The Feria de San Isidro

The San Isidro Fair of 2009 did not promise very much on paper when the cartels were first announced and they were highly criticized at the time.  Unfortunately, that promise was basically fulfilled.  The final tally of results was not at all brilliant.

However, the corrida of May 21^st will go down in history as the legendary afternoon of José Antonio “Morante de la Puebla”… it is practically impossible to torear with the cape better than he did that day.  He showed himself as a very brave, determined and intelligent torero, fully recovered from past depressions and career slumps.

The other noteworthy afternoon was May 14^th when French-born Sebastián Castella was carried out through the Puerta Grande, the only such triumph in the 25 consecutive afternoons of corridas.

Also important was the performance of the young Daniel Luque (who had impressed us in his performance in Sevilla as well).

A total of 8 ears were cut by matadors: Two by Sebastián Castella and one by “Morante de la Puebla”, Emilio de Justo, Pedro Gutiérrez “Capea”, Matías Tejela, Luis Bolívar and Daniel Luque.  Six trophies were awarded to the rejoneadores: 3 to Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza, and 1 to Andy Cartagena, Álvaro Montes and Leonardo Hernandez, respectively.

Other successful performances were turned in by Sergio Aguilar, David Mora, Colombian Luis Bolívar, Mexican Octavio García “El Payo”, “Morenito de Aranda”, Iván Fandiño and Diego Urdiales.

The overall quality of the bulls was not very satisfactory either, with the exception of Los Recitales, Nuñez de Cuvillo and perhaps the Portuguese bulls of Palha.

What there was an abundance of were injuries, some of which were quite serious.  The tremendous goring of Israel Lancho in the chest on the last bull of May 27^th made everyone think of the fatal gorings of matador José Cubero “Yiyo” in Colomenar Viejo on August 30, 1985, and the banderillero Manolo Montoliu in Sevilla in 1992.  Fortunately, Lancho is recovering well, as are matadors Salvador Cortés, Miguel Abellán, Luis Bolívar and Antonio Ferrera and banderilleros Juan José Gimeno Mora and Ramón Cuesta, who also paid their visits to the bullring infirmary.

The most positive aspect of the fair:  The fact that the bullring was filled every day.  The aficionados and abonados (season pass holders) might be very disappointed but the Taurodelta empresarios, as Liberace once said: “Laughed all the way to the bank!”

Taurodelta Awards

The empresarios of the Las Ventas bullring have designated their traditional awards as follows:

• Best matador of the feria: Morante de la Puebla;
•   Best faena: “Morante de la Puebla”;
• Best novillero: Miguel Ángel Delgado;
• Best rejoneador: Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza
• Best new matador: Daniel Luque
• Best estocada: José María Manzanares
• Best picador: Manuel Jesús Ruiz Román
• Best cape performance by a banderillero: Rafael Perea “Boni”
• Best pair of banderillas: Luis Carlos Aranda
• Best ganadería: Palha

The Feria del Aniversario

This relatively newly created fair tacked on at the end of San Isidro, consisted of six additional corridas, one of which was Rejoneo, in which Andy Cartagena cut two ears.  Another historical afternoon was June 5th when matador Luis Francisco Esplá cut two ears from the fourth bull of the afternoon and was carried out triumphantly through the Puerta Grande, providing the perfect culmination to his 33 years of alternativa and 89 paseíllos in this plaza. 

Also noteworthy were Miguel Tendero, who took the alternativa on June 2^nd in a substitution of José Pedro Prado “El Fundi” and surprised everyone with his self-assurance and maturity.  Miguel Angel Perera, Ignacio Uceda Leal and Sebastián Castella also had highly positive appearances. The series of magnum corridas ended on June 7^th with an excellent corrida of Alcurrucén bulls (the best overall lot we have seen in the past month and a half) and a fine performance by young Ruben Pinar, who cut one ear on each of his bulls and was also carried out through the Puerta Grande!

Perhaps: All’s well that ends well!

Photos:

1. "El Juli"; 2. José María Manzanares'; 3. "Morante de la Puebla"; 4. Sebastián Castella; 5. Picador in danger; 6. The severe  goring of Israel Lancho; 7. Picador's Quixotesque shadow; 8. and 9. Luis Francisco Esplá, before and after his historical perforamnce on June 5th.

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