The Peruvian bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey and the Huelva native David de Miranda left today on the shoulders of the Plaza Monumental in Pamplona, after being awarded to each of Victoriano del Río’s second and sixth bulls, respectively, two ears of very cheap criterion and portable plaza rigor, in the now fifth Sanfermines celebration.
The unjustified awarding of the second trophies to each of the tasks, which if anything had merit for one, came from the hand of today’s president, the former mayor of the Navarrese capital Cristina Ibarrola, who added to the populace atmosphere with which the bulls – very serious bulls – have been seen for some time now in a ring where the quality of the bullfighting is the least important circumstance of what happens in the ring and on the line.
The waste began already with the second of the afternoon, once Alejandro Talavante had already let himself go without rushing or betting on what was going to be the best bull of the bullfight, a bulky first, but of sweet nobility, which, given what he had seen, if he had killed better he would have also cut off some appendage.
But it was in the next turn when Roca Rey took that second ear that already assured him the start on his shoulders for a task that had moments of merit, such as a long and tight remove through saltilleras with the cape on his back, and a beginning of the task beyond the showy, with three passes changed on his knees in which he had to wait for an animal that not even at that moment had inertia in the starts.
The fine specimen by Victoriano del Río, the best made of the sextet, then began to progressively disengage without the Peruvian, always covering it with deception, allowing it to crack as the animal seemed to seek. And although the work declined, a great attack generated that outrageous request for two ears to which the presidency demagogically agreed.
And even more inexplicable was the awarding of the second trophy to David de Miranda in the sixth, another big bull that, without great class, repeated and moved with great liveliness in a scramble in which the Huelva native extended himself by passing him with light half-crutches, until, already fatigued by the effort, the bull allowed him to get into the short distance for the populist boasts before a low thrust that, in itself, would have put the first ear in question.
The rest of the bullfight, amid a suffocating and torturous heat on the floor, passed without brilliance, as Roca dilated senselessly with a fifth of very ugly and unbalanced foil, which justified his lack of race, and De Miranda did not push himself with a tall and short-lived third that ended up cramping on the boards. Talavante had even less history with the fourth, a pale-faced bull with a long neck that he did not finish unhooking, but who passed again and again without major problems in a linear muleteo in which the Extremaduran, more than in command and bullfighting, put more effort into the gestures for the gallery with which he wanted to draw the attention of a spread focused on the snack, which was then the important thing.
Del Río/Talavante, Roca, De Miranda
Six bulls of Victoriano del Ríoseriously and very unequal workmanship, in some cases dilapidated and unbalanced. In general, It was a run of little breed, with several cracked and bottomless specimens although there were also manageable ones, like the sixth and, especially, the first, curiously the one with the largest volume of the run.
Alejandro Talavante: lunge detached crossed and seven crazy things (silence after warning); prick and detached lunge (ovation after warning).
King Rock: lunge (two ears); front lunge and madness (ovation after warning).
David de Miranda: four jabs and thrust rear (silence); falling lunge (two ears).
Roca Rey and De Miranda came out on shoulders.
Pamplona Square. July 9. Fifth subscription celebration for the San Fermín fair, with a full house (19,500 spectators) on a stiflingly hot afternoon.