Urdiales, through the Main Gate with the ‘friendly’ bull of Juan Pedro

Diego Urdiales left on shoulders through the Main Gate, but his performance was neither spectacular nor moving; it was sprinkled with beautiful flashes of the verónica, some very tempered muletazos with both hands, and two textbook sword thrusts. Enough reasons to leave on shoulders? Perhaps yes, but it was not a thrilling afternoon for the Riojan bullfighter; rather the intermittent lesson of a veteran master with much feeling behind him, but without the enthusiasm and need of yesteryear.

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And an important detail: the bull. The Juan Pedro Domecq bulls fought this afternoon were lacking in almost everything; correct in presentation, yes, with very measured strength; breed, in drops; mobility, at times, and overflowing, yes, with kindness and nobility. Very comfortable bulls for the stars to enjoy and share happiness with a generous audience. In conclusion, a triumph for breeder Juan Pedro, who has achieved the highest award for docility, and fulfilled from start to finish what was demanded of his bulls. And those who want fierceness, bravery, and excitement, should come back tomorrow.

That said, Urdiales cut one ear from each bull, a scant reward, perhaps, for the intermittent quality of his opponents. Well, more than opponents, friends, raised and selected not to bother and to collaborate with their bullfighter.

But it is fair to recognize that the master performed the classic verónica with feeling in his first bull, gaining ground from the third to the middle; and he drew a beautiful picture again in a very beautiful quite in which only more push from the ‘friend’ was missing. He repeated the scene before the fourth, and the two verónicas he drew after the bull’s fleeting pass by the horse were simply splendid.

The work with the muleta was intermittent, irregular, uneven… with beautiful moments with both hands, but without a complete performance in either of the two bulls. Four tempered naturales were the highlight of his work before the first, more beautiful than exciting, below the quality of the bull. More committed and involved before the fourth, he shone in two series of redondos full of calm and some commendable naturales to an overly affectionate companion.

And he dispatched both with two excellent sword thrusts, leaning over the neck in both cases and driving the steel to the hilt. He paraded two deserved ears and left on shoulders after leaving bursts of superior quality bullfighting in the Las Ventas ring, although it felt like too little.

Roca Rey is a fighting rooster whom part of the audience receives with hostility and criticizes without any consideration. He participated in quites, gave his maximum effort, and only cut one ear from the fifth, protested by some and many almost rose in arms when the bullfighter made a disapproval gesture at the end of the lap of honor.

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He started with tight statuesque passes in his first, which was a bull as noble as it was dull, with which he failed to interest almost anyone; but he came out in the fifth with the commendable disposition for triumph that some want to deny him. And he did what he knows best, first using the effect touches that so interest the stands, and bullfighting long and connected even though the series sometimes came detached and other times outward, with the inevitable dullness. Thus, he began on his knees in the third, where he muletazoed with redondos and two backhanded passes that won the majority over. The animal in front of him was a saintly male, willing to obey to death, and there he was at Roca’s mercy to shine with both hands with bullfighting not always outstanding. He missed before landing a good sword thrust and the request was clearly majority. Then came the gesture to the dissenters, and they will keep it for his next visit on June 14, but that is the fate of some stars.

And the Mexican Bruno Aloi confirmed the alternative, who passed quietly, without making noise or anything noteworthy. His bulls were like the others, the sixth more dull, but he showed himself very cold, exposed his concept, and left without leaving a trace.