Some years ago, Joaquín Núñez del Cuvillo, founder of the cattle ranch that was discussed this afternoon, said in an interview that he intended to raise bulls for the bullfighters to enjoy. One of them has taken to the ring today in the plaza in Venteña: Winner name, Colorado, number 80, weighing 552 kilos. Beautiful in face, but unsuitable in appearance for this arena, like all his brothers, who pushed in the first attempt with the horse and crashed in the second; Its performance was very uneven in banderillas, but it came up in the third, and showed that it contained a quality, a class, a rhythm and the kindness typical of animals raised with a bottle and educated for the triumph of others.
A lane bull, a bandito bull, with a charge as sweet as syrup, which a mature and seasoned Alejandro Talavante encountered, and he took advantage of it from the first blow of the muleta to the end. So much so that he cut off both of his ears and left on his shoulders through the Puerta Grande, the seventh in his already long 20-year career as a bullfighter.
It was good, of course. How could it not be with a happy, benevolent bull, with promptness and firmness in its repeated attacks. The start of the task was spectacular: two helped over the top, another from disdain, a signature pass, a trench and all linked with a long chest pass. At that point, the bull had already shown itself to be a more than friendly collaborator.
And what followed was a gale of beautiful muleta blows; a first round with the right hand, closed with an almost circular natural in super slow motion; another following one of the same tenor and with a similar ending; three more rounds with the left foot in which the length of the muletazos, the class of the bull and the aesthetics of the matador emerged. There was still a final round with the right before taking a somewhat fallen lunge.
The bull was given a generous turn around the ring and Talavante walked both ears of the same tenor through the Las Ventas ring.
Aesthetics had emerged, at times to the highest degree, but the emotion of the brave, fierce and hardened bull did not appear anywhere. Talavante enjoyed it as if he were in the patio of his house, and he went out on his shoulders in the first bullfight of the fair, as happened with this bullfighter last year in the celebration that opened the Isidril cycle. And they enjoyed the stalls, which looked like they had never been to a grocery store.
Thus the celebration that had begun regularly came to an end; first, due to the poor presentation of the bulls, astifinos, but without the image typical of the category of this square, and, secondly, because Tristán Barroso, who confirmed the alternative, did not finish warming up the atmosphere with a first brave bull on the horse, which charged with fixity and humiliation in the first stages of the muleta task before its lack of life became evident. Barroso has good manners, he demonstrated elegant and fine manners with the crutch in his left hand, but he did not excite as expected, although his opponent went out earlier than expected.
Before the sixth, after the triumph of Talavante – who did not put much effort with the annoying animal that was his first place -, the confirmer came out angry; Mathieu Guillon showed off with the banderillas, and Barroso stood on his knees in the middle to receive the bull with two passes exchanged for the sword that cost him a somersault without consequences, but he made it clear that he has courage. He tried with determined dedication, he even drew some classy naturals, but the task was muddled, perhaps due to the poor class of his opponent, and he failed with the sword.
And Juan Ortega was there. He could do nothing against his first, without strength in his gut and who collapsed in the middle of the task, but he was seen to be far below the established fifth, noble, and with certain doses of fierceness. He was certainly not a lane bull, and he demanded a command that Ortega did not offer him. In short, the task ended up frayed, very uneven and with a bad taste in the mouth.
The one who will be happy will be Talavante; for its seventh Great Gate and for the syrup that the bull spilled in its charge Winner.
Núñez del Cuvillo / Talavante, Ortega, Barroso
Bulls of Núñez del Cuvillovery fair in presence; first, brave on the horse and little life on the crutch; to the second, uneven and annoying; The third was not hit and collapsed in the final third; the fourth was tame in varas, vulgar in banderillas and of exquisite class and kindness in the muleta (he was granted the honor of returning to the ring). Embedded and greedy the fifth after tame in rods; The sixth is gentle and difficult on the crutch.
Alejandro Talavante: thrust across (silence) -warning- slightly drooping lunge (two ears). He left on his shoulders through the Great Gate.
Juan Ortega: three jabs and thrust (silence); prick and thrust -warning- (silence).
Tristan Barrosowhich confirmed the alternative: -warning- puncture, perpendicular and low thrust -second warning- and four crazy things (silence); two jabs and thrust (silence).
Las Ventas bullring. May 8. First celebration of the San Isidro Fair. Full of no tickets (22,964 spectators, according to the company).