically difficult to put on, it is clear that there are plenty of aspiring matadores de toros seeking opportunities, while the post-pandemic appetite amongst the public for bullfights has assisted the sector too. What’s more, the season gave rise to a range of promising talents, who may go on to play an important part in la Fiesta’s future.

Víctor Hernández is the sole novillero to have achieved at least 20 contracts in each of the last two years - 20 in 2021 and 23 this year, which took him to fifth in the escalafón. Born in Santos de la Humosa (Madrid) in 1998, he was a student at Guadalajara’s escuela taurina, debuted with picadors in 2018 and based most of his 2021 temporada in Castilla-La Mancha. This year, his season commenced in March with the opening novillada at Las Ventas, the 23-year-old leaving the plaza on shoulders after cutting two ears from his second novillo. He returned to the capital twice more during the course of the year, winning an ear each time. Other triumphs came at Trillo, Navas de San Juan, Sigüenza, Villaseca de la Sagra, Morazarzal, Guadarrama and Zaragoza, where he ended his season cutting an ear from each of his bulls. Pronounced winner, too, of Arnedo’s ‘Zapato de Oro’ in October, he will be looking to take the alternativa in 2023.

Another novillero who has accumulated substantial experience over the past two seasons and is hopeful for an alternativa in 2023 is Jorge Martínez (15 contracts in 2021 and 28 this year, when he finished second in the escalafón). Last year, most of the 21-year-old’s season was spent in third class plazas: this year, he fought more in higher category bullrings and his two-ear faenas were less frequent, but he did taste such success in Roldán, Almería, Murcia, Los Molinos and Boadilla del Monte. He was also awarded numerous vueltas in important plazas (Sevilla, Madrid and Zaragoza) after impressive faenas that had finally been spoilt by poor swordwork or the condition of his animals. The tousle-haired Jorge, an alumno of Almería’s escuela taurina, shows all the signs of a novillero with a fine concept of toreo who will be even more impressive when facing toros bravos.

Heading the 2022 escalafón, Diego García, from San Sebastián de los Reyes, fought in 34 novilladas (compared to 11 in 2021) and cut more ears than anyone else (52). The 21-year-old, brother of the matador Álvaro García, went out of Las Ventas on shoulders after winning two ears on his Madrid debut on May 1 and cut an ear in Valencia in October. Other notable triumphs occurred at Alcalá de los Gazules, Cabra, Collado Mediano, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Morata de Tajuña, Los Navamorales and Boadilla del Monte. His toreo reportedly contains variety, but is also consistent, and he has faced a wide variety of bulls over the course of the temporada, including animals from Miura, Prieto de La Cal, José Escolar, La Quinta, Valdellán, Juan Luis Fraile, Fuente Ymbro, Baltasar Ibán and Valdefresno.

Álvaro Alarcón was another novillero to be carried out the Puerta Grande of Las Ventas on shoulders, in his case after winning three ears on his presentation in the capital during the San Isidro feria. The 23-year-old toledano doubled his contract numbers from 2021 as a result, ending up 11th in the escalafón with 20 appearances. But Madrid was the only witness to a two-ear faena, although successes on each of his bulls also brought puerta grande exits at Mont de Marsan, El Puerto de Santa María, San Sebastián de los Reyes and Fuensalida. A competent torero, he needs to find more consistency for a serious move to the upper rank.

Christian Parejo, born in Chiclana 22 years ago, learnt to torear at the taurine school of Béziers in France, the country in which most of his career to date has taken place. In 2021, following his June debut with picadors, he was designated the novillero who performed best in SE France, and this year he won the award for best novillero in both SE and SW France. Practising very fluid, thinking toreo, he finished fourth in the escalafón with 24 novilladas, his most notable afternoons coming at Pesaguero, Palos de la Frontera, Boujan-sur-Libron (twice), Soustons, Béziers, Saint Gilles and Arganda del Rey.

Triunfador of Arganda’s September feria of novilladas, Sergio Rodríguez finished fourth in the escalafón with 25 appearances. Another of his temporada’s highlights was the indulto of a bull of Montealto at San Agustín de Guadalix. From Navas del Marqués and a student at Salamanca’s escuela taurina, he debuted with picadors at Lerma (Burgos) in June 2021, some months after an operation to cure congenital problems with his heart. Further strong performances this year in a season spent mostly in the province of Madrid came at Las Matas, El Álamo, San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Las Navas del Marqués, Collado Villalba, Robledo de Chavela, Collado Mediano, Guadalix de la Sierra and Ávila. 2023 promises a move up to second and first-class plazas.

Yon Lamothe, from Mont de Marsan, is France’s latest hope con picadores. Twenty-two years old and tall, Yon debuted with the horsemen at Mugron in 2019; managed just three novilladas last year after a blank 2020; and this year had 23 contracts, over half of them in Spain, and finished sixth in the escalafón. His main successes occurred at Parentis-en-Born, Roquefort, Marchamalo, Trillo and Becerril de la Sierra, and he took on a wide variety of bulls including animals from Baltasar Ibán, Alcurrucén, Robert Margé, La Quinta, Los Maños, Adolfo Martín and Valdellán.

Managed by ex-matador Ortega Cano, Álvaro Burdiel (24), from Sevilla, debuted with picadors at Anchuelo in June 2021, appearing in nine further novilladas, and this year fought on 20 occasions, coming 12th in the escalafón. Schooled at Madrid’s Escuela Taurina José Cubero Yiyo, Álvaro impressed with his serious, classical approach on his Madrid presentation with picadors in May and earned a vuelta there when he appeared again in Las Ventas the following month. He managed just three two-ear faenas over the course of his season, two at Pozuelo de Alarcón and one at San Agustín de Guadalix, and will be urged to achieve greater success next year.

José Rojo, who finished seventh in the escalafón with 21 novilladas, has been toreando with picadors since 2017. From Trujillo, his first 2022 appearance was his presentation at Las Ventas, when he was injured whilst killing a bull. He returned to the capital in July and August, securing one vuelta. Otherwise, first class plazas were avoided, the most successful afternoons occurring at Trujillo, Santa Amalia, Laguna de Duero, Peralta, and Mejorada del Campo (twice - triumphs with Adolfo Martín and Cebada Gago novillos). The 25-year-old’s temporada included encounters with bulls of Raso de Portillo, Saltillo, Couto de Fournilhos, Pages-Mailhan, José Escolar, Baltasar Ibán, Benítez Cubero, Miura and Prieto de la Cal.

Víctor Cerrato, from Leganés, only debuted with picadors at Navas de San Juan in June, but nevertheless racked up 20 appearances by the season’s end to finish eighth in the escalafón. His best afternoons came at Collado Villalba, Tudela, Cebreros, Roa de Duero, Solanillos del Extremo, Pedrajas de San Esteban, Trillo, Cortegana, Los Molinos, Azuqueca de Henares, and Boadilla del Monte. Son of the matador Javier Cerrato, Víctor also suffered injuries at Navas de San Juan, Tudela, Calasparra (where I reported the 18-year-old, facing Prieto de la Cal bulls, was wildly out of his depth) and Guadarrama.

Jorge Molina was ninth in the escalafón with 20 appearances. In a campaign largely confined to third class plazas, his main success was to be pronounced triunfador of Villaseca de la Sagra’s novillada feria. An alumno of Madrid’s Escuela José Cubero Yiyo in his third temporada with picadors, other triumphs were achieved at Torrijos, La Alberca, Marchamalo, Santa Cruz del Retamar, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Recas and Torrejón de Velasco. A last-minute substitute appearance in Zaragoza’s Feria del Pilar was unsuccessful, but the 23-year-old’s supporters will be planning on his gaining more exposure in first and second-class plazas in 2023.

Marcos Linares (10th in the escalafón with 20 novilladas) began appearing with picadors in March, winning two ears at Morón de la Frontera, and soon established a strong reputation, cutting an ear at Córdoba in May and impressing in September at Calasparra’s feria of novilladas, where he was put on twice and later pronounced the feria triunfador. Other successes for the 18-year-old from Linares came at Villacarrillo, Blanca and Cazalla de la Sierra in a promising initial season at this level.

One novillero outside the top 12 in the escalafón worthy of mention, the Mexican Arturo Gilio, who debuted with picadors in 2019, made a strong impression on his Las Ventas presentation on May 9, although his afternoon ended in a serious cornada. The 22-year-old appeared eight more times in Spain over the course of the temporada, finishing 30th in the escalafón, with his most successful performances occurring at Cella and Arganda del Rey. He then became the first Mexican torero to take the alternativa in Lima’s Plaza de Acho, appearing there with El Juli and Roca Rey on 13 November, when it was reported that he lost two ears with his swordwork on his first bull before cutting an ear from his second. It’s not known at this stage whether Arturo will be returning to Europe in 2023 as a matador, or whether he will opt to ply his trade in Latin America for the time being.