*Emiliano Osornio (image from titansports.mx)*

Curro Vázquez’s end-of-season decision to return to torero management and take on the young Mexican Emiliano Osornio was a reminder that the lower escalafón, while perhaps not being as noteworthy as recent years’, still contained some notable promises for the future. Osornio finished 20th in the 2025 escalafón, with 17 ears and a tail cut from 15 corridas. After receiving an ovation and silence on his Madrid debut in March, Emiliano won an ear from a novillo of Baltasar Ibán at Mugron in April and then didn’t reappear until August. A four-ear triumph that month at Villafranca de la Sierra was followed by September exits on shoulders at Arganda del Rey (where he won the prize for the feria’s most artistic faena), El Casar, Fuensalida and Arnedo, where he cut three ears and won the ‘Zapata de Oro’ as triunfador of the town’s prestigious feria de novilladas. Back in Madrid for the Feria de Otoño, Osornio received two ovations and caught Curro’s eye. The 22-year-old’s presence in next year’s Las Fallas and Feria de San Isidro has already been announced.

Bruno Aloi was another Mexican novillero making an impact in Spain. The youngster, who finished 24th in the escalafón with seven ears cut from 12 appearances, began his European season with an earless pre-San Isidro festejo at Las Ventas, but he had three more novilladas in the capital during the year, winning an ear on his second. He left Navas de San Juan on shoulders in June and Amorox in August and cut single ears at Guadalajara, Santander and Tudela. Competent and varied in his toreo, 24-year-old Bruno took the alternativa from Andrés Roca Rey back home in Mexico at Aguascalientes on November 22.

Another novillero to become a matador de toros before the year was out was Javier Zulueta, who took the alternativa from Morante de la Puebla during Sevilla’s Feria de San Miguel. Finishing second in the escalafón de novilleros with 37 ears cut from 30 festejos, Javier could point to his successes at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Castellón, Constantina, Lucena, Córdoba, Huelva, Santa Olalla del Cala and Murcia and the single ears he cut at Zaragoza, Sevilla and Bilbao as signs of his growing maturity. The problem he faces in 2026 is that he is contracted to Pagés, now stripped of power and influence following the empresa’s loss of Sevilla’s La Maestranza. However, la casa Matilla have given him a spot in their Castellón feria carteles.

The escalafón was headed by the zaragozano Iker Fernández El Mene with a total of 37 novilladas, from which 29 ears were cut. With a noticeable bache early on in the temporada, it perhaps wasn’t as successful a season as looked on the cards for him at the end of 2024, but Iker was pronounced triunfador of Algemesí’s September feria de novilladas and enjoyed other triumphs at Valencia (winning the prize for best novillero at Las Fallas), Las Matas (with La Quinta bulls), Santisteban del Puerto, Parentis en Born, Macotera, Colmenar Viejo, El Álamo, Villaseca de la Sagra (where he cut three ears from a Montealto encerrona after an injured Aarón Palacio had to withdraw from the original mano a mano cartel), Calasparra and Méntrida. He also cut an ear in Las Ventas at one of the capital’s July novilladas nocturnas.

*Tomás Bastos (image from touroeouro.com)*

The 18-year-old Portuguese Tomás Bastos came away from Villaseca de la Sagra’s famous feria de novilladas with the prizes for best faena and feria triunfador. Managed by Cristina Sánchez, he finished ninth in the escalafón with 35 ears cut from 22 festejos, equalling eighth-placed Aarón Palacio’s tally, albeit with one novillada less. His start of the season included a four-ear triumph at Olivenza and further departures on shoulders occurred at Villafranca de los Barros, Boujan-sur-Libron, Almendralejo, Alcántara, Morata de Tajuña, Moralzarzal and Algemesí. He also won two ears at Sanlúcar de Barrameda’s final of the Liga Nacional de Novilladas, having qualified as the winner of the Circuito de Novilladas de Extremadura. His country hasn’t had a major torero since Pedrito de Portugal, but maybe Tomás, born in the taurine stronghold of Vila Franca de Xira, will be Portugal’s next big taurine success: he is hoping to take the alternativa next Spring.

*Julio Norte (image from www.salamanca24horas.com)*

Salamancan Julio Norte, managed by the former matador Domingo López Chaves, was a major participant in 2025’s novilladas, winning el Circuito de Novilladas de Castilla y León as well as being the triunfador of Arganda del Rey’s feria. Tenth in the escalafón with 48 ears and a tail cut from 21 novilladas, Julio’s temporada ended on September 22 at San Agustín de Guadalix with a very serious goring in the perineum that damaged his sphincter muscle and bladder. Before then, he’d tasted success (amongst other plazas) at Garlin on his debut with picadors, Villanueva del Campo, Navas de San Juan, Moraleja, Astorga, Herrera de Pisuerga, Guijuelo, Cercedilla, Béjar, Cadalso de los Vidrios and at San Agustín the day before his injury.

Heading Julio Norte with the largest novillero tally of trophies, Julio Méndez - with 51 ears and five tails - finished third in the escalafón on 28 appearances. His debut with picadors, at Mérida on February 22, couldn’t have been more successful, Julio cutting four ears and two tails. Further triumphs followed at Mugron, Malpartida de Plasencia, Navas de San Juan, Valdetorres de Jarama, Fregenal de la Sierra, Hagetmau, El Burgo de Osma, Arenas de San Pedro, Colmenar Viejo, Guadalix de la Sierra, Villarrubia de Santiago, Navalcarnero and San Agustín de Guadalix (twice). The only first class plaza he appeared in was Málaga, where he cut an ear, but expect to see this talented novillero creating an impact in the important bullrings in 2026.

*Álvaro Serrano (image from revistatauromadrid.com)*

Álvaro Serrano, an alumno of the Escuela Taurina de Navas del Rey, was the winner of el Circuito de Novilladas de Madrid after defeating Julio Méndez in the competition’s mano a mano final at San Martín de Valdeiglesias on July 13. Finishing fourth in the escalafón with 25 appearances and a yield of 42 ears and a tail, Álvaro was also borne aloft from bullrings at El Álamo, Talamanca de Jarama, Las Matas, Alalpardo, Roquefort, La Granja de San Ildefonso, Pedrajas de San Esteban, Villaseca de la Sagra, Navacerrada, Villa del Prado, Navalcarnero and Villaviciosa de Odón. He will be another to target the main rings in 2026, and, with his grounding - his 2025 triumphs included afternoons with bulls of La Quinta, José Escolar and Baltasar Ibán - should do well.

*Pedro Andrés (image from elespanol.com)*

Pedro Andrés, from Vitoria-Gasteiz, had a second strong season con picadores, finishing fifth in the escalafón with 39 ears from 24 appearances. His most successful afternoons occurred at Villoria, Motilla del Palancar, Briviesca, Cantalejo, Pedrajas de San Esteban, Ayllón and Mojados, and he appeared with a wide range of hierros, including Oliveiras Irmaos, Antonio Bañuelos, Raso de Portillo, Pincha, Prieto de la Cal, Couto de Fornilhos, Dolores Aguirre and Cebada Gago. He needs to be placed in the main plazas and to do well to keep his career on track for 2026.

*Cristian González (image from aficiontaurinavalladolid.com)*

Cristian González, sixth in the escalafón, had a similarly strong second season con picadores, winning 37 ears and two tails from his 24 appearances. The 19-year-old, originally from Salamanca but an alumno from Ciudad Real’s Escuela Taurina ‘Puerta Grande’, triumphed at Villoria, Navas de San Antonio, Malpartida de Plasencia, Huelva, Lodosa, Vélez Rubio, Villafranca de la Sierra, Casavieja, Solanillos del Extremo and Cuerva. However, it was perhaps not the temporada the youngster was hoping for - an evening appearance in Sevilla’s La Maestranza in June brought two silences; he failed to be selected for any of the September ferias de novilladas he’d earlier said he hoped to appear in, apart from Calasparra; and his last six novilladas only brought him five ears. He described this year as being an “all or nothing” season, so his future must be somewhat unclear.

*Mario Vilau (image from toro-live.com)*

The winner of the Liga Naciona de Novilladas’ final was the Catalan Mario Vilau (see my earlier article ‘Catalunya produces a leading novillero’) in his first full temporada con picadores. Seventeenth in the escalafón, with 15 appearances and 35 ears and a tail, and winner of the Circuito Valenciano de Novilladas, Mario’s most successful afternoons were at Vinaroz (twice), Céret, Gavilanes, Íscar, Pedrajas de San Esteban, Algemesí, Villena, La Peza and Mejorada del Campo. His manager, Enrique Guillen, from whose Escuela Taurina de Catalunya Vilau graduated, will be looking to place his charge in the main plazas next season.

Sergio Sánchez, winner of last year’s Liga Nacional final, had a disappointing 2025 with just 12 novilladas and nine ears to his name, leaving him 22nd in the escalafón. His year began well with three ears at Olivenza, but there were only two more two-ear performances, at Fuentes de León and Badajoz in June, and most of his faenas after that ended to silence. Currently without a manager, it remains to be seen if the extremeño can pick things up in 2026.

What to say of Olga Casado that hasn’t been said already (see my earlier posting ‘What has happened to Olga Casado?’)? She’s had a year of cushioned, favourable, treatment, largely eschewing competition with fellow novilleros for a format of corridas mixtas or festivales with the leading matadors. The woman shows undoubted promise, but this is not the way to build a successful, long-term career. She finished 13th in the escalafón with 18 appearances, from which 37 ears and two tails were cut. Outside of festivales, her big successes came at Talayuela, Puertollano, Antequera, Lunel, Cella, Sabiote, Valdilecha and Los Santos de la Humosa. She closed her European temporada with a two-ear triumph at the Las Ventas festival on October 12, and has since continued her formula in Latin America. She says she dreams of an alternativa at Nîmes - managed by Simon Casas, what can stop her? I expect that to occur in May 2026, but what happens to Olga after that is anyone’s guess.

Son of the Monte La Ermita ganadero and an architect by profession, the madrileño Félix San Román finished 18th in the escalafon, his 15 novilladas bringing him 33 ears and a tail. He cut four ears in a novillada at Navalagamella on May 10, but his season didn’t really get underway until late July with triumphs at Gavilanes and Candelario. Other successful afternoons followed at Cantalejo, Tarazona, Sepúlveda, Trillo, El Casar, Villa del Prado, Sonseca (despite an injury) and Mejorada del Campo. He called a halt to his temporada after the shoulder injury incurred at Sonseca was aggravated at a September festival.

*Jorge Hurtado (image from tendido5.com)*

Jorge Hurtado, from Coria, debuted with picadors at Mérida on February 22, winning three ears, and went on to have further triumphal afternoons at Malpartida de Plasencia, Almendralejo, Moraleja, Alcántara and Cadalso de los Vidrios. The 17-year-old, a graduate of Badajoz’s escuela taurina, ended up 35th in the escalafón with an impressive 20 ears and two tails from eight appearances.

From Guadalajara, Jesús Romero had a similarly short season but created a string of favourable reports on his performances. He won 19 ears and two tails from his seven appearances, his big triumphs occurring at La Solana, Sigüenza, Villamayor de Santiago and Azuqueca de Henares, while, in the novillada ferias, he cut an ear from each of his novillos at Calasparra and earned an ear and a vuelta at Arganda del Rey. Romero, who debuted with picadores in 2022, but who only had two contracts in 2024, finished 40th in this year’s novillero escalafón.

Novilleros with promise (2025 Season Review Pt4)

A veedor looks back