San Isidro, May 16: If it’s excitement you’re after, Fonseca’s your man

Isaac Fonseca switches the cloth behind his back in an opening suerte

At the point where we awaited the entrance of the fifth bull, today’s novillada had been largely disappointing thanks in part to weak-legged novillos supplied by Conde de Mayalde, exhibiting more of their Juan Pedro Domecq origins than any semblance of Contreras, the other lineage of a minor part of the ganadería’s herd.

In fact, the first bull had left the ring to deserved applause, Santana Claros having given it rough capework and varied muleta passes, albeit without linking. The malagueño was tossed while delivering an estocada muy contraria (a 15cm cornada in his right leg was operated on after the festejo ended) and received silence for his efforts. But the next two novillos were dreadful, the third the worst of all, falling every time the muleta was kept low. Both animals took a long time to die, belying the view that this reflects an animal’s positive qualities.

A pase del desdén from Santana Claros to his opening novillo

Claros’s second novillo had positive traits too, but the novillero - in his 11th season con picadores - permitted it two unplanned entries to the horse and a severe piccing, which meant, although there was some initial linking in the faena, most of the third tercio involved pegging single passes. The estocada was delivered whilst running across the bull’s head and Claros received silence once more.

Fonseca’s brionesa

Isaac Fonseca had earlier got the crowd buzzing with a daring quite of gaoneras, saltilleras and a brionesa to the day’s opening bull. There was more exciting capework to his own first novillo - verónicas, chicuelinas and a media - but the faena was understandably brief given the poor material to hand, killed with a no-holds-barred estocada, Fonseca taking saludos to an ovation.

Bernadina to his second novillo

Fortunately, the young Mexican’s second novillo, albeit weak on its feet, had more staying power and codicia. He met it with some fine verónicas and a media before losing the cape. Come the faena, dedicated to the public and performed all over the ring, Isaac got down on his knees for some hair-raising passes, including a pase cambiado, an arrucina and a pase de pecho, earning an ovation. Picking up his montera, he then held it in his spare hand as he took the novillo through suave series of derechazos, ending in a standing arrucina performed whilst looking at the tendidos. Naturales followed, before Isaac returned to the right hand for more series before collecting the sword. A closing series of risky bernadinas heralded the kill, at which point a Puerta Grande exit was on the cards. Alas, three attempts were needed with the estoque and today’s president decided that was grounds for ignoring the majority petition that still arose, Fonseca taking a vuelta instead.

Álvaro Burdiel, making his Madrid debut with picadors, also impressed, albeit with a very different approach. His first Conde de Mayalde bull gave no opportunity for success, although there was some nice half-kneeling and standing capework. His second proved a wanderer on entry, Burdiel ending up with it in the the centre of the arena for verónicas, delantales and a closing media verónica in which the Sevillian, schooled at Madrid’s Escuela Taurina José Cubero Yiyo and now managed by Ortega Cano, dropped to his knees.

Burdiel in a pase de la firma, down on one knee

By the tercio de banderillas, the novillo had found its focus. Burdiel dedicated it to the plaza, the serious-faced youngster going on to produce a fine faena almost entirely based on the classic passes, the novillero linking well on either hand. A pinchazo and estocada cost Álvaro the bull’s ear; he received an ovation, taking saludos, after a petition from a small minority. A novillero to keep an eye on for the future.