San Isidro, May 11: Memory and Recompense

The last time Emilio de Justo sat on the estribo of Las Ventas, he was in pain and shock, suffering from a brutal cogida that had put an end to a likely triumphant Madrid encerrona and left him with neck injuries that took several months to get over. Today, on his return to the plaza, he was sitting and weeping tears of emotion after having just been awarded two ears that would lead to an exit through Madrid’s Puerta Grande.

In truth, the two ears from his second bull were a tad generous, although many in the crowd had petitioned for them. But the memory of that 2022 encerrona hung over the corrida from its very start, Emilio being called out into the arena to take saludos, and today was his recompense.

A pase de pecho on Emilio de Justo’s first bull…

His first garcigrande was a large-horned bull that received little capote (today’s wind made capework virtually impossible) and three varas, two of which were unplanned. After this unpromising start, Emilio fought both the wind and the bull, some initial half-kneeling muletazos bringing applause and the extremeño going on to construct some fine derechazos, with just one series of naturales, all ayudados due to the conditions. An ear may well have been in the offing, so positive was the crowd to the effort Emilio was making, but two pinchazos and an estocada running round put paid to that.

… and a derechazo to his second

Emilio managed one verónica to today’s fifth bull before the wind took over, then opted to save the animal for the faena, dedicated to the public. After his characteristic half-kneeling muleta passes to begin with, de Justo produced wonderful series of controlled derechazos, his figure relaxed, very reminiscent of José Miguel Arroyo Joselito. The first series of naturales was rushed in comparison, the matador eventually defeated and returning to the right hand for more excellent derechazos, although there were some decent naturales before more half-kneeling muletazos and a strong estocada to finish. Incomprehensibly, the president opted to give the bull a vuelta en arrastre, leading to whistles and calls for him to step down. De Justo was delighted nevertheless in his vuelta with the animal’s two ears.

Tomás Rufo almost added a Madrid Puerta Grande to his recent Sevilla triumph, only to suffer a desarme and then go on too long, the quality of his passes decreasing, on his first bull. After dousing his muleta with water, Tomás began this faena with close and risky passes from both knees, capturing the crowd’s support, and followed that with trademark stretched and curving derechazos. The naturales were not as strong, although he did manage one near-circular pass that drew praise from the spectators. His pases de pecho were similarly received. The passes became rougher as the faena continued, but he closed with a good estocada. Most of the crowd petitioned for an ear, duly given, although there were some protests as Tomás collected it.

Tomás looked to accompany Emilio de Justo out of the Puerta Grande as he started the day’s final faena, but there was little to do with this garcigrande, so the matador had to settle for leaving the plaza on foot to an ovation.

Morante de la Puebla (2nd from right) and his cuadrilla leave the plaza to pitos and cushions

Morante de la Puebla, on the other hand, left the plaza with cushions raining down. He had drawn the worst of today’s uninspiring garcigrandes with his second animal, a manso that would not come forward to the lure, or, if it did, hooked in the process. Morante treated it as he had done his first, coming out for the faena with the killing sword alreaay in his hand, performing a short faena de aliño and killing badly. The performance with his first bull was the worse of the two, Morante allowing it to be punished in no less than five varas, three of which were unplanned, and then despatching it with four pinchazos and 11 descabellos, somehow managing to avoid an aviso. Both showings ended to broncas and shouts of “You’re not in Sevilla now!”