The indulto of ‘Delicado‘ during Dax’s August feria is the latest highlight in a remarkable temporada being experienced by the Santiago Domecq ganadería.

The ganadería’s season began in relatively low-key fashion when two novillos were supplied for the Arles’s feria novillada featuring Manuel Román and Marco Pérez mano a mano. Román’s bull proved toreable and the Cordoban was unlucky not to cut one of its ears after the French disapproved of its lengthy dying: Pérez’s bull was disappointingly weak-legged.

Next came Sevilla’s Feria de Abril and an opening week corrida for three modestos - José Garrido, David de Miranda and Leo Valadez - programming which came as some surprise given the ranch’s successes in Madrid and Bilbao in 2023. “A corrida painted by the hand of God,” wrote Zabala de la Serna of the afternoon in El Mundo. “A picture of bulls that were very beautiful in their seriousness and deep ferocity, with an exceptional fifth animal that was truly a toro de vacas.” Many spectators asked for an indulto for that bull, ‘Tobarro’, and there was a post-corrida outcry that the animal had not been given the vuelta en arrastre it merited. The jury of La Real Maestranza chose ‘Tobarro’ (from which David de Miranda cut two ears) as the best bull of the feria and Santiago Domecq as having provided the most complete corrida, while Sevilla’s College of Veterinarios opted for ‘Diestro’, de Miranda’s other bull from the string, as being the feria’s best animal. José Garrido’s first bull had also yielded an ear. Santiago Domecq, sitting in the tendidos, was given an ovation during the corrida and his son, Santi, commented: “It’s been an historic afternoon. I don’t think my father has experienced such an emotional moment in the more than 50 years he’s been coming to this plaza.”

San Isidro followed - a corrida for Ignacio Uceda Leal, Alejandro Talavante and Borja Jiménez. One bull had unfortunately to be replaced by a bull of Jandilla, but, with another animal ruined by the picador, two of the remaining four proved to be exceptional, Borja Jiménez winning an ear from one of them despite two attempts with the estoque. ‘Tejonero’, Borja’s bull, was later pronounced as the feria’s best bull by Telemadrid’s awards jury.

Aside from a single, difficult, bull for Roca Rey at Marbella on June 6, the ganadería’s next festejo was at Saint Sever, France, on June 23, with Sebastián Castella, Daniel Luque and Fernando Adrián as the matadors. The bulls’ performances were variable, but Adrián drew the best of the lot, his first bull proving to be the strongest of the six, the madrileño taking its two ears, while his second lifted the picador’s horse twice and won applause before a further ear was ceded. Castella also cut an ear.

Valencia’s Feria de San Jaime followed - six bulls (that had originally been earmarked for Las Fallas only to be turned down) for a mano a mano between Paco Ureña and Román. The first, second and third bulls were all notable, but it was the fourth of the string, ‘Escondido’, that impressed most of all - “In the muleta, the bull’s bravura was exceptional,” reported mundotoro, “It was quick, spirited, impetuous - a charging machine.” Román let it charge at the cloth from a distance and the animal’s eagerness to attack the lure and staying power led the spectators to successfully petition for its indulto. ‘Escondido’ was awarded the prize for the feria’s best bull and Santiago Domecq for the best corrida.

A single bull for David de Miranda’s encerrona during Huelva’s feria was criticised for its appearance, although it co-operated sufficiently in its faena for the onubense to win an ear from it.

Dax, however, would even supersede Valencia in terms of the ganadería’s results, for not only was another bull, ‘Delicado’, a sobrero for the sixth which had damaged a hoof, indultado, but two others, the second and third, were each given a vuelta en arrastre. At the end of the corrida, Santi Domecq and the mayoral accompanied Miguel Ángel Perera (who’d won two ears from the opening bull) and Clemente (who’d cut an ear from his first and symbolic ears and tails from his second) on shoulders. The unlucky torero was Ginés Marín, who drew one of the bulls later given a vuelta, but who lost an ear from it with a bajonazo.

The next day, August 16, the ganadería was due to participate in another corrida at Béziers, with Alejandro Talavante, Daniel Luque and Borja Jiménez also on the cartel, but unfortunately the event was rained off. It leaves the intriguing question of whether the string will be put on elsewhere this season - five of the seven bulls taken to Béziers were in their fifth year. At the time of writing, the only other corrida of Santiago Domecq bulls planned for 2024 is at Aranjuez on September 7, when Morante de la Puebla, Alejandro Talavante and Daniel Luque are due to take part in the town’s traditional corrida goyesca.