The bullfighter Manuel Caballero (Albacete, 23 years old) agreed last day 13 to the ladder of Matadores at the Albacete Fair in a ceremony that transgresses article 4 of the current National Bullfighting Regulation, application in the community of Castilla La Mancha.
When the three members of the poster were already gathered in the third for the exchange of junk, the godfather, Paco Ureña, in the presence of the witness, Roca Rey, invites the father of the bullfighter to go out to the ring, the bullfighter retired bulls Manuel Caballero, who appears on the scene dressed in the street. Ureña gives the montera, the crutch and the rapier and points out that he is the one who gives them to his son and presides over the solemn act of the novillero’s access to the upper ranks. And so it happened. Then, father and son melted in a hug in the presence of Ureña and Roca, while the lying applauded and the presidential box stayed with two nose palms before such unexpected (it is supposed to) and surprising event.
The president would know that what was happening in the ring was illegal and, therefore, the alternative ceremony did not happen to be an invalid pantomime, and thus had to be reflected in the act of the celebration.
The national bullfighting regulation is very clear about it. Section 2 of its article 4 says the following: “The acquisition of the category (of Matador) will be carried out in a bullfight. The oldest killer that alternates in the run will yield the turn of his first bull to the applicant, delivering the crutch and the stole of witness at the alternative ceremony and will occupy third place.
In no other article refers to a spectator can access the ring and assume functions that correspond to it, as this is the case, to the director of Lidia.
Consequently, the alternative of the bullfighter Manuel Caballero is invalid, and the young man should remain in the lower ranks until a ceremony is celebrated in accordance with current regulations.
Is this matter important or not?
Important, without a doubt, for several reasons.
The first, because the regulatory norm that establishes the formula for access to the scale of matadores is flagrantly breached.
It is important because a rite is broken, a liturgy, fundamental for the development of bullfighting. The ring is the exclusive land of the gold and silver bullfighters and those who act in the celebration; It is a plot seeding to the spectators, and none of these are authorized to participate or assume a responsibility that is the competence of those.
Another reason: a dangerous precedent is created. If the gentleman’s alternative is accepted as valid, tomorrow a friend, a brother -in -law, the full family or the Peña del Pueblo to alternative to another kid can go down to the ring.
The presidency of the Plaza de Albacete should not have allowed such lawlessness. For this, the government delegate and the two sheriffs at their position are in the alley, to preserve compliance with the rules that ensure the proper functioning of the show.
When on June 23, 2003 he took the alternative José María Manzanares in Alicante, his father was invited to attend the ceremony as a witness, but it was Enrique Ponce, as a godfather, who handed the junk to Toricantano. This should have happened this Saturday in Albacete.
By the way, the young gentleman’s alternative was scheduled for October 5 in Hellín in which Pepín Liria would reappear to act as a godfather, in the presence, precisely, of Manzanares.
The absence of Morante due to injury changed the course of events. The Casas-Amador company decided to replace the right-handed Sevillian with the alternative of the young Albacete. What nobody expected is for the godfather to be a man dressed in a street instead of a bullfighter. And that the authority allowed it, that it is the most serious.
Now, who has been composed and without Toricantano is Pepín Liria; and the bull party, ridiculed. There is no right.