It’s not often that matadors’ facial expressions at the time of the paseíllo show anything other than the seriousness of the occasion, but at the start of the second corrida of this year’s San Isidro feria, which ended last Sunday, Enrique Ponce and Morante de la Puebla couldn’t hide their disappointment at the lack of spectators - barely 1,000, a sixth of the plaza’s Covid-restricted capacity which, when met, would amount to less than half of Palacio Vistalegre’s total seating.

This was a feria built upon multiple appearances by Spain’s supposed top bullfighters and, aside from a couple of events at Leganés the previous weekend, the first corridas to be held in Madrid for over a year. So where was everyone?

Could the poor attendance figures be put down to fears about being amongst thousands in a covered venue while the pandemic still raged? Or could it be the unattractiveness of the drab Palacio compared to Las Ventas and the difference in seating prices, the cost of Las Ventas entradas being famously low in comparison with elsewhere? Or could it be the fact that Movistar was televising every event (although the organiser, Toño Matilla, must have been aware of how ticket sales were going when he made his late agreement to the feria being televised)? Or could it be the public’s over-familiarity with the featured toreros, most of whom have been appearing for decades, and the ganaderías they had chosen or been asked to face? Or (more likely) a combination of all four factors.

In any event, Andrés Roca Rey, the supposed No.1 crowd-puller, proved his credentials. The only times the venue neared anything like the 6,000 Covid capacity figure were the two corridas in which he appeared.

And did those spectators get what they came for? Yes and no. In a rather one-sided mano a mano with Pablo Aguado, the young Peruvian performed well on two of his three bulls. The first, given varied capework by Roca Rey in response to a quite from Aguado, went on to catch Andrés’ banderillero Juan José Domínguez in a horrible-looking, prolonged tossing, inflicting a cornada grave in the chest. There was a lengthy pause before a shocked-looking matador asked the president’s permission to kill the Vegahermosa bull. The youngster went on to control the faena from the start, estatuarios in the centre of the arena, pases cambiados por la espalda and chest passes leading on to derechazos, pulling the animal round in circles, and naturales with the cloth held low. More passes followed, then some close arrimón before the bull indicated a desire for las tablas. Andrés duly collected the estoque and threw himself over the bull’s horns for an effective estocada. The sword was slightly low, but it was incredible, taking all the circumstances into account, that not a single ear was awarded.

Two ears did follow on the Peruvian’s next bull, a garcigrande dedicated to the public after it had engaged in slow verónicas and showed well in its sole vara. This time, Roca Rey began the faena on his knees for some dramatic passes before getting to his feet to perform derechazos and naturales with the muleta again held low and sweeping the sand, the bull following the cloth and the sequences culminating in circulares. More drama ensued with Andrés citing for bernadinas and switching the muleta post-toque from one side of his body to the other while the bull charged in. Once again, there was no doubting his commitment as he plunged the estoque into his opponent.

His last bull that day didn’t transmit well and a short faena was ended with a poor sword, Roca Rey running round the horn, and silence. In his second corrida, with “difficult” bulls of Victoriano del Río, Andrés failed to shine at all, performing scrappily with his first animal before being tossed and killing with a bajonazo and, after a promising start, pegando passes with his second and suffering a desarme. A rapid crossways estocada led to a ludicrous minority petition.

A memorable novillada

Ironically, given the feria’s reliance on established figuras, the most complete and memorable event of the series was the one with the youngest participants - the novillada of Antonio Grande, Tomás Rufo and Manuel Perera facing a terrific string of El Freixo bulls owned by one El Juli.

Two of the three novilleros - Grande and Perera - were determined to prove their worth with varied capework; numerous, and rather rapid, muletazos, several given from on one’s knees; and committed swordwork. Grande showed considerable development despite the paucity of contracts in 2020 and cut an ear, to my mind deserving two, from the first of the three novillos that came his way. His killing was poorer on his other two animals - a pinchazo and estocada to his second and a bajonazo to his third. Young Perera’s efforts with an equally good bull to Grande’s first left him with a similar award, but also with a cornada grave in the abdomen as he killed his opponent, the bull’s right horn penetrating just below his ribcage, the novillero holding his insides in as he was carried to the infirmary (amazingly, a week later, he was out of hospital!). His closeness to his novillo and his long, stretching passes were particularly impressive; assuming the cornada leaves no lasting mental impact, he should go far.

The third novillero, Tomás Rufo, opted for a different route to success, one based on a serious appraisal of the task before him and temple. He soon controlled what had been a descompuesto first novillo with half-kneeling and delicate passes, keeping the animal close, standing his ground and forcing it through when it began halting in mid-pass, before engaging in circulares and ojedista arrimón. A good estocada led to a travesty of one ear, the few spectators in the plaza rightly, but unsuccessfully, demanding more.

His other animal was another of the day’s more difficult fare, not humillando initially and needing greater encouragement to move to the lure. After dedicating to Perera in the infirmary and losing the muleta in an early trincherazo, Rufo produced another brilliant faena of despacio passes, ending with a great estocada for a deserved two ears. Rufo’s was amongst the best work of the entire feria, and the sooner he can take the alternativa and hopefully be permitted entry into the leading carteles as occurred with Roca Rey, the better.

Other notable faenas

Unsurprisingly, given the feria’s components, there were a number of other notable faenas across the 10 corridas of foot toreo (Guillermo Hermosa de Mendoza’s two-ear ‘triumph’ in the feria’s sole corrida de rejoneo involved the spectators and president overlooking a rejón de muerte placed in the bull’s side).

In my preview of the feria, I perhaps unfairly described the opening corrida as comprising ‘modestos’. In fact all three matadors - Alberto López Simón, Álvaro Lorenzo and Ginés Marín - have been carried out the puerta grande at Las Ventas and it would be truer to say they are young matadors who would be regular feria participants were it not for the length of career that is now the norm amongst the figuras. Facing some none-too-easy animals from El Pilar (their owner, Moises Fraile, actually apologised for his bulls’ performance afterwards), Álvaro Lorenzo had an unsuccessful day even though the president opted to award him an ear from a minority petition (the first of several dubious decisions by the palco during the feria), but López Simón put in some determined, close work - and was tossed by each of his animals - and Ginés Marín produced fine capework and was bullidor on his second bull, killing it well, and confirmed he is performing near the top of his game at present.

Not only did la Casa Matilla have a financially disastrous feria, they lost one of their prime assets when Morante de la Puebla announced at its end that he would no longer be managed by them. It is not often - as he once again proved during the feria - that one sees complete artistic lidia from the sevillano, but his opening performance in his first corrida with a wide-horned juanpedro was just that. Morante began with chest-forward verónicas that took the bull to the centre of the arena and a serpentina. The bull showed little movement after the first of its two varas, but proved idea fare for Morante, who brought off a complete faena, including one sensational series of derechazos and some half-kneeling pases ayudados, before killing with a decent estocada. Once again, it was surprising that only one ear was awarded.

Morante was defensive with his second bull - a Daniel Ruiz sobrero - and didn’t want to know it in a brief faena that ended to pitos. There was further brevity on his second afternoon with a generally dire string of garcigrandes, the only highlight being the verónicas and a media con pies juntos to his first bull: both faenas were cut short and Morante left the ring at the corrida’s end to a disappointed crowd’s whistles.

Daniel Luque was the first matador to be awarded two ears and benefitted from this success by being chosen to fill the place of Emilio de Justo, still recovering from his Leganés injuries, in a second corrida later in the series. His first afternoon saw him draw the best bulls in a generally disappointing corrida from Fuente Ymbro. Although he told the band not to play during his initial faena, after forcing his animal to pass him on its right horn, he went on to achieve naturales with temple and to deliver a committed estocada, only for the subsequent seven descabellos to lose him a likely ear. His second animal was a trickier proposition, cutting in on its left horn and twice nearly catching the sevillano, but Daniel persisted with naturales nevertheless, brought off some fine derechazos and chest passes, imposing control, and ended with another excellent estocada. He kissed the two ears awarded to him, clearly regarding this as an important triumph.

His second afternoon saw him face two bulls that gave little chance of success in a generally poor encierro of Hermanos Jiménez. His first faena to a hesitant animal followed a quite of fine chicuelinas and got better as it proceeded, while his second bull chose to seek the tablas early on, Luque closing with an estocada recibiendo to further applause.

That same afternoon, Miguel Ángel Perera and Paco Ureña put in a lot of effort to secure triumphs with less than ideal animals. After his opening bull was given a light puyazo, excellent brega by Javier Ambel and superb banderillas from Curro Javier, Perera dedicated to the public and - apart from a desarme caused by the animal’s hesitancy on its left horn - was in control from the faena’s start, producing fine series of derechazos and naturales and showing terrific security in front of the bull’s horns for arrimón. A successful estocada brought the extremeño an ear.

Paco Ureña, who had had an unsuccessful opening afternoon with the alcurrucenes, met his first bull with those verónicas of his in which the capote is held with the fists outwards, as if for delantales, before losing the capote in a media chicuelina. After a quite of feet-together verónicas and a revolera, Paco dedicated his faena to the plaza’s medical team, then met his bull in the centre of the arena for estatuarios, a desdén and early naturales. Keeping the cloth in the left hand, his passes grew slower and deeper, those at the end of each tanda varied (a pase de pecho looking at the tendidos was particularly memorable). He tired the bull some more with half-kneeling muletazos before delivering a no-holds-barred estocada, losing the cloth in the process. He was awarded one ear, while the spectators petitioned strongly for a second.

That second ear nearly came on his other bull, but for a bajonazo. In a faena de menos a más, again it was the work with the left hand that excelled, although this time he had to force his opponent to complete passes and there was less linking. The final naturales, given with the feet together, were terrific.

Diego Urdiales often doesn’t secure a major success until August, so it was great to have him feature in the shortened San Isidro carteles and then to see him do so well. His opening Victoriano del Río bull was heavy-looking and well-horned, but Diego engaged it in a magical sequence of 11 linked capotazos, mainly verónicas, the matador giving the impression he didn’t want to stop giving lances! The bull showed well en varas, securing a derribo and pushing horse and rider strongly on its second entry, Urdiales performing a quite of more verónicas and a media. The bull moved fast through the opening muletazos and some fine linked derechazos, but showed it wanted the tablas as Diego moved the cloth to the left hand. Keeping the animal en las rayas, the riojano brought off some good naturales before closing with an excellent estocada. The bull caught the puntillero before it died, fortunately only ripping his traje, and a knowledgeable minority of the spectators brought out their handkerchiefs to no avail.

There was no denying an ear, however, following Diego’s artistry with his second bull (indeed, several spectators petitioned for a second). His cuadrilla, particularly picador Oscar Bernal and banderillero El Víctor, showed well on this bull before Diego met it, hand on hip, with fine series of derechazos, man and bull seemingly getting closer to each other on each occasion, and lovely chest passes. There were just brief naturales ayudados and trincherillas on the left hand before Urdiales returned to the right, the derechazos even slower now, the trincherazos and a molinete, the figure bent, outstanding. The sword ended caída, but the kill’s execution was irreproachable, the award totally deserved.

On his opening afternoon with alcurrucenes, El Juli probably lost a couple of ears through his declining swordwork (his jumps to the bull’s side were preceded by wavering rocking movements whilst profiling) after two faenas in which he either took charge from the start or (in the second instance) gradually got the bull to a condition in which some decent single passes could be achieved. So it was his second afternoon with his favourite garcigrandes before a triumph came his way.

It was not with his first bull, however, a weak-legged, short-charging beast that lifted its head in passes. The second was better, permitting Julián to give decent verónicas and keen on the horse. Following a dedication to the tendidos, El Juli began the faena with delicate, half-kneeling derechazos and very soon had the animal circling round him. A voltereta led to a frustrated gesture from the matador, but soon the faena was based on tandas of naturales with the muleta kept low, and similarly low, stretching derechazos. There’s a current fad for shouting out ‘Viva [whatever]!’ at corridas, and some idiot decided to do this while El Juli was perfilando, but this time the estocada was a decent one and, although the bull got to its feet after the initial puntilla, it died shortly afterwards, leaving its smiling matador, wearing an Atlético Madrid scarf, to circle the arena with its two ears.

That afternoon’s most stunning performance, however, came from Juan Ortega. With an initially problematic first bull, the sevillano gave an indication of what he could do when he produced some slow derechazos and naturales. He took a vuelta after killing with two pinchazos and an estocada caída.

With his second animal, which again initially caused problems as it charged por dentro during Ortega’s capework, causing the matador to flee to the barrera, things turned out better still. There was an unplanned entry to the picador followed by a voltereta, but excellent brega by Andrés Revuelta calmed things down and Ortega began the faena with half-kneeling ayudados por bajo before settling into templados derechazos and then one series after another of equally slow naturales, turning the bull beautifully around his exit leg. A molinete, derechazos, a trinchera and an adorno touching one of the bull’s horns heralded what had been a great faena’s end. The swordwork involved two pinchazos and an estocada caída, but an enchanted crowd still awarded Ortega an ear.

Another notable faena (in a feria replete with them) was that of Román with his second bull of Adolfo Martín. Some critics described the valenciano’s efforts as tremendismo, which I think did a great disservice to his bravery and determination with an impressively wide-horned astifino. After the bull was given some good initial capework and a single puyazo, Román dedicated to the plaza and produced two fine series of derechazos, closed with good-looking chest passes. The animal posed much more of a challenge on its left horn: nevertheless, Román brought off naturales. As the bull became more static and increasingly inclined to paw the ground, Román - back to the right hand now - crossed the line of charge to secure passes and engage in some arrimón. After collecting the sword, the matador was nearly tossed but managed to execute more naturales. An aviso sounded some time before Román profiled for the kill. Four pinchazos and a descabello saw a potential two-ear award turn to an ovation and saludos.

Juan del Álamo also performed well on the feria’s closing day, dealing well with his opening, quick-turning adolfo. Its shortest charges were on its left horn, but the salmantino still managed to bring off naturales, showed good judgement of distances and closed with a fine estocada. The petition that followed looked to be a majority one, although the president didn’t think so and it all ended with a vuelta of the ring. With his second bull, Juan excelled with the capote, but there was little to achieve in a faena in which the animal was barely charging.

Impressive capework

Some of the toreros who didn’t bring off notable faenas nevertheless impressed with their capework.

Pablo Aguado performed an excellent quite of verónicas, a half-kneeling media verónica and a larga to his opening juanpedro. He looked to be enjoying himself with this bull in the faena, but didn’t produce enough goods for a triumph. In his mano a mano with Roca Rey, it was his capework that again impressed, from an opening quite of verónicas on the Peruvian’s first bull to delicate verónicas with exquisite temple on his own second animal.

Finito de Córdoba, fresh from some marvellous capework in his home city, also did some nice work with the capote to his first bull, and Manzanares - who had a poor week looking like a torero who was still rusty following a virtually barren 14 months - did manage some decent verónicas on his fourth bull of the feria.

There was little to be said in favour of Enrique Ponce (noticeably piqued when one spectator shouted out that it was time for him to go) or El Fandi, although the granadino did entertain with the sticks, or José Garrido, who produced some necessarily rapid but promising lances on his second adolfo, but found neither of his bulls suitable material for a triumph come their faenas.

The bulls
With a feria based largely on the presence of figuras, the bulls perhaps didn’t get as much attention as they deserved. It didn’t help that the majority were only given one vara, limiting one’s judgement of their qualities. Most of the animals were five years old, raising complaints from such as Morante, Manzanares and El Fandi, who’d apparently forgotten that figuras are supposed to have the technical expertise and knowledge to cope with most bulls. The presentation of the animals was generally impressive and worthy of the capital.

While acknowledging their limited time with the picador, there were some animals that were deserving of a vuelta al ruedo, although none was given. I am thinking of the first and third El Freixo novillos; Roca Rey’s garcigrande; and the opening Victoriano del Río bull for Manzanares, so keen on the cloth that hardly a toque of the muleta was needed.

In general terms, the El Pilar bulls were disappointing; the juanpedros were good-looking, with over half the encierro offering opportunities for success; the alcurrucenes (along with the Hermanos Jiménez bulls carrying black divisas to mark the recent deaths of their patriarch ganaderos) were good to the picador and enabled triumphs; the excellent El Freixo novillos showed both spirit and nobleza; the Fuente Ymbro and Garcigrande encierros were decepcionados; the Hermanos Jiménez bulls proved predictably poor; the Victoriano del Río animals were challenging but capable of delivering good results; and the adolfos were good to the horse, but inconsistent thereafter.

Given the economic results, it’s unlikely such a feria will be put on again at Palacio Vistalegre. But, in terms of toreo, it was a worthwhile event - one that is likely to stand out in what is becoming a busier temporada than 2020, but still a season plagued by feria cancellations (Azpeitia’s is the latest one) as the public remains vulnerable to the continuing coronavirus pandemic.