When the bull’s breeding dictates and prevails, a great bullfighter emerges or helplessness becomes apparent. This afternoon, the only great bullfighter to step into the Las Ventas arena was young Víctor Hernández, who by now will be complaining of aches all over his body after suffering two dramatic tumbles during the fight of the sixth bull of the afternoon, a Santiago Domecq specimen, very brave with the picador, which he pushed with spirit in both lances, and very reserved and uncertain in the final third.
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Hernández presented the cape to that bull close to the boards shortly after it left the pens, and in the first encounter, it hooked him by the waist, lifted him with extreme violence, threw him into the air, and with its right horn threaded through his jacket, dragged him several meters amidst general terror. When, finally, the bull released its prey, the only one who didn’t seem shaken in the entire arena was the bullfighter himself, who got up, shed his jacket, and asked for the cape to continue fighting.
After the thrilling fight with the picadors, Víctor Hernández saluted the audience, still moved by what had just happened, and prepared to dominate the fierce and spirited bull with the muleta in his hands. But the bull told him shortly after the faena began that it wasn’t going to make it easy for the bullfighter; and so it was, uncertain, rough, with a short charge and menacing glances, the animal was not straightforward in the final third and forced its fighter to gather heroism if he wanted to stand before its sharp horns. The faena was not brilliant in the modern style, but a dazzling exercise in epic by a bullfighter of enormous personality, temperamental, in control of the situation, and confident. But none of these qualities could prevent the bull from catching him again, this time by the waistcoat, and lifting his feet off the ground in another dramatic moment from which, again, very fortunately, he emerged unharmed. He killed poorly, and what had the makings of a resounding triumph was reduced to a heartfelt ovation. The bullfighter’s bravery had already shone through in the fight of the third bull, with which he began the final third as still as a post with a series of high passes, two of them changed behind his back. The disjointed charge of his opponent prevented a brilliant display, but Hernández had already made it clear that he wasn’t there for a nap.
A very different case was that of his companions Emilio de Justo and Borja Jiménez. Both left a very poor impression in the arena, which does not correspond at all to the status of a figure that both can boast.
The first one was only correct, with little command, very short series of passes, and a couple of meritorious “naturales” against a noble and repetitive bull, with which he received up to two warnings after a struggle with the descabello. His work was met with silence, but it deserved a boo.
A very spirited and brave bull with the muleta was the fourth, greedy and repetitive, tireless in pursuing the cape, and De Justo delivered an irregular and rushed faena in which “redondos” merely accompanying the bull’s fierceness were mixed with several series of passes —again very short, unsuitable for savoring— of long and tempered “naturales”. And in that work, the abundant flourishes stood out more than the fundamental bullfighting. In total, when he mounted the sword, it seemed more like a faena for one ear and not two, as the bull deserved. But Emilio de Justo failed spectacularly again and received two more warnings. A self-respecting figure cannot make a fool of himself in that way.
Borja Jiménez also received a warning from the box for his first bull, after a bland and hesitant performance, bothered by the wind. But the serious incident occurred with the fifth, a spirited Sardinian-coated bull from Santiago Domecq, which charged with vigor and which the Sevillian bullfighter failed to understand at any moment. He had begun his work with three passes changed behind his back, to which the animal responded promptly, but that’s where the story ended. Everything was very rushed, without command or composure.
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In the end, the memory remains of a hero who is alive by a miracle, Víctor Hernández, destined to be a star.
Jandilla / De Justo, Jiménez, Hernández
Four bulls from Jandilla, unevenly presented, docile, noble, and lacking spirit, with the exception of the fourth, docile with the picador, but very spirited, eager, and with class with the muleta. And two from Santiago Domecq, fifth and sixth, well-presented, the first docile and spirited, and the other brave and uninspired.
Emilio de Justo: prick and low sword thrust -warning-, seven descabellos -second warning- and two descabellos (silence); very far back and crosswise sword thrust -warning-, one descabello -second warning- and one descabello (some boos).
Borja Jiménez: prick -warning- prick and sword thrust (silence); fallen sword thrust and two descabellos (silence),
Víctor Hernández: half sword thrust -warning- and one descabello (ovation); flat sword thrust, three descabellos -warning- three descabellos and the bull lies down (ovation).
Las Ventas Bullring.. June 4. Twenty-fourth celebration of the San Isidro Fair. Sold out (‘no tickets’) (22.964 spectators, according to the company).
