The Junta de Andalucía held on Wednesday at the Palace of San Telmo in Seville the second edition of the Andalusian Awards of the Bullfighting 2024, an act chaired by the president of the Regional Government, Juanma Moreno, and in which the defense of the bullfighting world has claimed, according to Europa Press. “In Andalusia, bullfighting is at home; here it is understood, dear and respected, here, in our land, the world of bull has all the support, the stimulus and impulse of the Andalusian government,” said Moreno in his speech.
The president has also affected that bullfighting is economy, employment, culture, tradition and environment, and has been proud, “from plurality and freedom, of being able to recognize in this day people who give everything so that this great cultural sector, and that this creative world continues to improve, grow and exist.”
In the event, in addition, tribute has been given to the figure of Manuel Benítez The Cordoba, To which the Costillares Award has been given, the highest distinction of this edition, in recognition of its trajectory and contribution to the cultural heritage of Andalusian and Spanish bullfighting. In his speech, the teacher has come out in defense of the bullfighting tradition and the sector, in addition to calling for unity in order to promote aid for this area: “This party cannot be touched because it is ours.” “We have to defend ours; this is our bread and we live many people, families, ranchers, bullfighters who play life and the public itself,” he said.
In addition to granting an improvised Walk To the public, the Cordoba has emphasized during their speech in the relevance of promoting the integration of young people into the world of bullfighting, especially in those who do not have the necessary resources. “I have not met my parents, I have raised an orphan and I had to live fighting; when I was a young lady, I had no child, nor have I gone to school and now I am here,” the teacher recalled.
Another of the outstanding moments of the event has been the delivery of the Hemingway Award to the artistic dissemination to the bullfighter Roca Rey and the filmmaker Albert Serra, after the premiere of his documentary film Soledad afternoons. Roca Rey has made an allegation in favor of the bull and the responsibility of representing the sector. “I have the responsibility of representing a tradition that is not only mine, but of millions of people who feel bullfighting as part of their identity, their culture and life,” he said. Along these lines, the Peruvian has also assured in his speech that bullfighting “is part of the soul of our culture and is more alive than ever.” Finally, he has launched a message in defense of the fans for the world of bull, asserting that “as long as there are those who live it, there will be a future.” “Bullfighting is not imposed, chosen, and I speak for all those who get up at dawn to take care of the Bravo bull, for those who train in silence, for which they are excited, and for those who dream of being bullfighters; who pretend that the bullfighting disappears, I repeat that we are here and we are not going,” King has concluded.
Likewise, the Junta de Andalucía has granted a special mention to the Royal Union of Bull Builders of Lidia on the occasion of its 120 anniversary and in recognition of its impulse in the raising of the bull brave. The prize has been collected by the president of the organization, Antonio Bañuelos, who has affirmed that “it is a hard work, very ungrateful, with an aggravating aggravation from the COVID and that the situation has not yet been overcome.” He also stressed that Andalusia “is the largest exporter of livestocks in the world”, with a total of 130 companies.
The livestock of Juan Pedro Domecq has collected the Veragua Award in recognition of its role in the protection of Toro Bravo. In his speech, Domecq stressed that the ranchers of Bravo “are the true holders of the pasture, of regional Spain, of emptied Spain.”
Another winner of this second edition of the Andalusian Awards of Bullfighting has been the journalist and writer Juan del Val, who has received the Puerta Grande award to the promotion, dissemination, analysis and defense of the bullfighting party in the media. The journalist has expressed his gratitude to receive this recognition, although, as he has pointed out “he has a lot of merit to put in front of a bull, raise a bull, even place a camera in a site to tell what happens in a bullring; but I think, he has no merit to defend a thing you love as much as I love it.”
To end the act, the Cordoba has sweetened the awards gala, surprising the attendees through dances, walks and songs per couplet that, as he said, had composed the same. Thus, the bullfighting teacher has shown his flashes as a composer without complexes after interpreting “in first”, verses of his song entitled I remember when it was a brush, where he remembers the great moments he had lived inside the bulls.