Today’s corrida marking the Santander despedida of Enrique Ponce took on added significance when it was announced that Morante de la Puebla would appear after being out of action with depression for the last two months. The third espada on the cartel, Fernando Adrián, was making his Santander debut. An ovation during the paseíllo was followed by Ponce calling the other two out onto the sand to acknowledge the crowd’s applause before the first bull entered the ring.

Santander took its time to appreciate the toreo of Enrique Ponce, but he gave several notable performances here, including two afternoons in the latter stages of his career when the band played the theme tune from ‘The Mission’ and Enrique produced faenas that accompanied the music (some say he gave more importance to the music than the bull in front of him) and remain in the heads of all those who saw them.

The ganadería of Domingo Hernández produced some unprepossessing bulls for this occasion and it became clear early on that the first animal was weak-legged. Ponce met it with pleasing verónicas and a media verónica. The faena that followed was patchy in quality, lacking in structure, the muletazos quite varied – it seemed almost like a ‘Greatest Hits’ package (albeit without poncinas). The bull appeared best on its left horn, but Enrique stuck mainly to the right, and there were two interruptions – once after a voltereta by the bull and again after the bull’s horn ripped the muleta and the cloth needed changing, the bull charging more energetically after that second break. A strong estocada, delivered after an aviso sounded, persuaded me to join the successful petition for an oreja.

Often when famous matadors are giving farewell performances, there is a presentation, usually a statue or something framed. The Santander authorities, however, had something different in mind. So, before the entry of his last bull, the song ‘Santander La Marinera’ was played over the plaza sound system, the crowd joining in. Indeed, the crowd followed that up with a song of their own, ‘La Fuente de Cacho’. What could be more perfect for a known music lover? Silence was then restored for some inconsistent verónicas and chicuelinas, Enrique not fully confident with this animal. But, come the faena, the veteran was able to assert his authority. The band soon struck up with ‘The Mission’ theme, but this was no smooth affair like its predecessors: rather, Enrique had to work hard to achieve what he wanted, the bull rarely passing with its head lowered. I was lucky enough to be sitting close to the area where the faena was conducted – I have shed a tear or two before now when knowing of my last viewing of toreros I’ve admired, but this time the emotion came from seeing Enrique’s interaction with the crowd in between series and the effort he was making to do well: a matter of mutual respect. The work included poncinas this time and was ended with another determined estocada. There was no doubting the two ears. Enrique – an undoubted torero de época despite the criticisms he has received over the years – embarked on a long vuelta and then became emotional when he stood in the centre of the arena to acknowledge the crowd’s response to him one last time.

Morante de la Puebla made his intentions for the corrida clear when he met his first bull with those trademark head-down, chest-out verónicas, the crowd erupting. A well-executed quite of chicuelinas followed the obligatory vara. Curro Javier was his usual great self en banderillas, although at the end of the tercio the bull looked discoordinated, about to fall over, as if something in it had been damaged by the puya or rehiletes. It did go on to fall in low passes, but the faena, which Morante dedicated to his manager, featured passes on each hand and was templada throughout. There could have been fewer enganches and, perhaps, more turning of the bull, but there were a number of fine passes and a lovely series of naturales towards the faena’s end. The bulk of the crowd, somewhat delirious by now, opted to overlook the bajonazo that ended things and petitioned for an ear, duly awarded. Morante’s good humour was shown during his vuelta when he playfully kicked a beach ball back into the stands!

To my mind, Morante was better still with his second animal. There was little capework as the matador was bumped by the bull and also lost his cape at one point - the stage was set for a typically short Morante faena to a bull he doesn’t like. However, instead we had a repeat of his first showing – a stately, templada performance with some frustrating enganches at passes’ end, but crowned with a wonderful sequence of naturales and a decent estocada al encuentro. A smiling Morante claimed another ear and enjoyed another long vuelta.

With all this going on, it would have been easy for Fernando Adrián to be overlooked, but he ended up as the torero of the day. Here was someone determined to make an impact, and watching him clearly putting himself on the line reminded me of a time when risk was more of a visible factor in corridas than it seems to be these days. It also reminded me of the previous common practice of putting an up-and-coming torero on the cartel as the third participant alongside two established matadors. If only there could be a return to those days…

Adrián greeted his first anovillado bull with four afaroladas de rodillas, then went on to give verónicas from on his knees until the animal (the lightest of the day at 470 kilos – just 35 kilos above the minimum weight for this plaza) collided into him. The bull was distracted and wandering before the picador (Adrián had to abort walking chicuelinas) and en banderillas, and one wondered if it would prove too unruly for a decent faena. Adrián dedicated to his fellow matadors, and then embarked on an extraordinary performance that brought the crowd to its feet, the torero passing the bull unbelievably closely and keeping the muleta in its face to bring off linked, curved passes, with various cambios de mano included to prolong the linking. There was no doubting the estocada and a deserved two ears were his.

Standing for the entry of his second bull (the best-looking of the encerrona), Adrián gave some verónicas, but was then caught, thrown and badly trampled as he took the animal to the picador. After a while, the lidia continued, the matador jacketless now and with a bruised and bloodied face. Following a dedication to the tendidos, Fernando got down on his knees for cambios por espalda, chest passes and derechazos, then stood for linked series of derechazos and naturales, moving the bull around his body, the crowd once again on their feet and in uproar. He finished with close bernadinas before a pinchazo from a faulty entry and then an honest estocada, leaving him with a further ear.

One last word on Enrique – he proved an effective director de la lidia this evening when, in difficult circumstances, he had clear words of encouragement for both Morante (to whom he dedicated his opening faena) and to Adrián. All three matadors had produced a memorable evening. And it was good to see Morante smiling again.