‘Toros & Toreros’ Extra (3): Roberto Domínguez
During the presentation of my new book Toros & Toreros/Toros y Toreros to the Club Taurino of London earlier this month, David Fisher made the point that Roberto Domínguez was the finest matador to wield the descabello. I agreed - but added that Roberto was not in my book.
Perhaps I should explain why. Although he took the alternativa in 1972, I never came across the vallisetano until 16 seasons later, at the San Isidro corrida that began in rain but was called off after Domínguez’s first bull when the rain had effectively stopped, giving rise to a bronca in which huge numbers of Las Ventas’ feather-filled cushions were destroyed! According to Carlos Abella, for Domínguez the years up until 1987 had been marked by “fine manners and indecision”. He’d actually spent 1986 away from the bulls in England learning our language, and it was a great shame the CTL only learned of this after the event and never had the chance to welcome Roberto as its guest.
Domínguez impressed after his year away from the plazas with his old-style domination, giving tight passes at the start of faenas to prepare bulls for the remainder of the tercio, and his ability to lidiar. By the time I next saw him - in 1990 - he was being talked of as a rival to the then numero uno, Espartaco. At Sevilla, he managed a fine faena of close, studious series to an anatasio, allowing it to charge in from a distance, and at Santander (with bulls of La Quinta and once again with Espartaco also on the cartel), he brought off what I recorded as “the longest and slowest passes imaginable” on his first, unimpressive animal, then won an ear after a tossing from his second, leading to a scary faena and a good kill.
His solo descabellos, often given half-kneeling, moving the muleta carefully on the sand to lower the bull’s head, then stabbing the short cross-pieced blade just behind its horns, the animal dropping like a stone, were indeed memorable. But the rivalry with Espartaco always struck me as publicists’ fantasy. By the end of the 1992 temporada, both matadors - doubtless well remunerated by the boost the ‘rivalry’ had given to their careers - had announced their retirement.
Ten years later, Roberto took on the role of manager of El Juli, and was credited with encouraging the young matador to focus on his work with the muleta rather than the capote or banderillas. Now, in 2021, he has accepted a similar role with Andrés Roca Rey, and it will be fascinating to see what his influence will be on the Peruvian’s toreo.