San Isidro, May 19: Madrileños on their feet for Roca Rey

Desplante from Andrés Roca Rey

It was a long time coming, and almost at a point where people had given up on the corrida. Although impressive-looking, in terms of performance, today’s bulls of Victoriano del Río had given little to justify their preferred status by the figuras, or, indeed, their strong start to this year’s temporada. Four of the preceding five bulls had been taken out of the plaza to pitos, and the fifth (the corrida’s opener) to a division of opinions. The string was generally manso en varas, weak-legged and showed a marked predilection for querencias. The festejo’s final bull, although met nicely by Roca Rey with verónicas (gaining ground), a media verónica and a further remate in which one hand allowed the capote to fall, had been treated kindly en varas but had proved difficult to engage en banderillas, the tercio taking an age to complete.

After dedicating to the public, Roca Rey got down on his knees en rayas and eventually managed to catch the bull’s attention. It came charging towards the young Peruvian, who, after an initial pase cambiado por la espalda, captured it in breath-taking derechazos, the horns close to his face, before getting to his feet for a defiant pase de pecho given looking at the tendido. The victoriano was already stopping mid-charge and having to be forced past. The first unanimous exclamations of “Olé!” of the corrida (a full house, evidencing the Spanish public’s continuing fascination with Roca Rey) rang out: they were not to be the last. It also marked the first of several times that people got to their feet to applaud the young matador.

Scenes from Roca Rey’s faenón

Roca Rey then moved the bull to a less windy spot and settled into series of derechazos, the passes given at a short distance from, and close to the bull, and some of them very slow indeed. The plaza was in a clamour, even more so when Andrés produced similar passes with his left hand. After further derechazos, there was a prolonged period of arrimón, the torero standing his ground, keeping the bull close to him and forcing it round his body, linking the passes, some tandas including a cambio de mano, luquesinas or an arrucina, and winning standing ovations as the series finished with the bull’s horns frequently bordering the torero’s waist: sheer mastery and utter bravery. An aviso sounded before the youngster went to collect the sword and a communal groan was heard as only half the estoque could be forced into the bull. Three descabellos were needed before the animal stopped standing: it was taken out to applause, while Roca Rey, constructor of a memorable faenón, received a standing ovation.

Earlier, Andrés was visibly annoyed when sloppy work by his cuadrilla allowed his first bull to go twice to the reserve picador. Although the faena was begun well, very soon the Peruvian was having to deal with the increasing wind, barracking from some in the crowd and a degenerating toro; he eventually opted to cut his losses.

Nine years after his alternativa, Fernando Adrián’s status is finally confirmed in Madrid

Apart from Roca Rey’s magnificent showing with the sixth bull, the only other occurence of note was the opening faena by Fernando Adrián, winner of last year’s Copa Chenel who was consequently confirming his alternativa at the age of 30. Although he, too, dropped to his knees to commence this faena, most of the suertes that followed were classic series of derechazos or naturales closed with chest passes, although there was a close pase cambiado por la espalda, forcing the matador to arch his back, and he opted to end with manoletinas. A swordthrust to the bull’s shoulder cost him a probable ear. His second bull, wonderfully built with large horns, entered the ring as lord of all it surveyed. Although Adrián tried to succed with it in the faena, the animal had an unpredictable charge and its matador clearly lacked confidence. The estocada was good, but Fernando’s afternoon ended in palmas, a much-needed opportunity to re-launch his career now a thing of the past.

Manzanares in a verónica to his first victoriano

Apart from some fine verónicas and a media to his opening bull, José Mari Manzanares may as well not have been here. He gave the animal, which received pitos en arrastre, a poor faena mainly with the right hand before resorting to protracted swordwork. His other victoriano stumbled throughout its lidia and Manzanares opted for an early end, a clean volapié leading to a long death and silence.