Day of reflection in Catalonia and second afternoon of the San Isidro Fair in Madrid. And the banner that was displayed yesterday in Las Ventas (on the line between 6 and 8 and from which, by the way, their visible heads have been removed) with Minister Urtasun as the objective and which surpasses the coarse to reach the unclean. I hope it remains only a embarrassing and pernicious anecdote, although some have cheered the crude occurrence. If it is about defending bullfighting against political challenges: “it is not this, it is not this.” Nor, from the “other side”, is an advertisement from the animal rights group PETA that appeared today in a once-prestigious national newspaper or the tweet by Más Madrid, which are so crude that they are not even offensive.
It wasn’t full (but it wasn’t long) Las Ventas this Saturday, in such a long series the poster was not one of those marked in red due to the hobby and occasional audience demanding the figures, but the shortlist (El Fandi, Román, Leo Valadez) It had merits acquired and blood spilled on the Venetian albero. Suffice it to remember three chilling and very serious attacks by the Valencian Román, in 2019, 2020 and 2023 or the ear he cut off last Easter Sunday, the same prize for Leo Valadez in the San Isidro 2023. And as for livestock, Fuente Ymbro is one of the usual ones in Madrid.
The square was opened by a “Jurista” with big pitons – no one is offended – and an imposing image, which did not give El Fandi the opportunity to show off, but after the first meeting with the picador he at least allowed him a removal for chicuelinas, which turned out to be not very good. . In banderillas, the cornerstone of the Granada bullfighting, things didn’t quite work out either.
With the bull in bullpen grounds, El Fandi knelt on his knees and in this manner gave him a couple of right blows, then continued standing. The one from Fuente Ymbro repeated the attacks with a certain vibration and El Fandi took him from here to there, in series by the two pitons and while some applauded others recriminated. The thrust, faulty in its placement, left the thing silent.
With a long change in the third, El Fandi greeted the imposing fourth, who made an attempt to jump into the alley, to the fright of those who had him barely a meter away in a mockery.
The third of banderillas in charge of the matador was irregular and when they reached the last third, El Fandi took advantage of the frank attacks with good skill, in a more or less task, as the bull was shortening the route. The thrust fell on the bottom.
The sixth, due to Leo Valadez’s mishap, was also for El Fandi, varied with the cape and easy in banderillas.
Crutch in hand, well that, ease, resources, disposition, technique…
Román tried to reach out to Veronica in his first turn but the bull was not up to the task, charging distractedly and with his face held high. After knocking down the pikeman in his first match, he then attacked with joy in the next and Leo Valadez came into action in a colorful take-off by caleserinas.
To the public, Román toasted that, muleta on the left and from the media he called the bull, which started from afar and the first series of naturals had merit and vibration. Román changed hands and the man from Fuente Ymbro continued attacking with promptness and humiliation. Even better in the following ones, again in the round and now more at short distance. When the bull was handed over, Román responded with his own and the emotion transcended the crowd like a shock.
Román went to kill as he had fought, with the truth first. “Proud,” honoring his name and lineage of brave bull, he resisted folding.
Las Ventas was dyed white, “Proud” was dragged away among ovations and Román, also filled with bullfighter pride, paraded a very heavy ear.
Nothing of note in the first thirds of the fifth of the afternoon, except for the scare to the banderillero César Fernández when the bull did for him in the last pair, fortunately without consequences.
Román faced the muleta task with full disposition and firmness, against a violent and uncertain bull, achieving natural and right hands of enormous merit. A non-reckless waste of courage in which each cite, each muletazo, was a heads or tails, resolved with bullfighting gallantry. The same gallantry with which he went after the sword, which fell somewhat behind and contrary, which forced the mistake. The bull, hard as flint, refused to bend and through that gap the big door was closed but the door to the hearts of the fans was left wide open, witnessed in the return to the ring.
The third fell in terms of presentation compared to the two fought before and was not a paragon of virtues in his attacks on the cape of Leo Valadez, who barely wanted to punish him with rods before entering into a varied takeoff.
Toast to the public from the Aguascalientes bullfighter, who opened the fight by bullfighting under the semi-genuflex figure. The one from Fuente Ymbro attacked with violence and somewhat discomposed and Valadez faced it firmly but without managing to smooth over the rough spots.
He wanted to try a bullfight, the crutch on his back, and the bull lifted him into the air and searched for him viciously on the ground. Luckily nothing serious happened but it was nothing to brag about.
The bad thing came when when going in to kill straight away the right python crossed his path, traveling towards his chest. Pained, battered, with his arm almost immobile, Valadez waited for the bull to bend and headed towards the infirmary, without an extra gesture. Bullfighter gesture, yes, and everyone’s respect, too.
And a while later and by ambulance, Leo Valadez went from the infirmary to a hospital after doctors confirmed a dislocation or possible fracture of his shoulder.
Given what we saw, just as the fuck was, lesser evil.
He left Plaza Román on foot, when he could have done so flying through the Puerta de la Gloria, but his afternoon in Las Ventas leaves behind a bullfighter’s legacy on the way to plenitude and with much to say. Take note whoever may concern.
Oh. Those of Fuente Ymbro, impressive in presentation, varied in game and with a great bull, “Proud”.
