Santander, July 19: Rejoneo gives way to El Mundial

There were plenty of football supporters amongst today’s spectators

With Spain’s football team reaching the final of the World Cup, due to take place in New Jersey this same evening, the start time of Santander’s corrida de rejoneo was brought forward half an hour. But one had the feeling that the president had a particular timetable in mind nevertheless as he refused Andy Cartagena’s request to place an additional banderilla on his second bull and said no altogether to Lea Vicens’ asking if she could place cortas on the subsequent animal. In the event, the corrida finished just after 8pm, giving nearly an hour for spectators to reach their World Cup viewing locations (although a number had already left after the fifth bull). I joined the La Pera peña’s screening and bars in nearby Plaza México for what was to prove a long, tense evening until Spain scored in the second half of extra time and the final whistle blew without Argentina equalising.

Guillermo Hermoso de Mendoza placing a banderilla corta

Back on the Cuatro Caminos sand, today was really a triumph for Guillermo Hermoso de Mendoza. The excitement the crowd was looking for came with his single banderillas to his Benítez Cubero bull, when he emerged from placing each and got his horse to switch its hindquarters from one side to another as the bull chased after it. A change of direction between the bull and barrera in the style of his father cemented things and the crowd’s delight continued through two banderillas delivered al quiebro, three cortas, a telephone adorno and a rejón that was placed far back but did its job. The spectators demanded, and got, two ears. There was similar petitioning after Guillermo’s performance with his other bull (a pallarés), but this was a lesser affair and the president was correct in sticking to a single ear and nothing more.

Andy Cartagena was unlucky not to win an ear

Andy Cartagena was unlucky not to win an ear from his first bull (another pallarés). This was a clean performance apart from some fabricated horse rearing after a banderilla placed al violín, but wasn’t helped by the bull deciding to sit before it received a rejón de muerte. Andy resorted to circus displays during the lidia of his Benítez Cubero opponent, a lesser affair, although the crowd responded positively nevertheless and demanded an ear be given, the president deciding otherwise.

Today was not one of Lea Vicens’ better afternoons

Lea Vicens had a poor afternoon. She noticeably moved her horses out and away from her bulls when placing rejones de castigo and - much to the crowd’s displeasure - on both her bulls, needed a peón in the ring to place them for the kill rather than managing it herself. She was given an ovation and took saludos after her first lidia and managed to whip up the crowd for some applause after her second.