Madrid’s 2024 Corrida de Beneficencia: an insult to bullfighting
(Image from www.fundacionmanoloprieto.org)
Madrid’s Corrida de Beneficencia is supposed to be the capital’s equivalent to Sevilla’s Easter Sunday corrida - the two festejos being regarded as the most important corridas of the temporada - and the seat prices charged by the empresa of Las Ventas, Plaza 1, reflect this.
Traditionally, this corrida acted as an income gatherer in support of toreros experiencing hardship and in need of funds, although it no longer has any charitable purpose (indeed, a change of name would be a sensible move). It also used to aim to bring together the triunfadores of San Isidro in one super-cartel.
The problems with this year’s cartel began when two-thirds of it - Morante de la Puebla and Sebastián Castella - was announced early on as the carteles for San Isidro were still being put together. Although Castella was one of last year’s triunfadores in Las Ventas, Morante has not done well there for some time, although undoubtedly his inclusion in the cartel would have assisted ticket sales. Then, when it was realised that another 2023 Madrid triunfador, Fernando Adrián, would be excluded from the San Isidro carteles, negotiations took place which concluded with his name occupying the vacant third place. So there was no guarantee that this year’s Beneficencia, taking place on June 9, would feature any of the triunfadores of this year’s Feria de San Isidro.
Then, on June 7, it was announced that Morante de la Puebla was once again suffering psychological problems and was pausing his temporada with immediate effect. Plaza 1 announced that his place would be filled by “one of the triunfadores of San Isidro”, which was due to conclude the following day, June 8.
However, after that day’s corrida, Plaza 1 announced that the Beneficencia cartel would go ahead as a mano a mano after all on the grounds that Plaza 1 and el Centro de Asuntos Taurinos of la Comunidad de Madrid felt that Borja Jiménez was the only triunfador of this year’s San Isidro and he was already contracted to appear in Vera on June 9.
This decision - even though Fernando Adrián was able to secure another exit through Madrid’s Puerta Grande at the Beneficencia’s end - was an insult to bullfighting and to the paying public. To regard Borja Jiménez as the sole triunfador of San Isidro 2024 and give the impression that nothing else of note had occurred in Las Ventas over the past month was clearly wrong when Román (albeit possibly still not fit to appear), Tomás Rufo, David Galván and Alejandro Talavante had all had successful afternoons during the feria which, for one reason or another, had resulted in single ears being cut, while Miguel Ángel Perera, Emilio de Justo, Antonio Ferrera and, indeed, Andrés Roca Rey lost potential significant triumphs with the sword. The addition of any one of these names to the Beneficencia’s cartel would have enhanced the occasion. As it turned out, although the corrida had been previously announced as a sell-out, some 1,130 ticket-holders withdrew their attendance and asked for refunds due to the cartel change.
What could be done to prevent such occurrences happening again? While it is understandable that the organisers wish to say something in advance about the Beneficencia cartel in order to promote ticket sales for the event, at least one place should be kept open throughout San Isidro to be offered to someone who has performed well in the feria. And to provide more room for manoeuvre, the dates of the Beneficencia and the Corrida in Memoriam (both high-cost events for attendees) should be swapped around so that the latter event takes place the Sunday after San Isidro ends and the Beneficencia the following Sunday.