Santander’s Feria de Santiago seems to get stronger by the year. The dates for the 2025 edition - the first in a new contract awarded to José María Garzón’s Lances de Futuro, who had also been the previous empresa - were announced well in advance, the feria adding a further corrida to make a whole week of festejos; 1,000 young people up to the age of 26 could take up an abono joven for just 57 euros and a 50-euro ‘family ticket’ was available for two adults with two children for the novillada; the imaginative carteles, both in terms of ganaderías and toreros, created much interest nationally; and the feria was duly promoted by Garzón and Santander’s alcadesa in a range of Spanish cities. Prior to the feria commencing, there’d been a 26% increase in abonados, three corridas already sold out (the Morante-Ortega mano a mano and the two festejos featuring Andrés Roca Rey), and the likelihood of substantial attendance at the remaining festejos. But the proof of the pudding would be in the eating - how would the feria turn out?

Saturday July 19: The Novillada - An entertaining start, but…

There are sound reasons why every major feria should include a novillada con picadores. It’s an opportunity to put someone of local interest on and foster the home afición; more broadly, it’s an introduction to possible matadors of the future, encouraging interest in their later careers; and, economically, the rest of the feria can help cover any losses the novillada may involve at a time when the cost of such festejos is high and appearances for novilleros are limited as a consequence.

Fortunately, novilladas in Santander’s feria have a history of being well-attended, today’s two-thirds entrada being no exception (the Sol tendidos, absolutely full, demonstrating the popularity of the feria and Lances de Futuro’s successful marketing) . The bullring impressed visually, the barrera and burladeros newly painted, the hierros around the top of the plaza in good condition, although there was one notable change in appearance – the unique dark brown fine gravel that had once covered the arena, brought from the now-closed mine of Reocín, had disappeared, to be replaced by yellow sand. Apparently, last year’s rain-affected novillada, when huge puddles formed, Navalón, Pérez and Zulueta toreando on regardless, led to a decision to improve the plaza’s drainage, which necessitated a change in ground cover. The work to bed in the new surface continued almost up until the paseíllo; it’s recognised that it will take time for it to reach its optimum state and so fingers were crossed for the remainder of this year’s Feria de Santiago.

Today’s string of novillos from El Parralejo provided chances for the novilleros to shine, but did not warrant the praise showered on the ranch representative at the end of the festejo by a group of youths dressed in El Parralejo t-shirts. The opening novillo, however was exceptionally good throughout its lidia, yielding an ear to the sevillano Diego Bastos after getting back on its feet several times as it attempted to ward off death. Bastos had met it a portagayola, then showed his lack of comfort with the capote before taking the muleta for a faena that was begun with estatuarios, segued into series of derechazos and naturales, performed well, and ended with needless molinetes from on his knees, manoletinas and a forward estocada placed from the side of the bull. The novillo received a deserved ovation en arrastre.

All this was carried out with a display of self-satisfaction from Bastos that irritated even more during the lidia of his second bull, its horns decidedly arreglados, greeted again with a fine lance a portagayola. After a quite of slow chicuelinas and media verónicas, Bastos dedicated to the public and to the Sol section in particular and embarked on a faena pueblerina of little worth. Even so, he may indeed have won a second ear and a Puerta Grande departure but for some idiot shouting out as he went in to kill; two pinchazos and a three-quarters sword brought an ovation, Bastos opting to take a vuelta in consequence.

Given the uncertain situation with bullfighting in Mexico, it’s a wonder that any youngster there is considering a career as a torero, but Bruno Aloi, from Aguascalientes, is doing his best in Spain to carve a future for himself (indeed, five days after this novillada, he was declared the winner of the Certamen ‘Cénate Las Ventas’). He greeted his first novillo in typical Mexican fashion with dramatic caleserinas and gaoneras before resorting to more common verónicas, and he returned to close gaoneras in a quite in which he finally lost the capote and fell to the ground, the novillo fortunately falling too. His muletazos were rather distant as the faena got underway, but the derechazos and naturales improved and he showed himself very adept at getting out of trouble when necessary. There was an arrucina at one point and then the faena degenerated into an awful sequence of luquesinas followed by molinetes from on his knees. Two pinchazos and an estocada caída lost any chance of an ear.

Aloi showed well with the capote on his second bull, with half-kneeling verónicas and a varied quite of chicuelinas, tafalleras, a cambio de mano and a closing recorte. Although it had pushed well in the peto, this was a tricky animal to torear, inclined to fall or scuff the sand when given low passes and hooking in other muletazos, leading to enganches. The Mexican sensibly resorted to circulares and arrimón. He dived over the bull to place his estocada, being caught and tossed as a result, and won an ear for his evident desire to succeed. His vuelta included a singular event when Aloi caught a thrown mobile phone in his montera, took a selfie with it and then threw it back into the crowd!

Iker Fernández El Mene had hot-footed it from a morning novillada in Mont-de-Marsan where he failed to win anything and had a similar result here. He started well with initial lances afarolados and walking chicuelinas to the picador before dedicating the faena to the public. With the muleta, he showed he could produce slow and stylish passes, but he went on far too long, three series in which he was unable to persuade his opponent into a closing pass not denting his wish to continue the faena… A pinchazo and estocada caída brought silence. It was a similar story with his second novillo, the zaragozano producing some fine muletazos to begin with, but then squeezing passes from his animal long after it was ready to be killed. A pinchazo was followed by a strong estocada, El Mene receiving palmas.

This had been an entertaining start to Santander’s feria, but, on today’s showing, I was not convinced that any of today’s novilleros has a glittering future ahead of them as matadores de toros. (Tristan Wood)

Sunday July 20: The Corrida de Rejones - A one-sided mano a mano

About half-way through this event, one of my veteran compañeros said, “I am not enjoying this.” He is an inveterate optimist, and I have never heard such an utterance from him during the 200 or so corridas we have attended together.

After the corrida, another ancient companion of mine with whom I have travelled for many years, said, “I think we should give this (meaning the horse boy corrida) up.”

In the bar later, a much younger acquaintance, when asked what he had thought of the afternoon’s event, said, “I didn’t go. I do not have the least interest in rejoneo.” He was lucky; he had not spent £50 on a tedious afternoon and had avoided the knees of a one-corrida attendee boring into his back for three hours.

My history as a horse boy hater is well known amongst the anglophone afición. I have been pilloried for it times without number. So deeply was it affecting my mental health that I once decided to learn something about the skill*, sport*, phenomenon*, spectacle*, emotional rapture*, equine anthropomorphism* (*delete all) so praised by its devotees. I really tried to the extent that I read every book I could find on the subject – I am rather proud that I took the trouble to go to the University of San Luís de Potosí bookshop with the specific purpose of purchasing the only book that I could find that treated the subject seriously; and wrote the only dissertation in English on the theory and technique of rejoneo in existence. At least I knew that, when I criticised rejoneo and rejoneadores, I was not doing so in total ignorance. The problem is that knowing how rejoneo is supposed to be performed, makes one alert to when it is being done badly.

Why they could only find two rejoneadores for today is a mystery. Andy Cartagena and Diego Ventura appeared in a mano a mano. That Los Espartales could only provide murubes that weighed from 592 to 657 kilos was a mystery also: they were huge lumbering monsters with a distracted tendency to wander out of their encounters with the “centaurs” with remarkable consistency. A further mystery was compounded because there was no papelito with the names of the horses explained and Enrique, who used to hold up boards with the horses’ names by los toriles, only appeared as a groom in the parade of horses before the corrida (another rejoneo innovation we could well do without). That would have left your reporter, if he had been so inclined, to write of the grey horse with the Loreal-advert salón-prepared mane and green tail of Cartagena; the handsome palomino or the exquisite piebald of Diego Ventura. There will be neither horse names nor descriptions here.

Andy Cartagena set the scene by missing with his first rejón de castigo. His first banderilla was a great success, cited de frente and placed with the bull’s head at the stirrup and followed by a mendocina half circle of the ring perfectly templado. That was his only de frente success because, every time he cited that way thereafter, he placed his weapon when the bull’s horns were either at the horse’s rear or beyond it. Fortunately, his quiebros were more accurately prepared and placed, so the audience at least smouldered at his work. Cartagena knows how to fan spark into fire in a horse boy crowd of ladies whose knees, kept resolutely shut, stabbed your back; little girls; and a once-a-year-visit to the plaza of grey generation gentlemen. He makes his horse dance from side to side in front of the bull, careers across the ring till the horse reaches the estribo and stares, an equine milkmaid, at the astounded audience. Andy knows how to milk the crowd and does it mercilessly. There is so much of it that he spends more time toreando the crowd than he spends with the bull. Importantly, they love it. His opening bull was rajado and aquerenciado by the time he came to las cortas, placed accurately with the horns at the stirrup as he rode in circles. Had he killed well, he would have been on his way to la puerta grande. His rejón de muerte entered crosswise and burst his balloon.

All of the bulls had weak legs, but the third won the medal: it fell several times before the normally exigent president deigned to remove it. It had weighed 612 kilos; the substitute from the same ganadería weighed a mere 553 kilos and was none the worse for it. It wandered out of the suertes just as readily as the rest. The first rejón de castigo was placed a silla pasada. Cartagena obviously wanted to redeem himself and took up a second. Then he changed his mind and rode out of the plaza with it in his hand – cosas de rejoneadores. Twice he placed banderillas from de frente that landed when the bull’s horns were close to the horse’s rear before he placed a third stick in the same style with perfect accuracy. It was time for some Cartagena circus; he made the horse jump high in the air in front of the bull before placing banderillas too far back and too low. The crowd responded to what they probably thought was evidence of brilliant “doma” and did not notice the ugly placements. He cited for las cortas with a horse spinning like a peerie in both directions between the horns and the banderillas fell like rain till he had placed one of the three with which he had started. That was bad enough. His failure to break open the first rejón de muerte before five metisacas and a final fatal thrust was dreadful and won him a second dose of silence.

The fifth bull weighed 612 kilos but was more focussed than those that had gone before. Cartagena took advantage of its enthusiasm by riding it round the ring mendocina style and muy, muy, templado till it was exhausted. One banderilla al cuarteo was perfectly placed; the other de frente did not land until the horns were at the horse’s rear. Never mind, a little circus was in order: spinning cites de frente for a failure of placement, an accurate al quiebro, a headlong rush to the barrera till the fore hooves were on the estribo, the bull staring at the public and Cartagena hanging on like grim death. The “arte de rejoneo” is not always beautiful! And a horse walking across the ring on its hind legs is just plain ugly. This, however, and some scrappy cortas, followed by a rejón de muerte placed too far back but lethal, won the hearts of the crowd and they gave him a cheer.

*Diego Ventura was by far the better of today’s two rejoneadores*

Diego Ventura is now the undisputed Number 1 horse boy. He placed his first rejón de castigo perfectly from a beautiful palomino horse. He is a master of the mendocina ride, and his three-quarters circuit of the plaza was clean and precise, the horns near to but never touching the horse. His first banderilla, cited de frente por dentro, was accurately placed but the horns were al culo when it landed. His second, cited de frente, was perfectly executed and placed when the horns were at the stirrup. There was another templado circuit of half the plaza before the next placement. We were watching serious rejoneo performed by a master with only forgivable bad luck flaws. Any beauty to be found in a horse kneeling on one knee and waving the other foreleg at the bull’s nose must be in the eyes of the beholders. It was mostly well-received as was, rightly so, the subsequent accurate banderilla placement. Is the grotesque leaning and fumbled removal of horse tackle by Ventura before the ostentatious throwing of that tackle to the ground either beautiful or necessary? I think it would be much more impressive performed by a well-dressed groom before he or she makes a ceremonial exit with the unnecessary reins and bits neatly folded on a cushion of velvet. It won’t happen. After it all, Diego did not place a banderilla from each hand; he placed only one from the right hand. His cortas were accurately placed and the rejón de muerte lethal despite being well behind las agujas. The crowd wanted an ear, but their pleas did not convince the exigent judge. Diego would have to convince again.

He did so in much the same way as he had done with the second. There was rather more riding round the ring templando the charges, which in my opinion is virtuous because it evinces good training and skilful horsemanship. There were prancing cites from de frente with the horse dancing from side to side before accurate placements from de frente quiebros; and some pirouetting cites en el frente to which the bull paid no attention. Much more interesting were some cites to a bull aquerenciado en los toriles. Ventura had to work carefully to place banderillas in that phase, a feat he achieved memorably. The coda was a huge circular ride round a now stationary bull to place three rosas accurately. Ventura had to forcibly push his rejón de muerte home, but it dropped the bull without further ado, and we were off into a similar petition than we had seen for the second. It got a similar response from Presidente Javier Plaza. Long may he reign – if he does so as he has done so far.

His actions had not yet deprived Ventura of the main gate. The rejoneo to the sixth was yet another demonstration of Ventura’s, skill, style and inventive tricks. There was plenty of templado riding round the barrera; a plethora of accurate placements after cites de frente; a rare precise placement from an al sesgo approach; and, for those who like that sort of thing, a repeated rigmarole with reins and bit before banderillas. His placement of cortas al violín at the stirrup was immaculate and his kill with a pinchazo and a rejón de muerte prompt. The president still resisted the second ear, wisely so, but Diego went out of the Puerta Grande, and la Feria del Norte was off to a good start. None of which is strong evidence that time watching rejoneo is time well spent. (Jock Richardson)

Monday July 21: 1st Corrida - If only they knew

This Feria de Santiago appears set to break records. Lances de Futuro reported a 26% increase in abonos sold compared to last year. The limited number of discounted ‘tickets for youngsters were sold out within hours. And at least half of the feria’s festejos are expected to be ‘no hay billetes’ events or thereabouts.

What a shame, then, that today’s excellent cartel – Fortes, Fernando Adrián and Borja Jiménez with toros of Juan Pedro Domecq – could only muster a two-thirds entrada. The fault for this must lie with the lack of knowledge as to the current state of the Fiesta, for here we had, respectively, the revelation of 2025; the modern Luis Miguel Dominguín, triumphing everywhere; and the coming man of 2024. OneToro’s live coverage of the event may have had something to do with the gaps in the tendidos too.

Those that were in el coso de Cuatro Caminos saw a corrida that lived up to the aficionados’ expectations.

Fortes is a completely changed torero from his former self, the glutton for punishment whose inept toreo led to numerous cornadas, including one here in Santander. He is reborn as an artista, one who is more concerned with temple and style than imprudent actions. After meeting his opening juanpedro with nicely varied capotazos, Saúl saw his distracted opponent charge into the substitute picador’s horse and decided, to whistles, that this unplanned puyazo was sufficient. The bull made up for it by charging at the correct horse as the picador, who opted not to use his vara, made to leave the plaza. Following Fortes’ quite of gaoneras and the tercio de banderillas, the faena was begun with doblones, and, as it went on, I was surprised Fortes did not put the muleta forward, but continually cited with the cloth retrasada. Ceding a certain amount of initial control of his passes perhaps contributed to the several enganches as the passes ended, as did the bull’s hooking upwards, although there were some impressive muletazos too. Twice Fortes was almost caught in pases de espaldas, a rear hoof catching the torero’s legs; on the first occasion, Fortes was sent to the ground but got out of trouble with an improvised pase de pecho from on one knee. An aviso, pinchazo, estocada and two descabellos brought silence for the matador while the bull was dragged out to pitos.

He drew a better animal in the fourth. Saúl began his faena on his knees, the bull charging keenly to derechazos. On his feet, his naturales were particularly good, although most of the faena was conducted with the cloth in the right hand. The malagueño’s faena was overlong, an aviso sounding, and he was out of luck with the sword, a decently placed estocada hitting bone before another sword found the spot. Some of us felt an ear was merited, but not enough, so Fortes took a vuelta instead.

Fernando Adrián is now all ambition. It is amazing to think that here was a torero who, after struggling to finalise an alternativa, took the ceremony in the backwater of Ávila, and then spent years on the sidelines, with barely any contracts, until winning the opening Copa Chenel certamen in 2021. Ever since then, salidas en hombros have become his norm.

Today was no exception. After his first, falling, juanpedro was belatedly sent back to the corrales by the president, Fernando greeted its successor with a farol from on his knees, verónicas templadas and then chicuelinas in the centre of the ring. The bull pushed well in the peto and its faena was dedicated to the public. Adrián stood his ground initially for feet-together passes in which the bull was sent to either side of him, then moved into series of close derechazos and naturales. There were rather too many pases de espaldas interspersed in the tandas for this writer’s liking, but there was one superb series of linked derechazos, arrimón after the bull had retreated to the barrera closed with a desplante without muleta or ayuda, and then a nicely structured faena ended with a tanda of close bernadinas. A strong, no-questions estocada was followed by the crowd demanding a slightly generous two ears, duly awarded.

*Fernando Adrián was triunfador de la tarde after two strong performances*

Adrián’s second animal was an El Pilar sobrero that came away from the picador of its own accord. The faena began with a series of rough passes, the matador on his knees. Then, back on his feet, we had series of derechazos and naturales accompanied by molinetes, pases de espaldas and chest passes. A media estocada and descabello cost Fernando a further ear, but not to mind – he already had two ears to his name, so a Puerta Grande exit was assured.

Notwithstanding Adrián’s triumph, the faena of the day came from Borja Jiménez on his first bull. After his juanpedro had been given a light pic, Borja cited the animal from a distance at the faena’s start, making the most of the bull’s charge. There was an unfortunate desarme early on, but Jiménez got stuck in to his task, bringing off series of tight passes, the naturales being particularly impressive, the muleta held low and the bull passing closely. Alas, it ended with a pinchazo and bajonazo, putting paid to any award.

*But the day’s best faena came from Borja Jiménez*

Borja, debuting in Santander, came out determined to do better on his last bull, caping it on his knees to start with, then standing for further capotazos, closed with a media verónica and revolera. Unfortunately, the bull had a short charge come the final tercio and was reluctant to humillar. Despite these shortcomings, Borja embarked on a lengthy faena, his manager Julian Guerra coaching him loudly from the barrera all the while, and managed to secure some linked series, but it was hard work and eventually proved to be all for nothing as it ended to a pinchazo and low estocada, the matador receiving an aviso and palmas. (TW)

Tuesday July 22: 2nd Corrida - Rebosante de matices

The corrida of Miuras for Manuel Escribano, David Galván and Damián Castaño had so many of the oft mentioned matices (or nuances) that it was rendered at least interesting and, for those who looked closely, enough nearly reached epic proportions.

Escribano did not go to los toriles to welcome his first Miura but contented himself with a larga de rodillas against the boards of Tendido 1 and an advancing walk towards los medios with verónicas andantes. The animal was lame, had a strange sideways drift before it stumbled forward, and soon fell. After a light pic, it collapsed and only rose again as the green hanky waved. There was a good deal of administration, a peón running from matador to toril at one point, before it was arranged that the bull destined to be fought in fourth place be liberated. It was a beautiful aparejada bull – how it got that way made an interesting discussion in the post-corrida tertulia – with impressive armament. It charged, without human intervention, from an impressively huge distance and worked at a hard pic before taking another from a man-chosen position that it left promptly.

*A narrow escape en banderillas for Manuel Escribano*

It would be wrong to write that Escribano is a poor banderillero; he just does not get it right very often. He does use a variety of approaches. Two cuarteos, one por afuera and one por dentro brought groans from the cognoscenti for their a toro pasado placements and cheers from the majority who had not read the book for their spectacularity. Then, he brought everyone to their feet with a pair al quiebro al violín in death-defying terrain against the barrera. Does virtuosity obliterate vulgarity? The bull was noble but weak and its charges short. Sensibly and conscientiously, Escribano set out to extract what he could from it. His pases – naturales, derechazos, smooth cambios de mano and the odd molinete – were particularly clean for Escribano, the temple remarkable and his positioning precise. It was, indeed, a workmanlike faena by a veteran matador who knew his business perfectly. There was very little linkage, so the work had that staccato feel imparted by single pases; but it was pleasingly appropriate to his bull. He killed with a pinchazo and an estocada and deserved his ovation.

*The miuras impressed with their appearance today*

*David Galván showed well but was unlucky with the sword*

David Galván’s first bull was 560 Kilos worth of grey Miura with formidable armament. Placed well in los tercios, it charged into the horse with verve and was rewarded with a murderous pic for its effort. It charged again from los medios but did not this time take a pic of any note. It did respond well to the banderillas and, although one of the third pair fell out, the suerte was a spectacle. I have seen Galván many times but not until today witnessed the thoughtful, serene, classical, stylish toreo of which he is capable. I found it most impressive. He composes the body well, he cites from en el frente, he tries to carry the lance or pase through to an appropriate ending. It is academic rather than artistic, but exactly right for an aficionado who thinks that appreciation of toreo from the heart blinds the appreciator with crocodile tears. Galván started his faena with mobile, testing, derechazos and proceeded to taking the weakening bull through series of smooth, complete, templados and linked series of derechazos cited with the lure flat and forward and executed with elegance and dignity. The bull was noble, but slightly weak in the legs, and charged with vigour and focus. Always catching the precise cite distance and maintaining his composure, he produced molinetes, naturales, and derechazos of great beauty. Why he went to his knees for molinetes was a mystery: praying mantis ugliness was out of place. The public to whom he had dedicated the death of the bull loved it. At just the right time, he entered to kill en corto y por derecho and placed a pinchazo. He was given an ovation but the ear he had earned was neither petitioned for nor awarded. The ovation proved that even the ear deniers knew they had seen a fine Miura subjected to toreo by a fine matador.

*Damián Castaño is tossed by his first miura*

There is little point in pondering the rights and wrongs of a man recently seriously wounded returning to the arena with an obvious limp and, quite frankly, looking far below par. No doubt Castaño had his reasons for being there. His first Miura weighed 567 kilos but had a juvenile head. Comparisons are odious, I know, but the impression given as Castaño started was that he had recently admired the toreo of Rafaelillo. The opening verónicas, delivered at vertiginous speed, with his body stooped, his eyes never off the horn tips, brought the bed-ridden murciano immediately to mind. The bull was taken, Castaño was toreando, to near los medios from where it charged for a heartily taken pic that lasted for too long. It left the second pic quickly and the banderilleros found placing their sticks difficult. This was a strong and wildly upward-hooking Miura and Castaño’s opening to it was brave, self-denying, and heart-stopping. He cited from a distance and the toro thundered through a series of derechazos that were rushed but effective. A second attempt at a similar series was interrupted when the bull threw him six feet into the air. After a period of recovery, Castaño returned to the fray, limping more than before. The faena was neither beautiful nor controlled, all done at speed and the bull never dominated, but it was the work of a man with limitless courage and ambition. As the bull tired, the matador had to resort to the extraction of single pases from an unpredictable bull by a brave and selfless man. It was an epic Castaño faena of the type he often produces. When he killed with an estocada, he had won an ear.

Escribano headed for la portagayola and dropped to his knees in a place which my wise companion declared was too far out. The liberated bull decelerated as it approached, tore the cape from his hands and he had to retreat, followed by the bull, to the barrera. This was the bull originally destined to substitute for the bull presented in first place: it was a large El Pilar of Domecq extraction. It took a long pic with little enthusiasm and a much better than normal Escribano suerte de banderillas followed. He was only inches a toro pasado in his accurate first placement; the next cuarteo was perfect and his pair al quiebro between bull and boards was as courageously hair-raising as it was calculated. He dedicated to some celebrity or other and proceeded into a faena that was more funereal sobriety than festive fun. Streaks of sunlight striped across a greying sky; the band played a sombre pasodoble; the audience was silent; and Escribano spent an age extracting single right and left-hand pases, punctuated with scrappy flourishes such as pases de espaldas. He did keep relatively still and there was a kind of workmanlike search for perfection in each of his individual pases. The ending was no doubt meant to be a crescendo as he pegged his derechazos and progressed into an ever-closer arrimón of right handers. The Sol section rose to the apparent danger and he had them cheering by the end and saluting him after his pinchazo and an estocada.

The fifth Miura was, to say the least, a troublesome beast. Galván’s testing walk to the tercios with it was cool and intelligent. His attention to his personal presentation – immaculate hairdo, smart dress and gracefully erect body language – oozes the feeling that here we have a born torero. His derechazos por alto in the opening, right on la boca del riego, were as smooth as his presentation. But this bull was not to be guided in its behaviour. As Galván confidently tried another series, he was unceremoniously lifted between the horns, all serenity gone. The bull’s reluctance to obey forced him into a faena of single pases. To his credit, each one was cited de frente en el frente, the lure always offered forward and flat and the pases carried through to a distance that liberated him from the scything horns. It was not art, but it was an attempt to torear, as Ruiz Miguel and his garrulous pal on Canal Sur are wont to say, de mucho mérito. So keen was he to create a faena that he persisted for too long. When he placed his estocada, from a proper position, it emerged from the bull’s side, hacienda guardia. His descabello was a success and the silence with which his meritorious work was rewarded sad.

*Damián Castaño in a superb natural with his second miura*

‘Gavieto’, a huge castaño at 602 kilos, was another complex customer. As Castaño (back from the infirmary with a second dose of painkillers) tried to engage with it in the welcome phase, it forced him on to the retreat. It was allowed to run to the horse from a huge distance into an encounter that would have been impressive had it been planned. The bull took a long pic willingly and made life difficult for the banderilleros. Several sticks were placed singly in the bull’s sides, and the only novelty was a single farpa placed al sesgo to an animal reluctant to move. Castaño apparently does not know what surrender is. He opened his faena with three dignified classical derechazos, moving much slower now and maintaining an erect poise. The bull must have felt them because, tough though it was, it fell at the end. On went Castaño with two more similar series. He stood erect, he cited en el frente and he carried the pases through to appropriate endings. He had less success with the left, so, after a few pases, he was back to the right for a final low templado series. Then he entered a tragic phase. The bull had become recalcitrant and wise. Each time Castaño aligned it, it waited and, as he was about to place the sword, it lunged at him. Eventually he killed with a pinchazo and an estocada. It had been good enough to encourage a minority petition and win him a vuelta.

¡Una buena tarde de toros! (JR)

Wednesday July 23: 3rd Corrida - “It’s the bulls, stupid.”

But who is it who is stupid when a couple of artists from Sevilla appear with nondescript cattle from three different ganaderías often chosen for their docility by figuras del toreo? The process by which bulls get to the plazas is a mystery to this aficionado who would never had known, had Vicente Zabala de la Serna not told him, that Roca Rey refused to participate in the sorteo of Victoriano del Río bulls in Madrid during this year’s San Isidro and insisted that his veedores chose his two “adversaries” (the word is meant to be a joke). Most ganaderos can produce six bulls for a corrida in mid temporada, as a look at the avance de carteles in Aplausos or Mundotoro establishes. El Pilar, Domingo Hernández and Alvaro Núñez only produced two each for this important corrida. Any thought that they had been specially chosen for today was intensified as the anovillados, underweight, poorly armed, little bulls emerged, especially in the first half of the corrida. They looked pathetic.

They and the matadors appeared before a sold-out plaza on a balmy afternoon with showers in the offing. Morante de la Puebla had dressed up for the occasion: a blue suit embroidered with white thread, white stockings and his antique montera firmly placed. When he took up the capote de brega, it was lined with green.

*Larga from Morante to his first bull (above) and (below) one of a series of chatitas, chicuelina-like passes employing half the capote, that led to his cogida on his second*

Morante’s first torito surprised. So did his welcome of three perfect verónicas followed by one enganchada, one disarming and another enganchada. The bull was sent to the horse with a satisfyingly elegant but casual recorte to take a light pic at the stirrup. The banderillas were accurately placed, but two had the banderillero a toro pasado at the placement. Morante gave just three serene derechazos, a cambio de mano, and a natural, all imbued with his artistic serenity. But they looked as if they were post-prandial toreo de salón being performed after a peña lunch - all comfort and ease. He gave a few single naturales and killed with an estocada off a curve. The comment in my notes is: “No bull, no torero, no heart, no soul, a travesty”.

The third bull was a giant of 490 kilos from Domingo Hernández. Morante started with chicuelinas, the bull careering past him in straight lines with only a rather brusque flick of the cape corner to simulate an effort to turn it. That the bull was on its own trajectory was established when it hit Morante on the chest with a bang like the opening burst of a Valencian mascletà. The bull ran from los medios at the horse and spun it round to take a long pic hidden from the public by the horse’s bulk. Iván García was working for Morante today, so we had two brilliantly-placed pairs of banderillas from him that won saludos. All of those fumbling one-stick peones should have to sit through videos of Iván García and Fernando Sánchez till they have absorbed their methods: that pair seldom get it wrong, and even when they do, they delight. Morante created his short faena with derechazos enganchados casually delivered. There were a few single pases to the falling bull and death by a pinchazo sin soltar; a thrust so atravesada it emerged from the bull’s side and a pinchazo atravesada off a curved entry.

*Morante in a natural ayudado to his third bull*

The fifth bull was a 487 kg Álvaro Núñez, a new favourite of figuras, and, as early as the welcoming flapped verónicas, it was clear that it charged unpredictably and erratically. Morante apparently felt that Iván García was the man to administer the brega in the first suerte. It was a task Iván executed magnificently. The public were not pleased; this and the “¡Olés!” that accompanied his work were not for him, but ironically against Morante. Eventually, the bull got to the horse and took its pic with little enthusiasm. It arrived at the muleta throwing hooks in all directions. It was one of those violent toros that the Morante deniers claim he refuses to torear with more than a few machete chops and a few seconds of his time. Not so with this tío. He could scarcely have built an artistic faena according to a plan, but he put his all into what he did: some enganchados derechazos to start and then a series of naturales with a farol in the middle. The Morante natural is part of the man himself. And his faena comprised a succession of single ones, each as sweet as sugar and soft flowing as honey, the ceding of paces near imperceptible. The miracle here was how he could pass the bull at all, let alone with such closeness and such courage. As the animal lost force, Morante’s lure was caught several times, and, after his blessedly brief lesson in determination and courage, Morante threw himself over the horn and placed an estocada of prompt effect. He accepted his saludos from the callejón.

I have a close and trusted friend who sent me an email after Juan Ortega’s acclaimed faena at Valdemorillo in February 2024. The gist was, “Have you seen the Juan Ortega faena in Valdemorillo; I did not think much of it.” I have now watched it several times and still agree with him. But I have watched Ortega many times and have still not been satisfied by him.

He is a smart young man, always impeccably presented, and his height lends an elegance to his movements. The itinerant verónicas with which he welcomed the second bull, the pico of the cape in evidence, confirmed my memories. He walked the bull into sitio for the pic with similar lances, but the final recorte reeked of torería. The first pic was long, firm and taken at the stirrup in a long lean. The second – few bulls have been offered two pics in this feria – was light and readily left. There was a veritable explosion of artistry in the six tafalleras – clean, elegant, and handsome with not a flaw – of the quite. The animal was hesitant with the banderilleros, whose work was variously unsuccessful. Ortega remedied our sinking feelings with a genuflective opening to his faena with close, precise, calculated but beautiful doblones, the bull maintained in the lure and the temple sustained to each long ending. Things continued in a series of derechazos spiced halfway through with a molinete. His series of naturales was just as full of art and technique. This was demanding toreo and the bull was soon slowing down. By the end of them, Ortega was toreando an almost stationary animal. How he persuaded it into low derechazos with his knees to the ground was not clear, but he did and, with them, closed a fine faena. There was a pinchazo off a grotesque curve and a straighter estocada. It would be comfortable to persuade ourselves that we had seen an uplifting faena artística. But what Ortega had done was toreo de salón to a docile and helpful Domingo Hernández. Is there any other kind?

*Juan Ortega with capote and muleta on his first bull*

The fourth bull was from El Pilar and was very close to looking like a toro with its late teenage trapío. At 534 Kg, it was a relative monster. Ortega marched it to los medios with serene yet positive verónicas. It was almost placed en sitio and was stumbling as it left the pic. There were two accurately prepared and precisely placed pairs from Andrés Revuelta before a faena opened with elegant, long and templados pases por alto and bajo. These pases well done always remind me of Ortega Cano who often closed his faenas with them here. The El Pilar was not for any more of this kind of toreo and settled into short, becoming quickly very short, charges which proved its lack of taurine credentials. For those who like the single pase with readjusting trot, what followed must have been manna. There was a lot of it, muddied by enganches, cites from behind the horns, and enganches. Ortega remained erectly elegant throughout. He ended it all with a pinchazo and a running retreat, an aviso, a media estocada and an eon-long wait to avoid using the descabello. Moisés Fraile and Ortega must do better.

The bull in sixth place that offered redemption for Ortega was an Álvaro Núñez at 489 kilos. The opening larga de rodillas was mighty impressive; the prompt running retreat from it was not. Nor were the enganchadas verónicas that followed. Such flaws take the shine off Sevillian artistry. Ortega deserves some sympathy: this toro skidded along the sand in the brega and did so again as it left the long and unnecessarily punishing vara: it had weak legs. The quite of four close, clean, excellently performed chicuelinas eased the pain. And the banderillas helped raise expectations also. There were three fine pairs accurately prepared for and precisely placed. Ortega can find the cite position accurately, cross to the appropriate position, and link the pases in series. When he does this, as he did in the opening phases of this faena, he convinces with his skill and classical artistry. But he does not sustain this sufficiently. He tends to shorten the pase long before he should, technically and artistically, reach the remate. Repeatedly, he would perform a pase with a promising cite and developing carga only to cut the pase short, allow the bull to raise its head and catch the lure. He even dropped his lure once. And he was too often forced into a running retreat half-way through the pase. Another disturbing feature of his work is his demeanour. It often looked today as if he just did not care about the ragged nature of the pases he was making. Álvaro Núñez is favoured by matadors for his ability to create bulls for the cutting of ears. That Ortega wanted to dominate the bull was not evident. Maybe it was that lack of commitment that led him to ending up with an estocada baja stretching right and running outwards. Never mind, he has another day here with bulls that are likely to be just as dull, flat and potentially compliant. (JR)

Thursday July 24: 4th Corrida - Three successful recoveries

Santander’s feria has long been associated with offering a variety of encastes, so it was disappointing that today’s corrida, announced as featuring Puerto de San Lorenzo atanasios, instead only featured one animal of that bloodline, the other five being domecqs from the sister hierro of Ventana del Puerto.

The corrida marked the return to action of young Marco Pérez after a month away due to a fractured hip received in a tossing at Alicante. There were a lot of young spectators and whole families attending in consequence, contributing to a respectable three-quarters entrada. Marco ended up as triunfador de la tarde on paper, winning an ear from each of his bulls and leaving by the Puerta Grande.

The salmantino’s two performances, while having similar outcomes, were of different merit. His first bull was the sole atanasio. After receiving just one fully formed lance in the opening capework - a revolera – the bull charged strongly towards the picador’s horse, ending up completely under it and then securing a huge derribo, attacking the horse furiously as it lay on the ground and very nearly catching one of the team of horse handlers as he tried to rescue the mount. All was well in the end, the picador remounting to deliver the sole puyazo that has become customary here and Pérez providing a quite of chicuelinas some distance from the bull. Marco included a molinete and a pase de pecho mirando al público in his opening muletazos in the middle of the ring. “A bit early for such frivolities,” I thought, but, as the faena went on, it became clear that such touches were what the crowd responded to, while the standard of the basics of toreo – Pérez’s derechazos and naturales often being at some distance from his foe and rarely linked – was overlooked. As the faena drew to an end, he made a misjudgement and was nearly caught. The estocada, however, was delivered with honest commitment.

*Marco Pérez secured a Puerta Grande exit after a month away from the bullrings*

Pérez’s toreo was better on his second bull, greeted with verónicas, some with the feet together: others apart. The youngster produced linked series on each hand, with some variety included, and this time the main problem was the bull’s lack of transmission. We had the interesting sight of Marco going to collect the estoque only to be told to get back out there and bring off one more series to secure that second ear! He duly performed some close bernadinas, returned for the sword and then ended with a pinchazo and slightly low estocada that didn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm to successfully petition for an ear and that important Puerta Grande exit.

*Kikirikí (above) and (below) an arrucina during Alejandro Talavante’s faena with his second bull*

The faena of the day, though, came from Alejandro Talavante with his second bull. His earlier recital had been a typical post-retirement affair, Talavante managing some nice touches (feet-together verónicas, a lovely sequence of muletazos to take the bull to the centre of the ring) but frequently gurning to the tendidos as if his performance with an overly compliant animal was the best thing since sliced bread, when, in fact, it wasn’t. With his second, there was little capework to speak of, a brief vara and then panic amongst the banderilleros that messaged a bull that had some charges in it. Alejandro opted to begin the faena on his knees, bringing off a short sequence of pases de espaldas and chest passes. On his feet, he made the most of the bull’s mobility to produce fluid series, interspersing the derechazos and naturales with a variety of other passes including muletazos mirando al tendido, molinetes, trincherillas, kikirikís and an arrucina. It was vintage Talavante at his very best. There were murmurings of an indulto amongst the crowd (the programme had mentioned Alejandro’s ability to secure these), but the matador showed no indication that this was his objective, and the bull’s retreat to the toriles augured against such an ending. Talavante took the sword and delivered a very good estocada; most of the crowd petitioned for two ears, but the president, for some reason, saw fit to only award one.

In a day (at last in this feria!) of strong swordsmanship, Emilio de Justo was caught while going over the horns of his first bull, emerging from the encounter with cuts to his head (and, it transpired later, fractures to a shoulder and a rib). The estocada killed the bull and the drama brought Emilio the corrida’s first ear. His capework earlier had been defensive and the faena had been conducted primarily with the right hand as the bull had proved problematic on the left.

*Emilio de Justo (above) after his estocada to his first bull and (below) giving a derechazo to his second*

After meeting his second bull with feet-together verónicas, a media verónica and a larga, Emilio was caught again when he attempted to take the bull to the horse with walking chicuelinas, but was fortunately unharmed. His work with this animal, which had a short charge come the faena and was rested a lot during it, was more convincing than earlier, Emilio producing excellent series of derechazos and naturales crowned with chest passes. A quarter sword and descabello cost him the ear, although there was still a minority petition before de Justo took saludos. (TW)

Friday July 25: 5th Corrida - A veteran delivers the faena of the feria

Today was supposed to be all about Andrés Roca Rey’s ‘gesture’ of facing bulls of Victorino Martín, returning to Santander after 21 years’ absence. This was another intriguing cartel put together by José María Garzón, for, joining Andrés, was the victorino specialist El Cid and new matador Jarocho in only his second corrida of the year and his fourth ever. A full house caused the usual pandemonium before the paseíllo began, with a range of people arriving at the last minute and not being sure where their seats were located - on this occasion, including the ganadero and his daughter Pilar!

*Jarocho gives a natural to his second victorino*

Today was my first sighting of Jarocho, who went out on shoulders in Madrid as a novillero, and I think his style will take some getting used to. The youngster has a short, chubby, body, and this, together with his desire to cite with the muleta retrasada and to stay upright while taking the bull past him closely, gives an old-fashioned look to his toreo. His first victorino was a difficult animal, Jarocho just managing to stay in front of it in the opening capework but seemingly at a loss to know how best to approach it in the faena, the bull (although barely picced) not being keen to charge the muleta. In the end, he opted to cut things short and killed with an estocada caída, receiving an ovation while the bull was taken out to pitos. Jarocho showed more of what he could do in his second faena, dedicated to his fellow matadors, moving his muleta con temple, but again, perhaps, took too much on by only allowing his bull a single vara. He killed with a pinchazo and bajonazo; a few of the spectators still considered his performance had sufficient merit to petition, vainly, for an ear.

Andrés Roca Rey left the plaza without trophies too, but impressed with his application throughout the afternoon. Facing victorinos for only the second time in his career, Andrés’s toreo was serious and prudent. He was fortunate to escape a goring from his first bull when he was clipped by one of the bull’s hindlegs during a quite of delantales and fell to the ground, from where he had to use his capote to ward off the oncoming animal. In the faena, the bull spent a lot of time being hesitant about charging and Roca Rey a lot of concentration on his positioning. Andrés’s muletazos were more successful on the right hand, where he managed to bring off some fine linked series. An aviso sounded before the Peruvian collected the estoque, which he used to deliver a half sword, a pinchazo and another media estocada.

*Derechazo from Andrés Roca Rey on the first of his two feria afternoons*

There was no capework to speak of on his second bull, and not much of a vara. Roca Rey began with naturales, ayudados in the main, but this was another bull that was not for a triumph, the animal having a short charge and raising its head at the end of passes, leading to two desarmes. After doing what he could with the muleta, Andrés killed with an estocada a un tiempo, placed far back and slightly crossways, and a descabello. The bull was taken out to palmas, while Roca Rey received some pitos from a crowd that had been anticipating more from him.

El Cid met the opening victorino of the corrida with a brief series of verónicas and a media verónica and repeated these lances in his quite before leading the bull back to the picador with the capote in one hand. The faena comprised rapid series, the best of these on the right hand, as the bull displayed a short charge in naturales. The estocada looked fine, but three descabellos were needed to finish the job, the matador receiving an ovation while the bull was also applauded en arrastre.

*‘Vengativo’ (above) showed its qualities early on and (below) El Cid made the most of them in the faena*

The veteran has a history of success in Santander, but what occurred with the fourth victorino, ‘Vengativo’, the lightest of the encierro at 496kgs, had nothing to do with local favouritism. The bull charged strongly, its head lowered, in the opening verónicas and into the peto, and maintained these qualities in the tercio de banderillas. Knowing what he had before him, El Cid dedicated the faena to Roca Rey and started it on the left hand. This was the El Cid of old, his muleta totally in charge, giving sublime, stretching and linked naturales to a victorino, ‘Vengativo’ charging eagerly, the series ending in curving pases de pecho. Moving to the right hand, Manuel Jesús opted to take the bull from a distance for the start of his series. El Cid is not a torero for prolonging faenas unnecessarily, and, just after ‘Vengativo’ had moved towards the toriles, he collected the estoque, correctly ignored the calls from a few spectators for the indulto and killed. There was no doubting the two ears this faena of the feria merited, while ‘Vengativo’ was awarded a vuelta en arrastre. (TW)

Saturday July 26: 6th Corrida - Two repeats and a replacement

Many years ago, Paquirri, padre, pulled out of a corrida in Vitoria because he had suffered an accident in the bedroom. How much more romantic is that than his son Cayetano having to pull out of a corrida in Santander because he had suffered an altercation with the police in a bar and had an accident in the campo, no doubt practising to come to Santander. That was the good news. The bad news for morantistas (and the deprived children whom he was going to help with the charitable donation of his earnings to their aid) was that his selfless offer to take Cayetano’s place this afternoon was turned down. There was a slight flash of hope for those who think that lightning can strike in the same place twice when the return of El Cid, yesterday’s Campeador, was announced. That was unlikely, in my opinion: the bulls were from Domingo Hernández. The encierro was to be killed by the two performers contracted to repeat, Juan Ortega and Andrés Roca Rey, along with El Cid.

The first bull, 515 Kg, well-armed and with a good charge, was brought to a halt with six immaculate verónicas perfectly templadas and then treated to two more. A light touch of a pic, a couple more of El Cid’s excellent verónicas and a nondescript suerte de banderillas, brought the bull to the faena in perfect condition: strong, noble, athletic and without a malevolent bone in its body. And how did this warrior - bloodied over the years in corridas duras, oft marred by inaccurate sword thrusts, but still with the left hand such as no other can wield - deal with this plasticine bull? He treated it to a quiet game on the sand. Most of it was with that left hand of his: series after series of linked naturales, all complete as the great tauromaquia writers set them down and with temple to stop the clock. The only thing wrong with it was that bull and man together made it look so easy that it was completely without soul. I swear, the protesters who had lined the streets outside would have been converted by it. The Santander public certainly was, raised even higher with the distantly cited derechazos, the pase cambiado and the walk to the alignment with which he ended. His estocada was atravesada and he needed a descabello. That lost him another main gate, but he had earned his ear.

*El Cid consolidating his position as triunfador de la feria*

His second bull was a smallish fellow at 476 Kg, called ‘Borracho’ and colorado ojo de perdíz in colour. It was distracted in the early verónicas but had a strong charge and was soon convinced by El Cid’s cape. He walked it gently to el sitio, it took a light pic at the horse’s backside and the delantales of the quite were flat, slow and calculated but still beautifully magnificent. The bull was cooperative in the second suerte and it would have been reasonable to hope for more of El Cid’s magic. There was a good deal of it in the faena of classical pases with each hand, low, complete, linked and peppered with accessories: silken cambios de mano; afarolados, reverse circulares. The main gate was not in the bag, although a small push would have landed it there. But there is always a ‘but’ in tauromaquia. El Cid has another claim to fame than he has asserted with his three bulls this week. He has made so many bad kills that he is famous for it. What made him place three pinchazos, each from a retreating curve, before a final, successful, one off a slightly less obvious circular path, when he could have killed the well-toreado bull perfectly, is beyond the ken of this aficionado.

And then we had Juan Ortega. The bulls today were unequal. ‘Borracho’ was 476 kg; Ortega’s first weighed 613 and looked it. The welcoming verónicas were tentative, but they were muy templadas. As the bull ran at the guardian of the gate, the brega was rough – many men but not a single idea. And the second suerte was just as chaotic. Things improved as the faena started. The opening derechazos were administered on straight lines, the bull just running past, but, with care and precise temple, Ortega gradually brought the animal round into a serenely linked ending. The toro was difficult, no doubt, with erratic charges and lack of focus at the lure. This man is famous for his temple. Today, after his promising start, his laboriously extracted derechazos and naturales, mostly given singly, seldom ended without the lure being caught by the horns. There were not many pases before he tried to align the bull for the kill with left-handed flaps of the muleta. But it had not been toreado and repeatedly walked towards him as he profiled to attack. There was a media estocada desprendida, after which the descabello-ignoring Ortega stood waiting for the fall. It did not come; an aviso did. There was a media estocada and two pinchazos before the second aviso sounded and a final bajonazo off a curve that killed the bull a minute before it would have been taken out. And we had seen nothing yet.

*Juan Ortega starting his opening faena*

That came with the fifth bull. Juan Ortega is almost 35 years old and has been a matador for 11 years; he is no tyro. He has not fought a toro in Spain this year that did not come from a herd favoured by the figuras, a fair number of them from the ganaderías that have supplied his cattle this week. You will guess that they have been Juan Pedros, de Cuvillos, Victoriano del Río’s and the like. Domingo Hernández bulls should be no mystery to him, even wayward, erratic, slow and short charging ones like the fifth today. Its wildness was clear from the first in a career around the ring before a light pic at the horse’s chest. There was a deal of casual cape flapping before it ran away and charged the reserve picador for a mere picotazo. At least one of the pairs of sticks was placed correctly by a man in el embroque. The bull ran out of Ortega’s first derechazos, but his doblones, pases with which he often commences his faenas and which are often both artistically performed and technically effective, though this time rough, were a clear effort to bring the bull under some sort of control. They failed in that mission and Ortega was soon walking around, palillo held at the end nearest a body kept well clear of the animal, flapping at the unresponsive bovine. To his credit, he tried to torear for a brief while and, although he abused the pico and allowed enganches in his derechazos and was discombobulated by a rapidly returning toro in his naturales, he preserved his elegant demeanour throughout; a little torería is better than none – but not much. There was a final attempt at derechazos, but he lost his lure quickly. Death came at the end. But not before eight pinchazos delivered in a 270-degree perambulation round the ring, and always off a disgusting curve with no effort to perform the cross or lower the bull’s head, an estocada hasta la bola, two avisos and an ever-increasing bronca. It would be super-generous to say he did not deserve it.

The third toro a castaño claro was complicated and studious, its look ever alternating between man and lure. The welcome of verónicas and delantales comprised lances that were clean and templados. Roca Rey’s chicuelinas were mighty convincing also - till his cape was caught. He put the bull en sitio with a precise recorte and it worked briefly at the horse’s chest in a light pic. The quite of saltilleras had me believing with increasing conviction that at last Roca Rey has found toreo and started to grow into a serious torero: they were close, beautifully sculptured and sustained from cite to remate. The banderilleros placed three pairs and, though one fell out, the suerte was a lesson in proper and accurate placement. The animal was still bronco, but it was maintaining its charges with some resolution. Roca’s early derechazos, four of them, were linear, but they were mighty close and templados. As the faena progressed, he was able to link derechazos in close and beautifully constructed series. An outstanding feature was the matador’s wrist movement as he turned the bull and cargado the suertes; he fairly controlled the bull as he drew it round. For me, he had earned the right to play around a little with those unnecessary pases I used to malign him for: a pase de espaldas in mid right-hand series; a molinete and a chest pase to change terrain; and yet another molinete before a final exquisite series of naturales. He had his originally difficult bull under control now and he indulged himself and his army of supporters with an arrimón so close, so clean, so varied – reverse circulares; a desplante touching the horn; derechazos with the horns stroking his legs – that it did not even bore this old stoic. His three-quarters sword came at the end of an honest entry as the aviso sounded. The petition for the ear just stroked the majority and the president did not award it.

*Close work with his bulls eventually brought Roca Rey an oreja*

Though only 31 kilos heavier than the third bull, the final black animal had more trapío and better armament than had Roca’s previous adversary; it was no more tough, brave or noble. The matador welcomed it with walking verónicas, a close media and a tight recorte. The bull worked willingly in a medium pic at the horse’s chest and cooperated in banderillas. It was not an enthusiastic charger, but Roca Rey got it moving in a succession of linear charges at a target temptingly shoved a frighteningly small distance in front of his body. This was hair-raising rather than heart-warming stuff, but it lured the recalcitrant toro into sustaining charges just long enough to allow Roca Rey to cite de frente, take the bull round with that silken wrist of his and link the pases. He maintained his classical toreo in several more series, but the bull was tiring, and the work became rougher. There was a series of naturales based on the same principles, successful from cite to cargar la suerte, before the matador was forced into single pases – he shifted little between them - and the gift to his fans of another arrimón very like his first but with the added frill of prodigious leg-towelling. It looked as if the bull was convinced when the faena ended with a series of complete derechazos and a chest pase. The estocada was perfect and the applause great. This time, the president did give a single ear, but refused the second. It was all enough to make us forget Juan Ortega and leave the plaza and the feria if not dancing, at least smiling. (JR)

And so Santander’s 2025 feria ended. The local press expressed some disappointment with it, but the attendances and ambiente justified the decision to put on an additional corrida, and the strings of juanpedros, miuras, ventanadelpuertos and victorinos made for interesting festejos. The Morante/Ortega mano a mano had been a big disappointment, but we’d seen great toreo from Alejandro Talavante and El Cid; some fine toreo from Fernando Adrián, Borja Jiménez, David Galván and Roca Rey; and brave, emotional performances from Damián Castaño and Emilio de Justo. The carteles for Bilbao’s August feria - the traditional ‘Feria del Norte’ - were announced just before Santander started and demonstrated the ongoing decline at the Basque plaza. This year, Santander truly made claim for the title of ‘La Feria del Norte’ .

Santander claims ‘La Feria del Norte’ title

Orthez, July 27: An epic desafío

The lost generation