The view from the sofa, my thoughts on corridas I
have watched on TV.
Valdefresno Bulls for Eugenio de
Mora, Morenito de Aranda and Arturo Saldívar.
We had another chance to see a couple of Las
Ventas’ early season triunfadores, as well as the token Mexican (this is not
meant as a disrespectful comment, it is important for the appropriate American
toreros to be given opportunities in Spain, it merely happens that all the
Mexicans have been concentrated in the first week and a half, no doubt to allow their
countrymen to come over for these ten days). Eugenio de Mora shone
brightly as a young torero, dropped off the radar some ten years
ago to re-emerge last season with a reinvigorated toreo. His oreja on Easter
Sunday in this plaza confirmed this recent return to form. Morenito de Aranda
always displayed a pleasing concept of toreo, but never found the consistency
to string together a series of triumphs – let us hope that his May
2 exit on shoulders from Las Ventas is consolidated with another strong
showing. Today will be the third time this season that I see Arturo Saldivar,
and I must say his previous outings have left me cold. He has shown in Mexico
that he can torear well, but the Spanish bulls is an altogether different
beast.
Before the three hopeful toreros, a string of
Valdefresno bulls. Erstwhile choice of the figuras, the atanasio bloodline has been
recently reduced to only a couple of ranches which the figuras have chosen to
ignore – except, on occasions, the Puerto San Lorenzo bulls. Every encaste has
its pros and cons, it is, however, interesting to contrast the varying
behaviour of different bloodlines beyond the often (and sometimes unfairly) maligned
Domecq fare.
The opening Valdefresno was a typical specimen.
Impressive horns and a cold attitude as it entered the ring, bordering on
mansedumbe, which could be moulded into an apt charge with the correct
technical approach. It took Eugenio a number of series to find the correct
terrains to torear. Once he had done so the bull remained focussed on his lure
and the left hand toreo flowed. The naturales were cadenced, slow and low,
nicely linked and marked by Eugenio's relaxed manner. A pretty faena that would
have yielded an ear if only the sword had run true.
Eugenio’s second bull was a brown Valdefresno, an
uncommon colour in the Atanasio bloodline; I am reminded of the story that old
Atanasio Fenández did not like this colour and would only exceptionally approve
brown cows to be mothers, a brown Atanasio therefore promised to be a good
bull. The lidia enjoyed a promising start, with a series of intense veronicas
welcoming the bull into the arena. Eugenio was dertermined to triumph,
beginning the faena de muleta with toreo en redondo on his knees, an emotive
series concluded with a slow and eternal chest pass that brought a deep ole
from the crowd. The bull was nervy, mobil and tricky. It allowed for stirring
toreo, but required Eugenio’s determination to bring the best out of the bull.
The opening series of derechazos were well linked, each capped with excellent,
reposed chest passes. The toreo al natural was less consistent. But Eugenio
understood he required another clever and moving series on the right hand side
to be certain of the ear - which he cut despite a effective, yet defective,
sword thrust. His two afternoons in Madrid have shown that Eugenio de
Mora is a veteran torero that deserves a space in the ferias, importantly,
he took his alternativa in 1997 and would therefore be a perfect candidate to
open cartels.
Morenito's first bull also had an edge of mansedumbre
that led it to seek an exit rather than a lure. However, if it did stay to
play, the animal would charge intently and with nobility. Morenito's first
two series of derechazos were excellent and emphatic. Unfortunately, they led
to a middle part of the faena wherein Morentio sought to torear a contra
querencia, but the bull would not accept it. It was disheartening to see the
bull leave the torero after each pass. Thankfully, Morenito worked
out how to torear the bull in its own terrain - short series, keeping the lure
close to the bull's face and combining passes naturales and cambiados at
suitable junctures - therefore ending the faena on a positive note, which was
somewhat soured by poor sword work.
The fifth bull was returned to the pens, but not
before Saldívar performed a crowd pleasing quite by zapopinas, to which Morenito
replied with inconsistent veronicas, capped with a profound media. Saldívar
was also active in quites to the sobrero (from the El Risco ranch – you can
usually tell the standing of the toreros in a San Isidro cartel from the sobreros' provenance), but the highlight of the lidia being a couple of risky pairs
of banderillas from David Adalid. Morenito was able to conclude his
promising afternoon with an ear from this bull. The animal reached the muleta
with adequate mobility and desire to chase the lures, it was not an ideal bull,
but had enough virtues to allow an in form torero to triumph. The faena was
based on the right side and comprised of four well linked, reposed and timed
series. It was sprinkled with relaxed and attractive remates before concluding
with an estocada desprendida. Beyond the ear he received as a prize, this
afternoon was further confirmation that Morenito has experienced a
qualitative leap in his development. His capote is profound, his attitude with
the muleta is determined and the quality of his muletazos and toreo de muleta
as a whole is excellent. Morenito de Aranda joins the list of toreros
that have shown this San Isidro that they deserve a string of contracts in the
provinces.
The third Valdefresno was sent back to the pens due
to manifest weakness and it was replaced by a bright brown Hermanos Revesado
bull, I was previously unfamiliar with this Domecq origin ranch. The animal was
poor. It had a graceless charge and, like the Valdefresno it replaced, was
weak. Saldivar tried to be creative, beginning the faena with a cartucho de
pescao cambiado, to no avail. This was a rotten bull that did not allow for any
work of note.
Saldivar was also unlucky with the closing bull. A
large, brown and weak Valdefresno that came and went to and from the torero
without any malice nor emotion. Saldivar was cold and unable to supplant the
bull’s failings with his own toreo. Most of the blame for Saldivar’s blank
afternoon lies at the feet of his lot of bulls, there was little more he could
have produced today, although interventions with the cape were varied, fresh
and welcome. Nevertheless, he needed to use this afternoon to create expectation among the afición and
his performance today fell slightly short. Particularly considering that the
second tier of toreo, namely Eugenio de Mora, Morenito de
Aranda, Del Álamo, Pepe Moral and El Payo have already displayed
their credentials more emphatically than Arturo.
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