San Isidro, May 17: Not quite a funeral
Today’s bulls wore black divisas in memory of their departed ganadero
Today, as the half-full plaza testified, was one of the month-long feria’s lighter carteles. But I was looking forward to it for two reasons - firstly, it provided a rare opportunity to see Mexico’s leading matador, Joselito Adame, in action (someone I’ve had a soft spot for ever since seeing him 15 years ago out-perform José Tomás at Nîmes in the Mexican’s second-ever corrida), and secondly, the bulls were the equally rarely seen animals of Arauz de Robles, a unique herd, known in part for its varied hide colours, which - again, several years ago - I saw perform brilliantly in a corrida at Albacete with Finito de Córdoba, Joselito and Enrique Ponce. Long gone, however, are the days when Spain’s figuras would face these animals, a unique blend of bloodlines, principally Gamero Cívico and Saltillo.
The corrida began with a minute’s silence in memory of the ganadero, Don Francisco Javier Arauz de Robles, who died in January at the age of 87, and today’s bulls bore black divisas de luto rather than the herd’s usual colours of red and white. It became apparent as the corrida went on that the family has work to do to improve their livestock: we were unfortunate to lose the opening bull early on with a broken hoof (to be replaced by two bulls of Chamaco), but the remainder were generally manso, stumbling and weak.
Joselito Adame, apart from his work with the sword, had an excellent afternoon, but one that could have so nearly ended in tragedy. His Chamaco opponent was another manso, tricky on its left horn; the matador gave it a short but intense faena mainly on the right hand, linking and turning the animal superbly, and may even have won an ear if not for two executions of the kill.
He met the fourth bull with feet-together verónicas. It overturned the picador’s horse on its first entry, but showed its manso nature by quickly escaping the puya on its second encounter. To begin the faena, Joselito positioned himself by the barrera to cite the animal from a distance for an estatuario. However, the bull failed to follow the cloth cleanly and, charging at full pelt, the side of its left horn crashed into one of Adame’s legs, sending the matador up into the air, Joselito landing badly on the base of his neck, reminiscent of the career-ending cogida of Julio Robles and Emilio de Justo’s recent near-equivalent.
Down, but not out - Joselito Adame recovered from a brutal tossing
As others dealt with the bull, Joselito remained on his hands and knees on the sand for a while before moving, with assistance, to the estribo. Eventually, he returned to his feet and to the job in hand. The faena that followed was marvellous, the bull charging well and Adame, showing his experience once more, producing fine, linked series to either horn, often crossing the line of charge at their commencement. This time, his swordwork - another pinchazo and estocada - definitely cost him an ear, the hard-hearted denizens of Tendido Siete jeering the Mexican’s emotional vuelta before he slipped away for medical attention. The bull was applauded en arrastre to the concern of some commentators who pointed out that its apparent strength was down to the fact that it had avoided being picced to any meaningful extent.
The other successful, but awardless, matador of the afternoon was young Ángel Téllez, who drew an initial bull that was keen on the horse but then walked through its faena. This was another animal that was taken out to applause, and, indeed, it won praise in several subsequent crónicas for its sweet nature, permitting Téllez to perform close, well-structured series that included several de frente naturales, but (as with the galaches in Salamanca last year) I have a problem in appreciating bulls that move slowly - I want to see animals that charge rather than ones that look like subservient dogs - and could not join in the general excitement the faena generated. It ended with a pinchazo and estocada caída, a borderline petition not acceded to, and a vuelta by the matador.
Ángel Téllez in a natural to his first Arauz de Robles bull
Téllez produced a solid, first-time estocada to his second bull, as is the way of these things. This was a faena de menos a más, featuring some decent naturales and a couple of near-cogidas and crowned with close manoletinas. A small petition followed, Ángel taking saludos before leaving the arena in the slowest possible walk across the plaza, soaking up the continuing applause.
This was an afternoon Pepe Moral, absent from his home feria of Sevilla, will want to forget. His first Arauz de Robles bull retreated from the lure and took up a querencia where it had earlier met the picador. Although Tendido Siete opted to criticise him for not crossing as early as the third muletazo, there was little Pepe could do other than kill the beast, which he proceeded to achieve with a pinchazo, a media estocada and no less than eight descabellos, a clearly scared Moral constantly prodding the bull’s muzzle in order to lower its head and running back when he thought it might charge, losing the muleta once in the process. Two avisos were heard and pitos followed.
Pepe Moral trying to make amends with his second bull
The lightest of today’s encierro at 515 kilos entered the plaza to no protests. Another manso, it subsequently took Pepe and his cuadrilla an age to position it for a second puyazo to be administered and the final pair of banderillas placed. Moral dedicated to the public and got down on his knees in the centre of the ring for initial derechazos and chest passes, but pases enganchados predominated in the faena and one wondered if things would have improved by the bull being given more distance. A fine estocada and silence brought Pepe’s poor afternoon to an end.