The most-hyped bullfight feria in the world is once again over, the citizens of Pamplona returning to their normal day-to-day activities, the hordes of young people and foreigners that come to the city for the experience, pleasures and dangers of San Fermin gone away for another year.

In the bullring, Pamplona is certainly not your typical bullfight experience. The noise is like that of a rowdy football match, with many spectators not caring very much as to what goes on down on the sand. The presidents change from day to day, each representing a different political party keen to curry favour with the local populace. These circumstances combine to make ear-giving at Pamplona an unreliable business - if the regulations were to be followed, and the first ear awarded on the basis of a majority petition by the spectators, very few ears would be given at all, as large sections of the tendidos and gradas have fun, merriment, drinking and eating to focus on rather than judging toreros’ performances and waving their handkerchiefs accordingly.

So, which of this year’s awards were actually merited?

It is said that a quick kill in Pamplona virtually guarantees an ear, and that was certainly the case with the single ear-winning performances of Juan del Álamo, Daniel Luque and Jesús Enrique Colombo as there was little else to speak of in their favour. A patchy faena from del Álamo evolved into the salmantino merely pegando passes; Luque’s immobile fuenteymbro meant he had to resort to arrimón; while Colombo (his demeanour arrogance personified) managed two tercios of vulgar banderillas and two faenas of distant passes, his bulls barely controlled at any given moment.

A little better, albeit barely worthy of an ear in a 1st class plaza, was Isaac Fonseca’s faena to his second cebadagago; Ginés Marín’s two-ear performance on his second bull; both of Roca Rey’s faenas on July 11; Cayetano’s work on each of his bulls (which netted three ears in total); and Roca Rey’s two-ear “triumph” on July 13. After a fine brindis about Mexico’s bullfighting situation, Fonseca began his faena with two pases cambiados por la espalda (dramatic beginnings to faenas are a feature of San Fermín as the toreros try to win the wayward spectators’ attention), but there followed several pases enganchados, messy chest passes and an estocada delivered from the bull’s side. In contrast to the commentating Domingo de la Cámara, I felt his best work came in his earlier faena, also awarded a single ear. Ginés Marín, too, was better on his earlier bull, when he cut a single ear: the two ears on his second were the reward for a faena de menos a más, crowned with a fine sword. Cayetano also killed strongly, but his faenas involved distant passes interspersed with adornos and alardes. Roca Rey surfed the feria on his fame and popularity, his two-ear success with a comfortably-horned Núñez de Cuvillo bull on July 11 assisted by arrimón, while the single ear that followed for him later that afternoon also involved close positioning and uninspiring work with a bull that tired early. The Peruvian’s two-ear performance two days later was more meritorious, although his portagayola greeting didn’t come off and his toreo with the left hand was problematic; arrimón saved the day once again.

Decent, ear-worthy performances did come from Isaac Fonseca, Miguel Ángel Perera and Ginés Marín on their first bulls; El Juli with his first jandilla on July 12; and Tomás Rufo the following afternoon. Fonseca drew a bull that lifted its head in passes and turned quickly at the end of them, but the plucky Mexican coped well with it, bringing off excellent naturales ayudados and chest passes and a fine estocada. Perera opened his faena with a series of passes on one spot in the centre of the ring and followed that with lovely series of derechazos, strong chest passes and bernadinas before being knocked off-balance in a decent kill. Ginés Marín provided some beautifully sculpted capework and gradually turned his fuenteymbro more in the faena, his derechazos proving particularly noteworthy. El Juli produced an excellent faena, especially once he’d lowered his cloth hand, only to kill poorly with a leap to the bull’s side. Rufo, on his Pamplona debut, gave some low derechazos from on his knees, typically curving derechazos and naturales back on his feet, some finely-judged luquesinas after the bull had given up, and an estoconazo to finish.

Finally, the best performances of the feria came from just two matadors - Miguel Ángel Perera with his second bull on July 10 and El Juli with his second bull two days later.

After dedicating his faena to the spectators, Perera got down on his knees to pass the bull, gradually moving towards the centre of the ring as he did so and almost being caught on the bull’s horns near the end of the sequence. On his feet, Miguel Ángel produced derechazos and chest passes con temple, citing the bull from a distance at the start of each series and keeping the fuenteymbro close once it was engaged in the muleta. After another warning from the animal, he achieved a further series, the bull humillando nicely. The naturales were less dominant, Perera having to cede ground as he gave them, but he ended with derechazos, circulares and then a series of tight luquesinas, matador and bull very close indeed. He entered strongly for an estocada caida that produced instant results and deservedly cut two ears.

Another worthy couple of ears were won by El Juli on July 12. He began the lidia with some exquisite feet-together verónicas and a larga, taking the jandilla to the centre of the ring. The faena was begun with estatuarios and a derechazo, all given on the same spot, and then Julián was straight into fine series of long derechazos, capped with pases de pecho. His naturales were equally long, the muleta kept low from start to finish until the closing series, given at mid-height. A molinete was followed by a pase de pecho with El Juli down on one knee, then came some more templados derechazos, a circular and chest pass. After collecting the estoque, Julián performed naturales with his body upright and luquesinas. It was a shame that, once again, the sword was delivered from the bull’s side, but nevertheless this was an outstanding performance.

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