Arles’ 2024 Easter Feria

My partner and I had last hoped to attend Arles’ Easter feria in 2020 - plans that had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. This year, we determined to try again. As my partner is no aficionada, I opted to reduce the opportunities of watching two festejos de toreo a pie per day to just one of the two available days, in addition to not attending Friday’s course camarguaise or Monday morning’s corrida de rejoneo. Here are illustrated reports of the feria’s various events:

Saturday morning: 4 novillos from various French ganaderias for Nino Julian and Samuel Navalón

The novillos from Turquay (top) and Tardieu Frères (above)

Much of the interest of this opening novillada con picadores was provided by the bulls on display - a decent opener from Blohorn (encaste Domecq); a gorgeous-looking animal from the empresa’s own herd of La Golosina (encaste Santa Coloma) that began hesitant and manso, but improved as the lidia went on; a huge, demanding beast from Turquay (also Santa Coloma); and a well-horned bull from Tardieu Frères (encaste Núñez) that gave good play.

Nino Julian (without the tilde) is the latest promise from Nîmes, although his schooling has taken place in the escuela taurina of Salamanca. With the Blohorn, he produced a quite of chicuelinas and a closing larga (losing the capote) in response to a fine quite of a tafallera, saltillera and revolera from Navalón, before placing three pairs of banderillas: there were prologues of twirling showmanship, but the main text in each case was performed al cuarteo and of no great worth. He shuffled his feet in the faena’s opening pase cambiado por la espalda and never gave the impression of being fully in control of the novillo, throwing up his free arm frequently as the bull went past rather closer than he’d intended! He also lost the muleta on one occasion and was harmlessly tossed during naturales. Four pinchazos, a half sword and two descabellos ended things, to two avisos.

His performance with the spirited Turquay was worse still. This time, the banderillas were left to his peones. Despite giving the impression he couldn’t cope with the animal during the initial capework, Julian made his second dedication to the plaza. However, he only managed one clean muleta series (the wind had increased by now, which didn’t help matters). The killing was better than earlier - a pinchazo, estocada and a fine descabello - but as the bull was taken out, Julian sat on the estribo, his head held low, in tears, before retiring, inconsolable, to the callejón, where further tears were shed.

Samuel Navalón, from Albacete and making his debut in Arles, was, of course, one of the novillero discoveries of 2023. Today, he impressed from the word go, firstly with that quite to Julian’s opening bull and then a sensible lidia to the golosina, waiting post-varas to attempt anything of note with the capote (his chicuelinas and a media verónica earning applause), and performing with the muleta mainly in his left hand when the novillo initially proved tricky on the right (a brief return to the right hand later in the faena resulted in a cogida). He killed well at the second attempt and took a vuelta.

Navalón began well with his second animal, producing fine verónicas, a media verónica, revolera and then a larga to send the bull into the horse. The palo broke on the first encounter, so the animal went into the next two tercios after just one real pic. The wind continued to strengthen, but Samuel managed some decent series on each hand, then opted to give circulares, then dropped to his knees for a linked series of passes that ended with a cogida, his traje ripped at the buttock. Recovered, Navalón gave close bernadinas to finish. An aviso, pinchazo and estocada were followed by the award of an ear, merited in the circumstances, while the bull was taken out to applause.

Saturday afternoon: Six bulls of Zalduendo for Sébastien Castella, Daniel Luque and Juan Ortega

Enticed by the combination of matadors, my doubts about this afternoon revolved around the bulls, zalduendos having gained a reputation for being soggy in recent years (although the ganaderia had four good afternoons out of six in 2023). The second and third bulls today merited that description, but the rest provided possibilities.

A year ago, Sébastien Castella opened the feria here in a mano a mano with Andrés Roca Rey and received silence on each of his bulls. He made up for that today, with the best of today’s zalduendos (or was it the priority put upon his bulls charging from a distance into the peto rather than being picced for long - an approach that neither Luque nor Ortega followed - that helped their subsequent performance?).

Temple is the key to the Frenchman’s toreo post-comeback. His series of slow half-kneeling then standing verónicas to his opening bull, ending with a media verónica in the centre of the arena set the tone. Luque joined in with a lovely quite of chicuelinas and larga. There are still touches of the old Castella - he began the faena with a lengthy series of passes from on his knees. Excellent toreo followed on both the right and left hand, briefly interrupted by a desarme. He prolonged the faena unnecessarily with circulares and arrimón that didn’t work too well, Sébastien jerking a leg back frequently after the bull finished muletazos rather too close for his liking, and at one point having his leg lifted by the bull’s horn. He was still toreando when the first aviso sounded; the second came just after a fine estocada. The petition was borderline, but the first ear of the corrida was his.

His initial lidia of his second bull was a carbon copy of what occurred with the first - superb verónicas (with a chicuelina introduced this time before a closing larga), and the animal set to run strongly to the horse for a couple of light pics. The brindis to the spectators was interrupted by the zalduendo charging to the matador, Castella meeting it with high passes and a closing natural. Then he positioned himself for the bull to run from a distance, Sébastien bringing off two pases cambiados por la espalda then series of derechazos, turning the animal around him. A brief tanda of naturales followed, but the remainder of the faena was carried out on the right hand. The media estocada that killed the bull was a disappointment, but the crowd demanded - and got - a further two ears for the bitterois.

Daniel Luque, in his first European corrida of the year, soon found his opening bull had nothing in it. All too soon, the sevillano was engaging in arrimón, and, before long, he opted to collect the estoque. A pinchazo, estocada and descabello brought things to an end, Daniel looking disgusted, and the bull was whistled out of the arena.

Things didn’t look promising when there were no cape passes of note to his second bull and it was allowed to charge hard to the horse for heavy punishment by the picador. Iván García shone, as nearly always, en banderillas. Luque began the faena with increasingly finely sculptured doblones, then derechazos, the bull humillando, its horns turning round the sevillano’s ankles. The naturales were just as good, and the chest passes sublime. Daniel finally cast the sword aside for a sustained sequence of luquesinas, moving the cloth from one hand to the other, still keeping it low. The estocada was placed a bit far back and caída, but did its work and the president awarded two ears straight away.

Today marked Juan Ortega’s debut in Arles and it is unlikely he will ever appear here again. His cuadrilla performed excellently with his first bull, but there was little doing in the faena, carried out entirely on the right hand, some half-kneeling passes towards its end being the only highlight. Pitos for the bull and silence for its matador followed a bajonazo and several attempts to descabellar. Things were worse with his second animal. It wasn’t clear what the problems Ortega was experiencing were, but he produced nothing with the capote and opted for a faena de aliño, ending with a sword to the lungs and a division of opinions. For the relatively few of us who have seen him torear at his very best, today’s performance was extremely disappointing.

Easter Sunday morning: Novillos of Núñez del Cuvillo, Santiago Domecq and Gallon for Manuel Román and Marco Pérez

Some aficionados are saying that, if the new wunderkind Marco Pérez should be paired with anyone, it should be Samuel Navalón, but, to date, the salmantino’s most common companion in mano a mano novilladas has been the equally diminutive (but older, and with a full year of appearances with picadors already behind him) Cordoban Manuel Román.

In the callejón, Pérez is animated while Román has the same calm and serious composure he displays in the ring. Both had cuadrillas of considerably older and taller toreros: Marco Pérez (today, making his debut as a novillero in a first class plaza) also had Daniel Luque ringside to advise him in addition to his manager, Juan Bautista.

The novillada got off to an excellent start with a fine bull of Núñez del Cuvillo, despite its tendency to keep its head high. Román greeted it with fluid feet-together verónicas, tafalleras and a chicuelina, narrowly avoiding trouble with a revolera. The novillo took one vara, overturning the horse, and then we had competition in quites, both youngsters performing chicuelinas, with Pérez twice being spun around as the bull passed by his capote. Román impressed in the faena, with an excellent sense of positioning and clean linked passes. A liking (which persisted throughout his morning) for giving derechazos without the ayuda was demonstrated, and he finished with luquesinas and a sequence of manoletinas. An estocada contraria was placed and Manuel Román was awarded an ear for an overall performance that was probably worth two if it hadn’t been the first one of the festejo.

Marco Pérez’s larger núñezdecuvillo was short-charging and difficult, although Román managed to give it a quite of delantales and a media verónica. The faena was patchy, Pérez achieving one or two series but basically pegando single pases (with many enganches) and being caught twice and also suffering a desarme. A half sword was followed by an aviso, three descabellos and an ovation.

The Gallon novillos came next, the first entering the ring to applause. Román gave it half-kneeling verónicas and a standing larga; the picador dropped his spear on the bull’s second entry; and Pérez performed a scrappy quite of tafalleras, a saltillera and revolera. Unfortunately, the bull was weak on its feet for the final tercio, Román keeping calm and producing some fine, curving, naturales and more of those unassisted derechazos before killing with a pinchazo, metisaca, estocada and four attempts to descabellar.

Marco Pérez bravely met his gallon with a farol a portagayola, staying upright but losing the capote in the process, then quickly recovering to give verónicas con pies juntos and a revolera. The bull went twice to the picador but Román’s attempt at a quite of verónicas didn’t come off. The novillo proved good material for the faena, however, Pérez beginning with a pase cambiado por la espalda followed by derechazos, then keeping the muleta in the left hand in the main for series of naturales. He closed with an over-long sequence of circulares, losing the cloth at one point but also incorporating a lovely cambio de mano, before killing well. The president immediately awarded two ears (somewhat generously in my opinion) and acceded to the crowd’s calls for the bull to be given a vuelta en arrastre.

Manuel Román twice lost his capote to his Santiago Domecq novillo in the opening capework, begun with a larga cambiada de rodillas. After las varas, there was competition in quites once more, Pérez producing navarras while Román linked saltilleras with tafalleras. Once again, we had a very good faena (dedicated to Luque) from the Cordoban, begun on his knees then standing for derechazos with and without the ayuda and naturales. He ended with close bernadinas and killed with a pinchazo and estocada, and it was only the French spectators’ dislike for lengthy deaths that prevented an ear being awarded and a salida a hombros, the youngster taking a vuelta instead.

Fortunately for Marco Pérez that important photogenic exit had already been achieved, for his final novillo was weak on its front legs, falling frequently in the faena. Its life was ended with a pinchazo and a media estocada.

I came away from the arena feeling rather dispirited. The Marco Pérez campaign rolls on, when the honours today should really have been shared with Manuel Román. There was also a feeling of having watched boys playing at being matadores de toros, although, to give him his credit, Marco Pérez had performed best with the most challenging bull of the novillada.

Easter Sunday afternoon: Two bulls of Los Espartales for Diego Ventura and four bulls of Jandilla for José María Manzanares and Alejandro Talavante

Alejandro Talavante (pre-retirement)

This was the corrida I’d opted to miss. Rejoneador Diego Ventura won an ear off his first bull. Manzanares received silence on both his animals, his performance reportedly affected by the increasing wind (it also rained during the second half of the festejo). Alejandro Talavante drew two good bulls and cut two ears from each. Judging from the ‘highlights’ video, his first faena was a typical post-retirement affair, with one pass after another ending with the muleta being sent upwards by the bull’s horns. However, people who were there assure me that his toreo with his second jandilla (awarded a vuelta en arrastre) was very good indeed and up to the standard of his best pre-retirement work.

Monday morning: Six bulls of San Pelayo for Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza, Lea Vicens and Guillermo Hermoso de Mendoza

Today featured Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza’s farewell appearance at Arles, and it was nice to see this morning’s ganadero, ex-matador Niño de la Capea, wishing him luck on his way to the ring. With the exception of the fifth bull, the animals were reportedly excellent, the fourth being given a vuelta en arrastre. Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza cut two ears from that bull; Lea Vicens one off each of hers; and Guillermo Hermoso de Mendoza two ears from his first and another from his second.

Monday afternoon: Six bulls of La Quinta for Juan Leal, Ginés Marín and Clement Dubecq Clemente

Juan Leal, on home ground, drew a compliant bull as the corrida got underway and made the most of it. He began with a brief sequence of verónicas, given initially with the feet together and then apart. After las varas, Ginés Marín produced a lovely quite of slowly given chicuelinas and a media verónica. Following a dedication to the public, Leal delivered a strong faena of derechazos, naturales and chest passes, turning the bull. It being Juan Leal, however, there was some ugly positioning as he tried to keep the bull close and link muletazos. He killed with an estocada caída to the lungs. The crowd embarked on petitioning, the president awarding one ear and then being roundly booed for granting another after the bull had begun to be dragged out (naive calls for a vuelta en arrastre went unheeded).

Juan made a second dedication to the public later in the afternoon after some poor banderillas from his older brother, ex-matador Marco Leal. But this was a faena in which the matador appeared to be at a loss as to what to do - every time there were some promising passes and the crowd applauded, he gestured to them to be quiet! Two pinchazos and a bajonazo to the lungs brought applause for the bull and silence for its matador.

Apart from that initial quite to Juan Leal’s first bull and some magnificent verónicas to his own first opponent, Ginés Marín may as well not have been in Arles. After dedicating to the public, Gines embarked on a lengthy and, for him, unusually unvaried faena to a bull that did not transmit. The estocada was a highlight, and Gines seemed to think he’d done enough to win an ear, but the spectators thought otherwise. Another flat performance followed with the fifth La Quinta bull, which was heavily piced, entering to the picador thrice after achieving a derribo on its second encounter with the horse. Marín managed very little of merit with what remained of his bull come the faena and annoyed the crowd when he slapped it for ending circulares with its rear towards the matador. A pinchazo and half sword and two avisos saw a poor display end to silence.

What gives a matador the status of artista? I don’t know, but Clemente certainly deserves that title. From Bordeaux, Dubecq took the alternativa in 2016 and, up to last year, had only taken part in nine corridas. However, last season he broke through, appearing in 12 corridas (all in France) and securing triumphs here at Arles and at Istres and Dax, amongst other plazas. He is unusual-looking for a matador - blond and, at 28, with the figure of a middle-aged torero.

Today, he first showed his style in a quite to Marín’s first bull, performing chicuelinas, a tafallera and a larga, seemingly surprised at how quickly the animal could turn, but avoiding trouble. On his own initial La Quinta toro, he brought off half-kneeling then standing verónicas, a chicuelina and media verónica before permitting the animal to be heavily piced in two varas. The faena was one of de menos a mucho más; after a phase in which Clemente seemed not to know at what point his bull would come forward, he produced series of exquisite derechazos and naturales that grew better and better, the latter culminating in pases de frente. He lost the muleta at one point and then missed the bull completely in his first attempt at an estocada. The bull died after an estocada and two descabellos, Clemente receiving an ovation and taking saludos.

His second bull was the most impressive of the afternoon. It participated beautifully in a few capotazos before it engaged in three varas - two charging in from afar and dismounting the picador in the second. Then Clemente gave us another faena (dedicated to the public) that improved as it progressed. He gave the sense of toreando on inspiration, of not always knowing what he was doing, but nevertheless performing passes magnificently, the bull playing its part. The muleta was held mainly in the right hand, but there was plenty of variety, with pases por alto, trincherazos, and a capeina, while the few naturales that were given came off well. Unfortunately, the sword was a poor one, reducing the award to one ear, while the bull, ‘Largartijo’, was rightly given a vuelta en arrastre for its superb performance en varas and for charging strongly right to the faena’s end. In the meantime, here is a torero the world needs to see more of.