What if it were today? It is a recurring question if Morante de la Puebla is announced, even more so when it comes to relevant plazas and fairs, such as La Maestranza and Abril.
On April 26, 2023, Morante responded with the forcefulness of an open Prince’s Gate not only to cut off a tail – offal, after all – but to sublimate the art of bullfighting to levels only achievable by the chosen ones. It was that afternoon, there have been others (unforgettable that of the last Mercè with bulls in La Monumental, from where he was carried on the shoulders of the crowd to the hotel) throughout a Guadianesque career that already includes twenty-seven years of alternative.
And today, the third time at the Fair, the fourth if we count Easter Sunday, many of those who filled – and there are six “no seats”, tomorrow too – La Maestranza, nourished a hope that of course remained in the hands of the Alcurrucén bulls, essential material for the artist.
But Morante was not alone at the time of the parade, with him Sebastián Castella and Tomás Rufo, with things to say, it would be missing more.
Plaza Incordioso opened and Morante speared the Veronica, leaving a couple of them with his own stamp. The two obligatory punches, two pairs of banderillas highly applauded by Curro Javier and Morante with muleta in hand, bending with the bull, before fighting in a roundabout way… and the one from Alcurrucén who decides to stop. This continued when he changed hands and piton, so Morante took the sword and moved on to something else. If it had to be today, you had to wait until the fourth.
The first of Castella’s batch allowed the French distro a lilting bunch of veronicas gaining ground to the mids, gracefully finished off. As soon as the one from Alcurrucén was beaten and excellently flagged by José Chacón, who added value to the challenge, Castella presented it to the public and with (perhaps too much) bossy muletazos he opened the task.
Sharp attacks tamed in long, low-handed rounds, with greater temperance in the natural ones, although the bull lacked delivery. Until he strung together a round series that made the music sound with the Juncal pasodoble, a tribute to Jaime de Armiñán, who recently died, and with Paco Rabal embroidering his role as a retired bullfighter who greeted La Maestranza every morning “good morning, my queen.” .
After all this, the bull was defeated and with it the task, finished off with a fallen sword. Perhaps due to the emotional effect caused by Juncal, there was a non-majority request for an ear and Castella received a loud ovation.
The black pronghorn coat of the third is striking and nothing remarkable in the first thirds except for the obvious signs of tameness that he showed.
Tomás Rufo’s muleta task had a promising start in the first round series but after another natural one, the one from Alcurrucén said that’s it and the Toledo native went for the sword. And Morante – and the public with him – waiting for his last bull at the Fair, Cara Sucia by name.
Six rhythmic verónicas finished off a resounding half, before a third of rods that seemed excessively punishing. The beginning of the work left a couple of muletazos pure delicatessen and then, with the bull accusing the punishment mentioned above, Morante could only draw some round and natural of beautiful composition but…
The sword didn’t work as it should either, Morante was silent and the answer to the initial question, well that’s it.
Castella’s second had a glorious name “Atrevido”, Osborne’s white bull with which on the day of San Isidro in 1966, in Las Ventas, Antoñete left a task for history.
Elusive, tame, the bull provoked protests from the public who even asked for its return – truthful things – and with just two glances as it passed through the picador, Castella asked for a change of pace and when he reached the muleta he began to fight with his hand. right with a tie and the bull repeating, always firm and enduring without blinking a break with the pitons caressing the satchel. Naturally in the same air, master of the situation. To all this the bull without a hint of cracking.
A task of great merit (the music suddenly stopped for no reason, much to Castella’s annoyance) finished off with a half-up that required a bit of a mistake. The final ovation rewarded the effort and firmness of the Béziers bullfighter.
Another bull with a serious presence closed the ring and did not show good things in front of Tomás Rufo’s cape, although he then pushed on. Rufo toasted the audience and began with a series of long, linked right hands, which were one at a time when he took the crutch on the left. And that was it, so Rufus had no choice but to go for the sword.
In the reverse procession at the end of the bullfight, Morante left the arena with a serious face while Castella and Rufo greeted him with applause. They and the public expected something else.
