Valencia July Fair: Samuel Navalón, on his shoulders, the last Valencian pearl | Culture

Navalón emptied himself into his two bulls in a clear demonstration of wanting to be. Two tasks without complexes, without leaving anything in the pipeline, with conscious value. He leaves the fair like the fashionable Valencian bullfighter.

With blood and fire he carried out his task on the third. It was a hard-wired bull, not easy, with a lot to fight, which he knocked down at the first point with a sharp and accurate blow. He waited in banderillas without allowing the banderilleros to arrive comfortably, and he kept an eye on everything that moved. Navalón did not mince words and greeted him on his knees with his crutch.

Firm and well carried in the first round with the right, he soon became uncomfortable to make it clear that his handling was not easy. A couple of throws did not disappoint his matador, despite a violent disarming. The second part of that task was filled with excitement, millimeters away from the pitons, being seen in each event, Navalón really played it. Brave and honest. In an attempt to circulate inverted, the bull took him in front and slammed him into the sand. It didn’t go beyond shock. He returned as if nothing had happened, and once again demonstrated bravery. The end of that work had those lying in suspense. He attacked the bull when it was time to kill and the thrust fell backwards, but was effective.

The sixth was the bull with the most options, without being a hottie, of course. But once things were done well, he surrendered to a seamless Navalón crutch. From the two changed by the back at the beginning, to the exciting final bernadinas, that work had good bullfighting and real value. With confidence, the bullfighter responded and showed his face without trap or cardboard. He escaped moments of danger, especially in two somersaults that ended without consequences. And the final displays crowned a high-level task. The final thrust, the best signature to a great performance. With all his merit, he walked out the front door on his shoulders.

Daniel Luque offered a demonstration of security, composure and clear ideas in the second of the afternoon. With just enough strength, that bull was tested at half height first and once delivered, bullfighted almost at will. To the bullfighter’s liking, he enjoyed powerful bullfighting with conscious courage. With El Torero as hypnotized, Luque understood an animal that, with just enough strength, surrendered to the fighting ability of its matador. It was not the same with the fifth, shameless piton, who had a hard time getting his face into the crutch. Before, in banderillas, he waited and gave Juan Contreras a scare, who was run over without consequences. Luque, crutch in hand, once again demonstrated his power, although this time without brilliance. The bull, at a pace and dying, never humiliating, let himself be carried away by Luque, who was barely able to take advantage of it. Sober work, with great security, but without brilliance.

On tiptoe, or less, Diego Urdiales passed through the Valencia fair. The first one didn’t finish catching the air, with a lackluster attack and a point of violence at the end of the muletazo. A couple of loose naturals and stop counting. Task without echo and with most of the muletazos tripped in the finishing. The fourth was complicated, especially because of the right piton. Urdiales, without confidence, bullfighted him between his legs. He tried it naturally, where the bull left the path, but not even like that.