Valencia July Fair: A great bull from Santiago Domecq pardoned | Culture

From torment to ecstasy; from hell to heaven. In just 24 hours, from the misery of bullfighting to its greatness. A small but great step that saves a fair that was doomed a day before. It happened in the fourth of this third and last bullfight of the season. The bull, named Escondidowas destined to make history. And in front of him a bullfighter, Román, also destined to complete the story. It was not a bull in varas that said much, because nothing happened in the two entrances to the horse. Or he passed on tiptoe, let’s say. Román saw something in the bull, which he offered to the public convinced that there was a gold mine there. Without preambles, the bullfight had no solution of continuity. A vibrant charge of the bull, started to the cite, from afar, with a long trip, well understood by a full-bodied Román. On the right horn, on the left, all the bravery of the brave animal was shed while Román also seemed to enjoy it. The bullfighter was very centered, the passes were long, subduing, lowering his hand, with command. Nobody escaped that something was brewing and the people, in clamor, stood up to ask for the pardon of EscondidoThe president initially resisted, but had no choice but to accept the plebiscite of the entire arena to take out the orange handkerchief and pardon the life of a brave bull. A fair pardon? The controversy is served. A magnificent bull with the muleta, which was very discreet in the first third.

It was a shame that the apparent good condition of the first bull was frustrated by the hard punishment received in the first stab, which left pools of blood wherever it went. Ureña opened the pace at the first change once he had the muleta in hand, the first two rounds on the right were successful, but with the left the natural ones, some long and good, were given one by one. The bull did not hold out much longer, which twice rolled in the sand, barely able to catch a breath. Ureña was bold at the end, but there was nothing left to be gained.

Ureña did not quite get along with the third bull, a bull that looked good and had a lot of substance. But neither bull nor bullfighter could agree with the muleta. There were many passes, with irregular strokes, with the rhythm always open, sometimes even exaggerated, everything very light. An attempt at a natural pass with both feet together at the end did not quite work out either. It was not an easy task for Ureña to face the fifth after the event with the fourth bull. The bull did not give in, always stayed halfway, and Ureña could only show an admirable attitude. He was thanked for it.

The second, the first of Román, very fair in every way, was protested at the start. And the square rose in arms when after leaving the horse the little bull collapsed in the sand. A commotion, shouts of “out!” “out!” Tango clapping and supposed prelude to scandal. But no. The bull showed the good side of his condition and began to charge happily and tirelessly. He never collapsed again and although he was short of strength, he held on well in the last third. Román took him long on the right, in a circle, with the bull’s gaze fixed on the muleta. On the left horn things were not the same, as Román did not get the air on the first try. There were loose natural passes, but that second part of the faena was already more irregular. The frontal manoletinas finished off a work that was more than what it promised. The sixth, also very punished in the varas, stopped halfway on the muleta. Roman tried but the bull, already very suffocated, barely gave him any option.