Competition at Arenas de San Pedro
(Image from mundotoro.com)
Arenas de San Pedro is a small town (population 6,377) in Ávila province, an hour away from the provincial capital and an hour-and-a-half from Madrid. Its bullring, which holds some 5,000 people, was unused for many years until Tauroemoción took on its management. But, this Palm Sunday, Arenas de San Pedro had as much attention, if not more, than the opening corrida of the temporada in Madrid (in which Adrián de Torres won an ear after persistently trying to torear an impossible bull of Celestino Cuadri before killing it magnificently). The reason? A highly competitive cartel featuring Emilio de Justo, Andrés Roca Rey and Tomás Rufo with bulls of Garcigrande and Domingo Hernández. The cartel was announced on February 16; the taquilla had experienced a constant string of enquiries since opening; and, on the day itself, the sign ‘ No hay billetes’ unsurprisingly indicated a full house.
The reporter for Efe described the afternoon as triunfalista and commented that some ears had been awarded despite bajonazos, but the other reports of the corrida were more positive. Mario Sánchez Avilés, writing for cultoro.es, noted that Roca Rey’s first sword and Emilio de Justo’s estocada to his second bull were low, but other than that was positive about the afternoon, which saw de Justo and Rufo leave the plaza en hombros after winning three and four ears respectively. Roca Rey, with the worst of the sorteo, cut a single ear, while the fourth bull of the afternoon, sporting a Domingo Hernández brand, was awarded a vuelta en arrastre.
The chroniclers noted de Justo’s derechazos to his first bull, and his “abandoned naturales” to his second, together with pases de frente and more fine derechazos, this time without the sword spreading the cloth. Rufo’s temple and linking with either hand was a noticeable feature of his opening faena, while his capework and more profundity with the muleta on his second further impressed: in addition, he killed both bulls well. Both triunfadores’ ability to curve their animals behind their hips was also commented upon. Roca Rey’s close toreo and his managing to cut an ear from a bull that the crowd had initially protested were also features of what was a satisfying tarde de toros.
It’s competitive afternoons like this one that draw the crowds. Alberto García, head of Tauroemoción, speaking of this corrida and another successful promotion at Almendralejo the same weekend, commented afterwards, “We don’t take on a plaza for the sake of it. Beforehand, we carry out an exhaustive study of what’s been happening and identify what we can do to turn things around. Based on this method, we’ve managed to change things, and now the administrations of these localities opt for bullfighting as they realise the importance of hosting large events and their impact on the towns’ economies.
“If you schedule a big event like Arenas de San Pedro’s, a high budget is involved and you have to get enough revenue to cover all the expenses and also generate a return for the company. But you also have to think a lot about the groups that want to go and can't afford it. That's where we place special emphasis when it comes to setting prices accordingly, so that everyone can go.” On the morning of the corrida, 300 tickets for children under 15 and 400 tickets for youngsters aged 15-21 were made available at reduced prices. More power to Tauroemoción’s elbow, for it’s carteles and strategies like these that should enable the corrida to have a future.