The bullfight was a complete dud, one of those that deserves a serious corrective; a severe punishment, of course, for the breeder due to the frustrating invalidity of a bullfight very fair in presentation, comfortable in appearance, as demanded by the stars, lifeless animals from their entrance to the ring, docile on horseback, without a drop of bravery in their guts and with that silly and bland nobility that usually characterizes most bulls from commercial breeding farms. Two of the main bulls were returned to the pens, but a few more deserved the same fate; the negative thing is that the substitutes were no better, so the event turned out to be an unworthy boredom for what a bullfighting event should be. Events like today’s should be banned by law because they are a scam to the spectators. And that rule should state that the amount paid be refunded because the show offered did not resemble at all what was announced.
Punishment, also, for the company that bought the cattle, and for the bullfighters, for always seeking the hateful comfort, although in sin they carry the penance.
But it is true that everything bad can get worse; indeed it can. There is the case of the refined artist Pablo Aguado, who heard the three warnings on his first bull due to the obvious impossibility of hitting the kill with the descabello after a half-estocada. You cannot come to Madrid if you do not know how to use the descabello, because no one should make the terrible ridicule that the Sevillian has starred in, who has stained his more than uneven record with a black blot.
And the bullfighters, all three considered stars without real reasons for such a distinction, did not justify their pay; first, for being announced with a breeding brand that year after year fails without the company taking it into account; and second, for insisting with cape passes on their dying opponents as if they were obliged to justify themselves before a corpse project.
Throughout the event, a noisy murmur did not cease in the stands, clear evidence that what was happening in the ring lacked the slightest interest; for neither Manzanares, nor Ortega nor Aguado took notice of the general fatigue and insisted, again and again, on prolonging their faenas which only increased everyone’s despair.
By the way, Manzanares, a bullfighter who lives off past glories, is in the twilight of his career and will show little in what remains of his professional life, but Ortega and Aguado must wake up to prevent the fans and the public from forgetting them and replacing them with young men with enough qualities to revive the already withered hopes of both.
Tomorrow will be another day and, fortunately, hope will return that fate changes and bullfighting returns to its essence.
P. de San Lorenzo/Manzanares, Ortega, Aguado
Three bulls from Puerto de San Lorenzo – first, second and third – and three from La Ventana del Puerto, – second and fourth returned -, fair in presentation and comfortable in appearance, docile, invalid and noble. First substitute, from José Vázquez, well presented, docile and invalid; second, from El Freixo, well presented, docile and without class.
José María Manzanares: estocada (silence); almost full pierced (silence).
Juan Ortega: estocada (silence); perpendicular estocada (silence).
Pablo Aguado: half estocada _warning_ four descabellos _2nd warning_ and fourteen descabellos _3rd warning_ (boos). The bull was finished in the ring due to the impossibility of being returned to the pens by the cabestros. Deep pinch and half estocada (silence),
Las Ventas bullring. May 21. Twelfth event of the San Isidro Fair. Full house (22,964 spectators, according to the company).
