Hard bulls and tough matadors (2025 Season Review Pt5)

A Dolores Aguirre bull at Orthez in July

The English aficionado Michael Wigram used to refer to them as ‘los legionarios’ - those matadors on the hard bull circuit, constantly having to face toros duros in order to maintain a living. 2025 saw a changing of the guard in this area, with a number of younger toreros supplanting the more familiar names of yesteryear.

The three main participants on this circuit now are Damián Castaño (35), the younger brother of fellow legionario Javier Castaño who retired this season at the age of 45, the Colombian Juan Pablo Correa Juan de Castilla (31) and Noé Gómez del Pilar (35).

As Manuel Escribano pointed out in his autobiography, successes with toros duros are generally hard to come by, but, when they are achieved, are valued highly by the toreros and the afición.

Damián Castaño with a miura

Damián Castaño, whose corrida numbers almost doubled this year compared to 2024, went out on shoulders in his first corrida of the season at Villaseca de la Sagra, but then had two trophy-less afternoons in Las Ventas, punctuated by a unique appearance with six Dolores Aguirre bulls at Club 3 Puyazos’ Feria del Aficionado, when he received five ovations. A notoriously poor swordsman, Castaño had to wait until Guijuelo in August and a bull of Jesús Enrique Fraile de Valdefresno for his first two-ear faena. He cut single ears from a miura at Santander (an heroic appearance, Damián carrying a wound from a bull of José Escolar inflicted at Mont de Marsan four days earlier) and an aguirre at Bilbao, and achieved another two-ear faena with a Vellosino bull at Béjar’s old bullring. Finishing 23rd in the escalafón with 19 corridas to his name, Castaño has recently told La Razón he wants to be a figura of toros duros: Rafaelillo, for one, (see below) might tell him to be careful of what he wishes for.

Juan de Castilla with an escolar

Thirty-first in the standings on 15 corridas was Juan de Castilla. After cutting an ear from a Cuadri bull in the Feria del Aficionado and being awarded a vuelta at Madrid’s Feria de San Isidro, Juan had a triumph at El Tiemblo in June, cutting three ears from bulls of Baltasar Ibán. Single ears were also cut from a Pages-Mailhan bull at Mimizan, an escolar at Pamplona and a Veiga Teixeira bull at Orthez. An afternoon of domecq Toros de Ojailén at Almorox brought a salida a hombros while, back in France (where almost half of his corridas took place), Juan cut single ears from an Araúz de Robles bull at Bayonne (where he also received two cornadas) and a Robert Margé bull at Dax.

Gómez del Pilar with a Veiga Teixeira bull

Noé Gómez del Pilar was 34th in the escalafón on 13 corridas, but, with 14 ears and a tail cut, had the most successful temporada of these three matadors. His triumphs occurred with Portuguese Voltalegre bulls at Fitero in March; a Santa Teresa bull (a mix of Gamero Cívico and Guardiola stock) at Cebreros in August; and with a Pallarés bull at Sotillo de la Adrada and two bulls of Santiago Domecq at Yepes in September, at the end of which month he also cut an ear from a Rehuelga bull at Madrid’s Las Ventas.

Behind these three, Luis Gerpe and Cristóbal Reyes are forging a reputation as toreros who are willing to face the more challenging ganaderías, while Jesús Enrique Colombo and Román are not afraid of appearing with formidable opponents when necessary.

Luis Gerpe with a bull of Dolores Aguirre

Thirty-two-year-old Luis Gerpe, from Toledo province, took the alternativa in 2015. His corrida numbers each season are quite small - just six in 2025 - but increasingly strong performances at Las Ventas have been raising his profile. This year, he was awarded vueltas on each of his two appearances in Spain’s capital (the first with Saltillo bulls and the second with bulls of Partido de Resina and Monteviejo), while his sole oreja was won at Alés at the end of May. He finished 57th in the escalafón.

Cristóbal Reyes (Image from tertulias.fr)

Cristóbal Reyes had even fewer appearances - just three - and won no awards at all, leaving him 88th in the escalafón. Twenty-eight-years-old and from Jerez, Cristobal’s appearances were all in April, when he fought José Escolar bulls at Saint Martin de Crau, a bull of Prieto de la Cal and a cuadri at San Agustín de Guadalix, and saltillos at Las Ventas.

Jesús Enrique Colombo toreando a Gallon bull

The Venezuelan Jesús Enrique Colombo was 43rd in the escalafón with 12 ears from nine appearances. He achieved triumphs at Istres with bulls of Montealto and Hubert Yonnet; Teruel with murteiras; Pamplona with miuras; and Utiel with the murubes of Castillejo de Huebra. Other 2025 contracts involved a second afternoon with miuras and corridas with bulls of Pedraza de Yeltes, Pages-Mailhan, Dolores Aguirre and Partido de Resina.

Román, here with a Domingo Hernández bull

Román Collado Román finished 32nd in the escalafón with 12 ears cut from 14 corridas. The 32-year-old valenciano’s best afternoons came in June at Sahagún with a bull of Valdellán and at San Roque in August with an Araúz de Robles bull; he also cut single ears at Madrid’s Las Ventas, from a fuenteymbro in May and a victorino in October, as well as an ear from a Fermín Bohórquez bull at Sevilla in April. Other contracts involved pedrazas (in Madrid, Román earning a vuelta) and cebadagagos in Pamplona.

Manuel Escribano with a bull of Victorino Martín

The veteran legionarios

Forty-one-year-old Manuel Escribano (eighth in the escalafón, with 71 ears and two tails cut from 37 corridas) continues to be the leading older generation matador on the hard bull circuit. Although his corridas involve commercial hierros too, he is more impressive toreando challenging bulls, as this year’s triumphs with miuras at Inca, victorinos at Sevilla and Alicante (a six-bull encerrona) and murteiras at Herrera del Duque demonstrated.

Antonio Ferrera killing a Núñez del Cuvillo bull

Antonio Ferrera is another veteran prepared, amidst other contracts, to take on toros duros, when he is often seen at his best. Somewhat out of fashion with the main ferias these days but still a force to be reckoned with in his home region of Extremadura, Antonio came 16th in the escalafón, with 44 ears and four tails cut from 24 corridas. The 47-year-old’s best afternoons occurred at Castellón, where he had a La Quinta bull indultado; Mérida; Yecla; Cáceres; Badajoz, with further La Quinta bulls; Moraleja; Inca, where he cut two ears and a tail from an adolfo; Almendralejo; Baeza; Tarazona de la Mancha; Cartagena (three ears and a tail from bulls of Sobral); Barcarrota; Don Benito; and Navaluenga.

Fernando Robleño with a José Escolar bull

Fernando Robleño joined Javier Castaño in the retirement ranks with a final, excellent, performance at Las Ventas on October 12 when only his swordwork prevented a Puerta Grande exit, the 48-year-old madrileño cutting an ear instead. Fortieth in the escalafón with 11 appearances and five ears, Fernando’s last season was a typical one, with afternoons involving bulls of Dolores Aguirre, Adolfo Martín, José Escolar and Toros de Sobral.

Morenito de Aranda with another escolar

Jesús Martínez Morenito de Aranda (40) finished 19th in the escalafón with 26 ears cut from 21 corridas. He went out on shoulders at Gamarde les Bains; Vic Fezensac (where he fought bulls of Flor de Jara and Araúz de Robles in an encerronas); Burgos (facing bulls of Antonio Bañuelos); Villacañas (with alcurrucenes); El Espinar, Añover de Tajo and Talavera de la Reina (all corridas of Peñajara bulls, the latter another six-bull encerrona) and Torrijos (with bulls of Pedrés). His contracts also included afternoons with bulls of Pedraza de Yeltes, Victorino Martín and José Escolar.

Rafaelillo in a chest pass to a bull of La Palmosilla

Finally, spare a thought for another veteran legionario, Rafael Rubio Rafaelillo, as 2025 comes to an end. The 46-year-old is still recovering from injuries sustained at Pamplona in July, when a bull of José Escolar tossed the murciano and broke eight of his ribs. Despite being in evident pain, Rafael completed the bull’s lidia before walking to the enfermería and being awarded the animal’s ear. He finished 103rd in the escalafón, his only other corrida this year being with Palha bulls in Las Ventas in April, both lidias ending to silence. With such punishing injuries, and declining contract numbers meaning only encounters with very tricky bulls are offered him, there must now be a question-mark over Rafael’s career as a matador continuing.