The bulls of Santiago Domecq are no longer scary

The bulls of Santiago Domecq are no longer frightening; neither by their presence nor by their behavior. At least, that has been the impression they gave this afternoon at La Maestranza. They did not have the seriousness of yesteryear, the one that provokes admiration, all fair in presence, below what is usual for this breed. And they have lost character, strength, and breed, and have gained sweetness, nobility, kindness; so much so that the bulls of Santiago Domecq have presented themselves as collaborative artists with modern bullfighting.

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It is as if the breeder had changed the protocol, and breed for cordiality, so that the bulls no longer frighten, but offer their hand for friendship and lend themselves to affection, because more than bulls they seemed like pets that you can take home and stroke gently.

By the way, these artist bulls are not raised for the tercio de varas; in fact, the first two were not made to bleed, and the remaining four fulfilled the procedure on the first entry, without any drive, and nothing more. But no one complained; the entire audience found the disappearance of the tercio de varas correct. Moreover, the picador of the fifth raised the lance to avoid bothering the animal and received an ovation.

The artists need music and during the fight of five of them — the exception was the lame fifth — there was a concert by Maestro Tejera’s band. And the spectators had fun. So much so that up to three ears were carried around and there could have been more.

The bulls of the Jerez breed have presented themselves as collaborative artists with modern bullfighting

But, what happened in the ring? Not much. Of course, with those heavenly charges — submission, fixation, aggressiveness, and promptness — there were brilliant moments, especially with the cape. Thus, Perera shone with tafalleras and cordobinas in his first, and with chicuelinas in a pass to the third; Galván tempered with the verónica in his lot, and Palacio received his first with two long afaroladas on his knees in the tercio and left a mark of quality in the four and a half verónicas with which he received the sixth.

The last third was a different story.

Perera has been a matador for 22 years, he remains a powerful and dominant bullfighter, but everything he does sounds like we have already seen it. It is as if his jar of essences had run out. His first was a dream bull for its quality, a saintly male, and Perera was good, from his initial muletazos changed behind the back on his knees to the final sword thrust, but his work did not resonate, it did not move, it lacked the passion his opponent deserved. Even so, they asked for the second ear which president José Luque fortunately did not grant. The fourth was also good-natured, but less flashy and with little mobility, and that, with pasodoble included, was tasteless.

Great sword thrust that David Galván delivered to his first artist, and that was the reason he carried a trophy; he was not up to the noble bull with superficial and bland bullfighting, only resolved at the end with two deep naturales, some ayudados por alto and a graceful finish. In the fifth there was no music because the animal lacked life,

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And the Zaragozan Aarón Palacio debuted, who took the alternative last September in Nimes. It was noticeable that he came ready to do everything to succeed; nerves perhaps betrayed him in his first, with accelerated bullfighting that did not resonate in the stands before a repetitive and classy bull. So much so that the band director ordered the musicians to be silent, with all the meaning such a message has for the one in front of the bull.

Better, calmer before the noble sixth, and although his good manners with the cape had already been tasted, he left details of composure, depth, personality, and bullfighting grace in a measured performance, which he signed off with ayudados, a trincherilla, and a graceful finish that did leave a mark of quality.

And so the party ended. Artist bulls for the enjoyment of bullfighters and the amusement of the public. The bulls of Santiago Domecq are no longer frightening. And it is a shame.