Indultitis breaks out at Marbella
No less than three of El Juli’s El Freixo bulls were shown the orange handkerchief and indultado at Marbella’s plaza de toros on June 14, the first toreado by Manzanares and the second and third by Alejandro Talavante. The third torero on the cartel, Fortes, had to kill both his bulls, but joined his companions in a salida a hombros after cutting his fourth ear from the last bull of the afternoon.
All three of the bulls that left the arena alive showed a fixity on the cloth, but, in doing so, transmitted all the danger of a domesticated dog. It was impossible to gauge their reaction to the picadors’ puyazos as each bull was given just one entry to the horse. The first toro indultado was escarbando from the start of its lidia; the second was weak-legged and had a short charge; while the third, another to escarbar, was the best of the bunch, exhibiting a strong charge.
My criteria for determining whether an indulto is warranted are as follows:
The bull should have an impressive appearance (including it’s horn conformation) on its entry to the arena.
The bull should perform strongly in the suerte de varas, taking into account the number of times it goes to the horse. It should charge keenly throughout, ideally from a distance, and secure a derribo or push hard against the peto.
The bull should be a strong and spirited opponent in the second and third tercios, demonstrating an eagerness to charge towards the lure throughout the faena and lowering its head to attack the muleta.
In summary, the bull should be exceptionally good. None of the El Freixo bulls indultado at Marbella complied with all of these criteria.
What was strange was that the president signalled the first two indultos very quickly, avoiding all of the uncertainty in the arena that usually accompanies such events, but then hesitated on the third despite this bull having performed the strongest of the three.
Of course, Marbella’s bullring was shut for nine years prior to its reinauguration a year ago and the plaza is now being recuperated in the hands of a group of taurinos that includes Miguel Báez Litri, Fermín Bohórquez and Raúl Gracia El Tato. Doubtless, indultos here are welcome publicity and will help attract more public to the bullring in future.
The corrida had its bizarre moments - Manzanares toreando his second bull with a business card sticking out of his jacket; Talavante circling the ring with a tail in each hand; and a puerta grande that was so low that a torero on shoulders can barely get under it!
For those interested in the impact of Andalucía’s new Reglamento Taurino, which commenced earlier this year, Marbella has demonstrated the document’s complete ineffectiveness. With regard to indultos, the Reglamento states they can be made if:
In the president’s judgement, the bull’s behaviour has been exceptional throughout its lidia. In particular, the animal should have performed excellently in the suerte de varas and demonstrated fixity on the lure, a lowering of its head, and an eager, determined and long-lasting charge, turning back towards the lure to charge again;
Practically all the spectators ask for the award to be given;
The matador concerned asks for the indulto too; and
The ganadero or mayoral concerned agrees an indulto should occur.
At Marbella, only the third indultado bull, and the crowd’s reaction to it, came anywhere near to meeting these criteria. In no instance did the matador appear to ask for an indulto; indeed, in the case of the first two bulls, the timing of the indulto was such that neither the matador nor the ganadero could have been involved in the decision.