So here is my opportunity to welcome everyone to the New Year and wish everybody a prosperous 2007. If you know me, you know I stay away from the predictable. So , what better way to start out 2007 but with an update of DBB's most anticipated film, Manolete. If you frequent this site, you'll know that I'm all up on this film. I surf the internet looking for the latest on its progress. I did find a new unofficial trailer, which includes a memorable scene with Penelope Cruz eating an Apple (lucky apple). Scheduled to be released in Spain on August 29th, 2007, 60 years to the day of Manolete's death, the film debuts in the US two month after that. My goal this year is to attend the premiere in Los Angeles on October 4th. What better birthday present for a aficionado living in SoCal is there.

For those of you wondering why make this my first post of 2007. I wanted to take the opportunity to refocus the existence of darkbrownbuckets.com. I noticed part of 2006, DBB drifted from the main blog content. DBB is primarily a blog of Toros. I pledged to myself to make it more of a Taurine Portal on the web in 2007. Secondly, DBB does wine. It's our passion and second to Toros in importance when considering my/our vices. Also, I love my Futbol so DBB will continue with periodic updates on Newcastle, Palermo or Real Betis. In 2007 I will also dig into my musical interest and post more on Flamenco and the interesting culture which surrounds this lifestyle in Spain as well as my corner of the world, Chula Vista. Now just because I've pointed out these four interests does not mean I will let a silly ass video or our dumb ass President's latest blunder go unnoticed. I just vow to expand the quality of Toros, Vino, Futbol and Flamenco content. Besides, W. has the whole year to make more of an ass out of himself.

So with that I say welcome to 2007, go buy a good bottle of Rioja, kick back and watch a good soccer game. BTW, GO CHARGERS. That's my official bandwagon jump on effort!

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So one night I was working on an iMovie project when I drifted and found myself on YouTube again. I started to look for more videos such as the last posting of videos of Morante de la Puebla. I typed in El Fandi for the hell of it. I'm not a huge fan of El Fandi. I think he has great physical abilities, is the best Matador banderillero in the world at this moment, and is coming around with the muleta. I do however think he is too athletic and the absence of clase really affects his talent to torerar. The results of my Fandi search brought on a huge surprise. It seems they're about the release a documentary on El Fandi. Its a behind the scenes view of a popular matador's struggle to become the best Matador in Spain. Most of the documentary was shot in 2005 and the footage from the trailer looks top quality with a cinemaphotographic knowledge of the subject. I immediately contacted the filmmaker Steven Higgins and asked for permission to post the trailer here. The funny thing is I went to the films website and surfed it for a while. To my surprise, guess who I discovered was a consultant on the film. Just a pen pal I have from Mundo Taurino (see 9/24/06 posting). Too funny, but I'm sure the film will reach beyond my pen pals knowledge! This guy is always trying to blast DBB. Whatever! Oh, BTW I finally finished the iMovie I was working on. It is a small review of this summers trip to España. I borrowed some clips from my friend Joe Fee's video he had sent me, mixed it with some pix I took and put in a couple of nice Flamenco tracks. Please click here to see the Fandi trailer Matador: The Documentary Film, and here to see my Spain 2006 little film.

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Simply put, there is no finer Matador de Toros today than José Antonio Morante Camacho "Morante de la Puebla". A couple of Sundays ago Morante brought his art to the Mexican capital and turned in the kind of performance he has been doing for two great seasons. This past July I had the pleasure of seeing Morante perform in Alicante and Tijuana. In both corridas he was sublime and displayed the kind of Toreo which comes from the heart and soul of the Torero. Morante also suffers from depression, which caused him to retire early two seasons ago and seek treatment for his problem. Emerging from this state, Morante had a truer understanding of his mortality, his existence, as well as his purpose and goals in the ring. What has transpired is a Torero who bonds with the toros he faces, and creates beauty, stands his ground and wraps the toro around his body. Different aspects of Morante's Toreo have evolved into the finest interpretations of Veronicas, Chicuelinas, Trincherazos and Pases de Pecho today. I acquired a couple of videos from mi amigo Pedro's postings and Tendido Cero. Pedro has a website which is dedicated to Morante. I had wondered why Pedro would do this, but as I see more and more of Morante I now understand his enthusiasm Take a look at the collection video which I've posted below. First is the Tendido Cero mini docu-interview of Morante explaining his affliction and how it affected him and his art during his 2005 temporada. The second is a compilations of highlights of his 2006 Spanish Campaign, and the third his recent corrida in Plaza Mexico.

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With the popularity and the success of French Matador de Toros Sebastian Castella, I noticed a trend in the younger generation of Matadores both Mexican and Spanish. The inclusion of the pass "El Pendulo". Named after the swing of a pendulum, this pass used to be considered one of the most dangerous passes to attempt. In Spain the pass is more known as a "Pase Cambiado por Detras". Popularized in the 1940's by the Mexican born of Spanish parentage, Carlos Arruza, the torero stands in the middle of the ring holding the muleta behind him with his left hip towards the bull. The torero calls the attention to the bull, and once the bull focuses on the man, the torero holds his ground. As the bull approaches the torero, the torero times the bull's charge and swings the muleta like a pendulum, changing the bulls course and passing him in back of his body. Done properly, a Pendulo can raise excitement in the crowd. Executed wrong can be deadly. Many of Spain's younger matadores are making this pass a regular part of their répertoire. The better versions are performed by Castella, Cesar Jimenez and Miguel Ángel Perera. Younger Mexican matadors and Novilleros are now including the Pendulo as well. I first saw the pass executed in the 1970's by Mexican Antonio Lomelin. It remains one of my favorite passes, but one I have yet to attempt. One day I will, and I'm sure the hardest detail will be to keep my feet still. Here is a clip of Sebastian Castella earlier this year in Burgos with his routine opening series. Fotos from mi amigo Jason Morgan, Burladerodos.com, and Las-Ventas.com.

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Last week the European Union's Parliment overturned a vote to outlaw the Bullfight. Opponets tried to piggyback La Fiesta on Bill which intended to outlaw "bloodsports" which are considered contest with animals. The European Parliment saw the light and voted instead for an industry which benifits not only the host Spanish seasonal tours but travel agencies for these same destinations. Please read the artical below which tries to uncover the issues of which some call a dieing art.

October 14, 2006. To Ernest Hemingway it was "a wonderful nightmare". Spanish playwright Antonio Machado called it a "sacrifice to an unknown god". Writer Henry James was not a fan, describing it as "extremely disgusting". To the rest of us, it is one of Europe's most curious and compelling traditions, one that could only happen in Spain. The elegantly archaic spectacle of bullfighting has always inspired contradictory passions. Opponents denounce it as a cruel blood sport, akin to bear-baiting, in which 40,000 bulls are killed every year as part of an ancient rite that has no place in modern Europe. Proponents of the corrida (bullfight) counter that this is art, not sport — Spanish newspapers cover bullfighting in their culture rather than sports pages — and an epic drama of picturesque tragedy. For centuries, bullfighting survived the best efforts of those who would try to ban it — from kings to the Spanish Inquisition, from popes to members of the European Parliament — only for it to emerge more popular than ever. As far back as 1567, Pope Pius V issued a papal edict excommunicating anyone who participated in a bullfight. The archbishop of Valencia at the time described bullfighting as "bestial and diabolic". Even in staunchly Catholic Spain, however, the threat of eternal damnation was considered less grave than having to forsake the corrida. When the archbishop was canonised by the Vatican a century later, the news was celebrated in Valencia with bullfights. But having survived centuries of official condemnation and the nation's transition to modernity, Spain's most infamous pastime is now facing an unprecedented threat to its existence: Spaniards appear to have lost their passion for bullfighting. Recent figures show that 70 per cent of Spaniards are "not at all interested" in bullfighting, up from 40 per cent 30 years ago. This newfound indifference translates into empty bullrings; most of Spain's 600 plazas de toros (bullrings) struggle to fill a quarter of their seats. Barcelona in particular has shown how declining popularity can escalate into a serious threat to the future of bullfighting. At the end of the 19th century, there were three bullrings in the city. Now there is one. In 2002, a citywide poll found that just 7 per cent of residents believed bullfighting enhanced Barcelona's international reputation. A year later, 82 per cent said they considered bullfighting cruel, with nearly two-thirds saying they wanted it to end. Identifying Barcelona as the weak link in Spain's bullfighting armour, aid groups brought pressure to bear upon the city authorities. In 2004, the Culture Without Cruelty campaign by the London-based World Society for the Protection of Animals presented their objections, and a 245,000-signature petition, to the Barcelona authorities, arguing that bullfighting was "an outdated practice that has nothing to do with culture and everything to do with cruelty". Apart from criticising the killing of bulls at the end of each bullfight, aid groups highlighted reports that told of bulls being beaten and tranquillised, and having their horns blunted and their vision blurred in order to prepare them for an unequal fight with the matador. The combination of waning local interest and the accumulating pressure from opponents proved effective. Children under 14 were banned from attending bullfights and, in September 2004, the city council declared Barcelona an anti-bullfighting city. In the process it condemned the "cruel acts" and "physical and psychological suffering" inflicted on the bulls. Catalonia in general, and Barcelona in particular, had never been Spain's bullfighting heartland and corridas in the north-eastern Spanish region had come to be the preserve of foreign tourists bussed in from nearby coastal resorts, and the elderly. Nonetheless, as the first such ruling in Spain, the ban was significant. "Sooner or later it will be the country that invented bullfights that will ban them first," said Manuel Cases of Spain's Animal Rights Defence Association. "This will happen region by region, but someone will have to be first and that will probably be Catalonia, with Barcelona leading the way." That bullfighting should become a thing of the past in separatist Barcelona is less important than that public apathy is taking hold in Madrid, Valencia and Andalusia, Spain's bastions of bullfighting. "Before, you put up a poster and the people came," says Juan Carlos Beca Belmonte, the manager of Madrid's Las Ventas bullring, Spain's most prestigious plaza de toros. "Now we are the ones who have to chase after the crowd." Luis Corrales, president of the Platform in Defence of the Bull Festival, says: "There used to be only bullfighting or soccer, or maybe a movie. But now there are so many other leisure choices." Spanish state television, mindful of the corrida's diminishing appeal, has also cut by almost one-third the air time it devotes to bullfighting, and many private channels no longer broadcast from the ring. The concomitant fall in advertising revenues is exacerbating the financial crisis confronting bullring operators, who must pay up to $50,000 for a full quota of bulls and as much as $575,000 for a top matador and his entourage for a single corrida. To break even for each fight, promoters must sell at least 75 per cent of seats. At one level, rumours of bullfighting's demise are premature, for this remains a multimillion-dollar industry that employs 150,000 Spaniards. Every year, Spain's 60 major bullrings draw about 20 million spectators who pay $1.35 billion into the industry's coffers. The mid-May Fiesta de San Isidro in Madrid, which heralds the start of Spain's most important bullfighting season, is a major social event where the great and good of Spain gather to be seen in illustrious company. Matadors, defined by their statuesque grace, dazzling traje de luces (suit of lights) and glamorous lifestyles, are national celebrities whose private lives are dissected by Spain's scandalised and scandalous prensa rosa (pink press). But the fact that the average Spaniard is now more likely to know a bullfighter's face from the pages of a magazine than they are to have seen him in the bullring reinforces the widely held view that bullfighting's glory days have passed. The figures that attest to the size of the industry also conceal the serious financial difficulties that confront almost every major bullring. Even members of the bullfighting fraternity admit that they no longer stand at the centre of Spanish life. "My goal is for bullfighting to form a part of today's society, instead of remaining on the margins," says Alejandro Seaz, a Spanish businessman and bullfighting promoter. Of far greater concern for supporters of bullfighting are two simple, telling statistics: the average spectator at Las Ventas bullring in Madrid is a fiftysomething male and just 17 per cent of Spaniards younger than 24 say that they are at least "somewhat interested" in bullfighting. In an attempt to attract a younger generation of bullfighting aficionados, and in order to pay the bills, promoters have been forced to transform the amphitheatre-style bullrings into multipurpose arenas. Bullfights now share the stage with rock concerts, and sanitised performances akin to circuses (where the bulls are not killed and acrobats leap over the bulls' horns) have begun to replace the traditional battle to the death between man and beast. In Valencia, ticket prices, which for keynote bullfights can run as high as $200, have been slashed, cocktail bars installed and free glossy magazines handed out so as to widen the corrida's appeal. In the largely conservative world of bullfighting, however, resistance remains to the idea that the tradition must reinvent itself. The corrida is an essential pillar of Spanish cultural identity, their argument runs, and something quintessentially Spanish would be forever lost were bullfighting forced to change. According to Jose Maria Garcia-Lujan, a lawyer involved in the running of Las Ventas: "They don't like to touch anything, lest the magic wear off". There are nonetheless signs that the magic may have already worn off for an industry showing the unmistakeable signs of permanent decline. Increasingly abandoned by younger Spaniards, tarnished by sordid kiss-and-tell scandals and suddenly peripheral in the country of its birth, bullfighting is being forced to ask whether it can survive as a viable tradition beyond the current generation of aficionados. The question has been asked before, not least by Hemingway, one of bullfighting's most trenchant defenders, who wrote in the 1930s: "How long the bullfight survives as a lynchpin of Spanish life probably depends on whether the majority of the population thinks it makes them feel good." Whether because bullfighting no longer makes Spaniards feel good or simply because they have better things to do with their time, the answer has never been less certain. Anthony Ham is an Age correspondent based in Madrid.

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With no official website or trailer released yet, Manolete is starting to come together on the internet at least. I stumbled across a German site which has gotten their hands on numerous clips of the film and manufactured a non-official trailer. They also posted a fresh gallery of shots of Adrien Brody and Penelope Cruz. Cruz is looking more and more like the perfect choice for Lupe Sino, gold tooth and all. About the trailer and the scenes slowly appearing, the accuracy of the film is in question. It is well documented and on exhibit in Cordoba's Bullfight Museum, Manolete's traje de luces which he wore on August 28th, 1947 was pink and gold. If the shot of Brody being carried away with a goring in the groin suppose to be the fatal goring in Linares, it falls short in accuracy. Granted the film makers logistics were limited, such as not actually filming in Linares. Getting the traje de luces color correct is a detail which should not have been overlooked. On the other hand, in looking forward to seeing this movie. I must learn to overlook the details and enjoy the film. It is by the way another film starring Penelope!

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Recent discussions on Mundo Taurino have bought up the legality of Bullfights in the U.S. Although no Federal Law exists which outlaws Bullfights, California State Law does prohibit such activity. Obviously the killing of bulls would be against the law, but the staging of Bloodless Bullfights is considered unlawful, unless tied to a religious celebration. The California State Law reads as such: Citation: Cal Pen Code §597m.
Summary:   This statute makes it unlawful for any person to promote, advertise, stage, hold, manage, conduct, participate in, engage in, or carry on any bullfight, but does not prohibit rodeos or bloodless bullfights, contests, or exhibitions held in connection with religious celebrations or religious festivals.
Statute in Full: It shall be unlawful for any person to promote, advertise, stage, hold, manage, conduct, participate in, engage in, or carry on any bullfight exhibition, any bloodless bullfight contest or exhibition, or any similar contest or exhibition, whether for amusement or gain or otherwise; provided, that nothing herein shall be construed to prohibit rodeos or to prohibit measures necessary to the safety of participants at rodeos. This section shall not, however, be construed as prohibiting bloodless bullfights, contests, or exhibitions held in connection with religious celebrations or religious festivals. Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.
So it got me thinking. Why can't I put on a Festival right here in California I could tie it to a religious celebration, get a priest come out to bless it, sprinkle some holy water, and have a good old time with some friends and fight some novillos. What better religious celebration than my daughters quineañera. She's 10 now but with a little bit of planning I can pull this shit off. I posted the idea in jest on MT, but since that the idea has taken off. Others on MT are planning a Festival here in California with the well established Portuguese community and its California fighting bulls and different Plazas as possible our disposal. Of course this festival would be bloodless and quite stressful. There has been a full on California Bullfight Season for more than a couple of decades now. There exists more than 20 Ganaderias and Plaza de Toros up and down the San Joaquin Valley. Velcro is used in place of drawing blood, but the bulls maintain their strength throughout the fight. Its quite difficult. So look for news of my participation in a Festival in CA. That way by the time my daughter is 15 years old, it will be tradition.

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A couple of weeks ago, a member of the Mundo Taurino group posted a request if anyone had any pictures or drawings of bulls he could consider as a possible tattoo. Another member suggested he contact me because I use a sketch by Taurine artist C. Ruano Llopis. The icon I created was taken from Barnaby Conrad's Encyclopedia of Bullfighting (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1961). I pretty much scanned it off the cover, cleaned it up in Photoshop, minimized it, and use it in my email signature and DBB's URL icon. Well, step in Mundo Taurino's resident neighborhood watchdog. Lets call him "Bill". Bill has for the past year consistently dogged DBB for its content and use of imagery. Bill has denounced my knowledge of Bullfighting calling me a liar and thief. Bill challenged my use of the Llopis drawing and me claiming it was my image. I have never stated it was my image and have always explained where and how I came to use the icon. First of all, I do not know this Bill dude. All I know about him he constantly posts on Mundo Taurino as if it was his personal diary and his command of the English language makes Ricky Ricardo look like a Harvard English professor. Bill is fond of taking opportunistic photographs of many different taurine personalities and claiming they are personal friends of his. Now I can go on and on about Bill, but back to the issue at hand. Bill's insistance of my criminal act of using the Llopis has spawned a debate on Mundo Taurino about Copyright Material versus Public Domain. Bill insists I have disrespected Llopis by using his sketch. He claims I should have contacted the dead artist (d. 1950) and asked for permission. I understand his point, but to insist and denounce me as a thief is really becoming annoying. The drawing itself has no date of creation. Llopis obviously created it after 1923 and before 1962, which is the date range any image created and reproduced is considered in the Public Domain. This classification is supported in a couple of different legal research sites (1, 2, but conflicted in this one 3). Besides were are talking U. S. Copyright Laws. This is a foreign piece of art, created by a foreign artist more than 50 years ago. If Llopis were alive today, I'd call him personally ask him for permission and tell him the tales of Bill, the Mundo Taurino watchdog. One last thing about Bill and his habit for taking snapshots and claiming them as proof of friendship. Last year I answered one of his claims of high level friendships with a few pictures of my own. Enjoy them as did other members of Mundo Taurino did. I think he told me to eat shit.

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59 years ago in Linares, España, on August 28, 1947 Manuel Rodriguez y Sanchez "Manolete" was fatally wounded as he killed "Islero" from the famed Spanish ganaderia, Miura. This fact is probably the most noted fact Bullfight aficionados know. Why is it I've been cursing the old guys on the Mundo Taurino news group who have been discussing which day the tragedy of Manolete actually occurred. Come on. These viejos call themselves aficionados? Manolete died the next morning in Linares some say as result of a mix up on a blood transfusion. Fact remains, this milestone in Taurine history is well documented in books, magazines, films and photos. Adding to the legend of Manolete will be the release of the film Manolete which just wrapped up filming and is in post production. DBB has done its share of hyping the film and with one year from its release on October 4th, 2007, DBB will be a source of news for all the details for this much anticipated film. Look for the Manolete Countdown Widget, publicity photos, trailers and other geeky stuff. If your thinking I'm way into this, you're right. You gotta understand. Most American kids grow up with heros to look up to like Joe Montana, Neal Armstrong or Reggie Jackson. For me it was Manolete. So the fact this film is being produced is a dream come true for me. This film will look into the tragedy of Manolete outside of the ring, and the life after Bullfighting he was looking forward to. So lets kick off the year with the latest headlines, latest photos (below) videos from the film Manolete. Before I finish, if your reading MT old folk, remember these dates. Manolete gored 8/28/1947, died 8/29/1947, film release 10/4/2007.

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I believe most fans of Toros share an aficion for arte, wonder and beauty which can result when a torero and a truely bravo toro meet in the ring.  For those of us who have been aficionados for years, and for those who are new to the fiesta this is what consumes us.  If you are a member of this foro, you more than likely have been taken over by the gusano.  We also acknowledge the inevitable danger of this most beautiful spectacle.  I'd say 95% of us have seen a terrible tossing, injured toreros or even cornadas.  Some of us Aficionado Practicos have even suffered some of these misfortunes.   It goes with the territory.  The internet has brought the beauty of the plaza and campo to our laps.  We alert each other when Taurine content of different forms will be broadcast on the internet, television and radio.  This is the biggest contributor to my growth has an aficionado.  Hell, in the last couple of days I've come across such websites as Boutique Del Torero and Puyas y Banderillas.  Everyday its a new discovery.  I was just in the Boutique last month, and I've always wondered who makes banderillas and puyas.  My point is, while uncovering all these resources and knowledge, we come across disturbing discoverings as well.  A couple of nights ago I discovered some video posted on the web which I found offensive, informative and puzzeling.  Currently one of the biggest phenomens on the web is Youtube.com.  This is a website which members can post video of all kinds without the hassle of having their own website.  It was on this website I stumbled across some taurine videos I had not seen before.  I have been wrestling with the value and purpose of this video.  I've been rationalizing and justifing alerting members of Mundo Taurino and visitors of DBB.  The video is in no doubt historic, but at the same time very shocking.  The video is of recent fatal cornadas and cojidas of Paquirri, Yiyo (2), Alberto Balderas, Eduardo Funtanet and the event which led to Nimeño II's suicide.  I had only seen footage of Balderas and fotos of Funtanet.  It was Paquirri's footage which was very graphic and brought to life the tragedy of his passing.   I had been told by friends who lived in Spain at the time, the images were horrific and only to be viewed once.  Now I understand.  Yet, I find the value in viewing these events even if only once.  So I cautiously pass on to the visitors of DBB these links to view.  I do so only as a resourse and not as a morbid act of passing on gory footage.  

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I've pretty much been too busy with work and chores lately to have anytime to post. Let me rephrase that. It's been a chore lately because I pretty much have become obsessed with Widget making. So after my first Widget was finished and posted on Apple's website, I immediately was drowning in my own creative juices thinking of my next project. I came up with my idea for my new widget when I was watching this years installment of the Running of the Bulls from Pamplona, España on TVE. How about a Widget you can watch Toros on? Better yet, watch the Running of the Bulls on! So, for the last two weeks I've been working hard at bringing the Encierros to everyone's desktop. Señores and Señoras, darkbrownbuckets Productions introduces the new Pamplona Countdown Widget. Remember, you gotta have a Mac to use it. So, run to your nearest Apple Store if you don't have one already. I will notify once it gets posted on Apple.com. Enjoy. Oh yes, to fully enjoy the Widget you have to learn the chant: "A San Fermín pedimos, por ser nuestro patrón, nos guíe en el encierro dándonos su bendición. A San Fermín pedimos, por ser nuestro patrón, nos guíe en el encierro dándonos su bendición. Viva San Fermin, Gora San Fermin".

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When planning my recent trip to Spain, I pretty much customized my intinary around Morante's appearance in Alicante. I really wanted to drive to Burgos on 7/1 to catch him there as well, but ended up seeing the Victorinos in Haro on the same day. So, on my return to Chula Vista, I was really lamenting the fact previous plans were preventing me from attending Morante's debut in Tijuana on 7/15/06. Well, I'm a big believer in fate and I really, really love my wife for altering our plans so I could attend the Corrida. Cool! I was in Tijuana within 45 minutes and in my seat 10 minutes after that. You gotta understand, I am a great fan of up right classical style of Toreo such as El Cid. Morante de la Puebla on the other hand is an artist. An artist in the style of a Van Gogh, his personal battles with depression allow Morante to manifest a sublime style of Toreo full of emotion, duende, temple and art. In short, he's fucking cool. So how is it Morante is in full swing of his Spanish season, 5th on the escalafon and flies to Tijuana, Mexico for one corrida? Money. Probably lots of it. I will find out the scoop and post an update. Well on to the Corrida. It was a Mano a Mano with the local Alejandro Amaya with bulls from Fernando de la Mora. Amaya was great. He is the best Torero to come out of TJ in a very long time. His style is a pure style of toreo with a Spanish flare. He is really in a great moment right now. Plus, he really has a hot sister! Morante had the look of disappointment upon seeing his first pigmy Mexican toro. It was billed at 470 kilos, but had to be 425 if that. It really did not offer any thing, so Morante basically handled it like a vaca in a tienta and dropped it with three estocadas. The best moment with the toro were of course the series of Veronicas and a series of muletazos getting the bull into position. These muletazos were masterful, fluid and greatly unoticed by 99.9% of the crowed. Go figure. On his second, Morante offered some classical Chicuelinas which had the whole 3/4 plaza in awe. The toro ran out of gas but Morante did some memorale work with his left. After his second Morante was really having a hard time with his chaquetilla caused by the extreme heat and humidity. His shirt was drenched and he was really struggling to cool off. So much that Morante elected to face his third animal without his chaquetilla. Morante's third lidia was masterful. He executed some sublime Veronicas, Naturales, Derechazos, Trincherazos and Dos Santinas in a faena en redondo deserving of a tail. The Tijuana crowd really did not demonstrate this with pañuelos, so the judge awarded him two ears. Overall, Morante did not disapoint and demonstrated why he is one of the most celebrated and loved Matadores in España. Okay, now I gotta find my way to Mont-de-Marsan, France by this Wednesday July 19th for Morante's next Corrida ;^)

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I'm on my way to Spain to tag along with CAT, go to some ranches to fight some cows and attend some bullfights. The plan was to catch a flight from San Diego to Chicago and on to New York and Madrid by the morning of June 22nd. That was the plan. The morning started off fine. The flight to Chicago was on time and I pretty much happy up until I got on the ATA plane destined to New York. Once I boarded the plane I soon realized I was seated in the very last row, last seat right adjacent to the bathroom. Well I could deal with that because the plane pretty much filled up and no one was seated in the seat next to me. Elbow room! So I thought. In come rushing into the cabin 3 stand by customers of which a 2 Ton Sally comes and squeezes into the empty seat next to me. Shit! I conceded. So I proceeded to fall asleep as the plane taxied for 1 hour. At the end of the hour a women decides to head to the bathroom to get sick. The stewardess makes a call and next thing we know we're headed back to the gate to meet the Paramedics. When all was said and done we were an hour and a half late and finally off the ground headed to New York. Once we touched down I needed to shuttle from La Guardia to JFK for my Spanish flight. I got on the bus as I watched the clock tic closer to my flight time. The driver finally pulled up to my terminal and reached in to give me my bags. I was missing a bag, it was 25 Minutes until my flight and I was missing my luggage. ARRGG!! I managed to have a supervisor drive me around JFK until we finally track the dumb ass who grabbed my bag. We switched bags and the driver rushed me back to my terminal. I tipped him, and ran into the Iberia ticket counter. I was 5 minutes too late. I missed the flight! I missed the flight! I missed the flight! Now I'm sitting here in Terminal 4 where they filmed The Terminal and I'm Tom Hanks ("Cracogia"). Now I gotta crash a flight 20 hours from now and hope I make it to Spain. Things happen for a reason, and I've learned not to push fate. I've spent $7.99 for internet access and I'm prepared to be up all night, watch the USA-Ghana game in the morning, crash my flight to Spain in the evening and catch up on my sleep on the plane. Good times, good times.

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I was forwarded this clip of Adrien Brody's portryal of Manolete. It's just a short scene of Manolete being stung by the beauty of Lupe Sino while receiving multiple "Enhora Buenas" from the dinner crowd. Of course Penelope Cruz looks stunning and Brody is doing a great job of playing a shy Manolete. As noted in the report, Brody has been doing his homework for the film by training with Espartaco and Cayetano as well as attending corridas such as the Madrid Festival en Homenaje a Rafael de Paula, a Mano a Mano between Joselito and Morante on 4/1/06. If you're like me and cannot wait for this film to be released, click here and check out this sneakpeak. If you don't speak Spanish, the voice over is a news magazine reporter commenting on the project and giving a brief synopsis of the storyline. Thanks J.F.

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The first Corrida of the 2006 season in Tijuana, as I reported earlier was a pretty eventless affair which saw an uninspired El Juli and an outwitted Cesar Castañeda go up and out with their lot of bulls. Alejandro Amaya mastered his first animal and turned in the best performance of the afternoon on the sixth bull of the day. I had not seen a performance such as Amaya's in Tijuana in a long while. This sentiment was shared by the group of friends I was sitting with. Earlier, Santi, Aleco, Wright and I had driven to the Palacio Azteca to pick up some students of CAT, and soon realized our group was bigger than Santi had judged could fit into his truck. So, against better judgement, the students, one a bartender from New York, another a psychiatric worker and the other I forget what he did jumped into the back of the truck. Two blocks from the Palacio Azteca we were pulled over by a Tijuana motorcycle cop. Once at the Bullring by the Sea and after a very long ride sitting packed like sardines, we piled out of the truck and worked our way into the bullring. I had a great time with these guys and during the fight I sat next to Wright who was very moved by Amaya's performance. We capped off the night by driving back into town and had a great Mariscos dinner at Los Arcos. If this sounds like a good time, here is another view of the days events written by Wright Thompson a writer for ESPN. Don't miss Wright's top ten things to do while planning to attend a corrida.

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When people find out I fight bulls on the side, they always ask "Why?" You know that's something I've never been able to answer. What drives grown men and women to spend hard earned money on cows, bulls, suits, boots etc., just to get stepped on, bruised, tossed and bloodied? I really don't know. My brothers in law always talk to me about it, and I always mention to them how I would not for the life of me get on a motorcycle which is their passion. Lyn Sherwood, a longtime ex-Novillero, Photographer, Radio announcer and contributor to Mundo Taurino Google group, wrote the best article I've read explaining why we Aficionado Practicos do what we do.

THE STRANGE PASSION OF AMATEUR TOREROS. Lyn Sherwood (La Prensa, San Diego)
It's easy to understand how men and women can be inspired to become matadors. Celebrity, excitement, money, glory. But, why would anybody fight bulls for fun? And, even pay for the opportunity to do so? That's the question often posed to those unique individuals known as aficionados prácticos, amateur toreros. But, they have no answer.
Some of these intrepid amateurs are pretty good toreros. A few attain special positions of respect, even from professionals. For the particularly talented ones, there is demand. They're invited to perform in festivals and charity functions. But, most are just every day aficionados who really have no business as pseudo toreros. They're usually too old, too far out of condition, and almost always too poor, to engage in such an expensive and dangerous hobby.
In addition to costly capes, muletas, swords, and tailored trajes cortos---festival outfits of tightly-fitting, high-waisted pants; vests; short jackets, similar to those of male flamenco dancers; boots; and flat-brimmed Cordobés hats---these weekend toreros usually have to buy their own bulls, and almost always have to pay their own expenses. Their rewards are limited to painful bruises, broken bones, torn ligaments, a bit more experience, and once in a wonderful while, a small taste of glory.
Nevertheless, in city parks, back yards, and even living rooms from New York City to Pasadena, one doesn't have to look too hard to find an aficionado práctico or two, practicing and dreaming of that special day when a perfect bull will allow them an historic performance. Amateur bullfighting is a passion. Nothing else can compare to it. When things go well, it's the greatest feeling in the world. And, when things go poorly, the aficionado práctico wants to find a deep hole, jump into it, and cover his head.
They work hard, these amateurs, training, fine tuning their form and timing, and perfecting their techniques. And, several times per year, usually in 20th class rings in Mexico, Spain, France, and South America, groups of aficionados prácticos get together to compete for trophies and applause, and enjoy their special, albeit esoteric, camaraderie.As is the case with professionals, those final minutes that precede the sounding of the trumpets are sheer terror. They march slowly into the plaza, trying to look so brave and elegant, but feeling neither of those emotions.
The anxiety is in waiting. Standing behind a wooden burladero, waiting for your bull to come out, is pure mental anguish. Your heart beats so rapidly, you fear that it will burst from your chest. And, then, you're in the ring, and all of the responsibility hangs heavily upon your shoulders. Your feet feel so very heavy. Your throat is like sandpaper. Your voice cracks as that of a pubescent teenager. And, still, you find yourself holding out your cape, challenging a young bull that may have been fought before. You do it, in spite of everything, because this why you’re here.
For any torero---amateur or professional---the real fear is not of the animal, but of the crowd. The bull can only damage you physically, but, the fans can figuratively castrate you. They can humiliate you and leave emotional scars that manifest themselves in nightmares, until you have the chance and the money to redeem yourself.
And, another truth is apparent. There are many outstanding aficionados whose knowledge of the taurine arts is impressive. Yet, until they have actually stood on the sand, faced the horns, and put their personal honor and physical well-being on the line, they cannot truly understand the emotion of attempting to create something beautiful with an animal of killer blood and evil intentions.It doesn't matter whether it takes place in a formal presentation, in a formal plaza de toros, or with two-year-old bulls, in some obscure arena. As Mexican Matador Curro Rivera put it, “If it has horns and it attacks, it’s a bull.”
Even when amateurs are training, during tientas on some ranch, facing one- or two-year-old cows that couldn’t do much more than give you nasty bruises or a few broken bones, the emotion is the same. The vaca, which may be the size of a large Great Dane, trots into the arena. The hairs stand up on her neck. You hear a collective exclamation, regarding how "cute" she is. She then proceeds to demonstrate how much fun it is to beat the living crap out of some, poor aficionado práctico, then add insult to injury by doing the Mexican Hat Dance on the guy's head and body.
You pick yourself up, brush off the dirt, and doing your best to look at least somewhat dignified, retire to a convenient burladero. But, in most cases, after you catch your breath, you retrieve your cape or muleta, and go back for more.
Amateur toreros are the real aficionados. It matters not that the animals that they face have shaved horn tips and are smaller and younger than those that are assigned to professionals, or that these ersatz toreros display their talents in modest rings, for meager crowds. Their animals are, nonetheless, products of brave blood, and the responsibilities of the amateurs are identical to those of the professionals. Theirs is honest afición, practiced for pure enjoyment. It's the love of the art, the emotion of the spirit, and the passion of the gusano, unencumbered by thoughts of economic reward.
When the fans are cheering and the music is playing ... when an ear is thrust into your anxious hand ... when you're hot, sweaty, exhausted and dirty ... when you've done it, in spite of your fear ... when somebody slaps you on the back and says, "Congratulations, torero!" ... when you take that delicious turn of the ring and you know that, by tomorrow, your whole body will ache like hell ... it's then that you truly understand why La Fiesta is always celebrated, rather than merely staged.
To aficionados prácticos everywhere: congratulations, toreros!

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I agree with with a recent post on Mundo Taurino commenting on the lot El Juli drew at the corrida 4/30/06 in Tijuana.  The bulls from Xajay were bad, Juli appeared tired and the Juez set the tone for Juli's attitude.  I seriously doubt Juli will return to Tijuana.  A bad lot is a bad lot.  The best bull of the day received a vuelta, usually reserved for an outstanding bull, of which none were outstanding.  Granted the 4th animal was excellent with the horse, and the picador received a well deserved spattering of an ovation from knowlegable taurinos,  but the Juez is so out of touch and the general understanding from the TJ crowd is below standard.  It is quite frustrating to be sitting in the barrera and try to actually concentrate on what is going on in the plaza.  The level of villamelonismo is incredible.  Don't get me wrong, there are the taurinos who go week after week to the corridas and have knowledge of the fiesta.  They are friends of mine and I respect them.  I do believe the level of knowledge of a near capacity crowd such as Sunday's influences the toreros on the sand.  Heck, Cesar Castañeda existence is a byproduct of this type of aficion.  As for Juli and the Juez during his first animal, Juli was flabbergasted when the Juez changed tercios without Juli asking for it.  Does the Juez know his job?  After his faena, a faena sin pasion but a faena which extracted all there was to extract, Juli was furious with the Juez.  Any torero who has been disrespected as Juli was, would not be inspired to put it all on the line on the next toro, if the toro comes out lacking, the crowd doesn't know what the Hell is going on in the ring and the Juez is as ignorant as the Juez in Tijuana. What really drives me nuts is the inferiority complex of Mexican Toreo.  Why must it be Mexican vs. Spanish?  The way the crowd booed Juli out of the plaza was embarrassing.  Did the crowd really feel this one corrida make the difference in Juli's temporada and prove the Mexican's are better than the Spanish?  If this seem ridiculous, this was the feeling of the villamelones in the crowd.  How about the exchange of words in the callejon between Roberto Dominguez and a spectator in a palco.  I'm sure the spectator confronted Dominguez on his toreros efforts in the ring and the superiority of Amaya to Juli!  Dominguez was fuming.  Maybe Gary Sloan can enlighten us what exactly was being said since he was standing right there.  I'm sure if Dominguez has anything to do with it, Juli will not return to Tijuana anytime soon. Y Por el Amor de Dios, El Juli ya no pone las banderillas, chingao! Also, don't laugh at me Mark Mecalis, but these are my best pics from the 10th row on Sunday in Tijuas using my Canon Digital Rebel EOS.  1) Juli's best work on his first, 2) the 4th bull and the best work by a picador of the day, 3) Amaya with the last bull on which he cut two ears, and 4) just me practicing with my zoom lens.

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Apparently there was a movie in theaters about bullfights that I never heard of. Americano made its rounds from film festival to film festival in 2005 and is available on DVD as of April 18th. Americano "centres around Chris McKinley (Joshua Jackson), a recent college graduate backpacking through Europe who savours his last three days of freedom before boarding the career fast track back in the United States. In Pamplona with two friends (Timm Sharp and Ruthanna Hopper), Chris meets an Australian thrill-seeker (Phil Barantini), a quintessential Spanish beauty (Varela) and an enigmatic provocateur (Dennis Hopper), all of whom encourage him to rethink his life" according to IMBD. Dennis Hopper "Toreando de Salon" in a Spanish bar is alone worth the price of the DVD. Now let me mention if everything goes as planned, I will be going to Spain in June/July. Seeing the trailer really pounds the drums and wakes up the gusano. I'm thinking of maybe heading north to Pamplona, maybe. Heck, I've been offered accommodations. What do you think Brian B.? Anthony? Coleman? Anywho, here is the trailer and where you can buy the DVD. If you've seen the film, do tell.

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04/22/06 TOREO DE SALON, ESTILO NEOYORQUINO

Living the life of an Aficionado Practico in the U.S. is always interesting. I'll be going to Spain this summer to train and fight on some more Spanish ranches. In 2004 while waiting for a Corrida to start in Segovia, some students of the California Academy of Tauromaquia, Coleman and I were training near the Plaza de Toros. Passersby would look at the strange group of Americans training to fight bulls. A couple of guys stop and asked if we were Toreros. I answered some were students and Coleman and I were Practicos. They were Novilleros and wished us luck. Now, on more than one occasion, back here at home and over the years I've heard many interesting things while training in the San Diego are parks. "Are you guys Toreadores?'. "Ole!" "You guys suck!", "Mom, what are they doing?'. " Ole". "Do you guys kill the bull?". Yes, it is strange to see grown men playing with capes and horns on an early Saturday morning. But, you gotta believe we have faith enough in what we do, to go out and risk the puzzled looks, probing questions, P.C. of the whole thing. Here is a video of Robert Weldon, a fellow Aficionado Practico from the Big Apple. The tourist taking pictures is quite amusing. I found it on a curious blog by the Spanish journalist Rosa Jimenez Cano, Nuevo Periodismo.

Recently, a new website debuted on the web. www.aficionadopractico.com highlights the world of the Aficionado Practico in Mexico. Victor and Alberto Campos from Leon, Guanajuato Mexico have posted a pretty cool site covering the different Aficionado Practicos who participate in the different festivals put on in Leon. The Campos family own Campo Alegre, and for years have been organizing Convenios de Aficionado Practicos in Leon as well as recently in Morelia and Zacatecas. More and more opportunities have opened up for Toreros at this level from Mexico, the U.S. and Spain. Last week on 3/19/06, Santiago Gonzalez, Technical Director of The California Academy of Tauromaquia and good friend of mine came out the Gran Truimfador of the latest Convenio de Aficionado Practicos by giving the Indulto to a brave animal from Chucho Cabrera. A site commemorating the activity of Practicos was long over due, and thanks to Victor and Alberto Campos we now have a place to monitor the progress of Aficionado Practicos in Mexico. ¡Bien Hecho Victor y Alberto! (foto Guadalupe Becerra de aficionadopractico.com)

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The pressure has not let up since the announcement of the movie Manolete was in the works with Penelope Cruz and Adrien Brody. It seems at one point Cruz was an outspoken animal rights activist in Spain, did a complete reversal in accepting the role of Lupe Sino, Manolete's love interest. Allegedly PETA used Cruz' fame and image without permission and along with her family's urging, the Spanish star toned down her Anti-Taurino stance. Well, PETA has not let up and continue to pester Cruz.

Penelope Cruz under fire over matador movie. The Independent. 12 March 2006. The actress Penelope Cruz has been caught up in an animal rights row as she co-stars in a forthcoming Spanish film about Manolete, the legendary matador who was gored to death in the bullring at the peak of his fame. It's not the first time that the Spanish star's loyalties have been torn between animal rights and her compatriots' enthusiasm for bullfighting. Read more.

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About a month ago someone on the Mundo Taurino Google group I belong to posted a link to a series of pictures which had been posted by a photographer who visited with the California Academy of Tauromaquia (CAT) here in the San Diego area. The photos chronicled a visit with Coleman Cooney the director of CAT, and a group of guys fighting animals at a local ranch in Tecate B.C.. What transpired was a full week of demonizing of Coleman and CAT students by a couple of the older, righteous fogy members of Mundo Taurino. It got pretty ugly and unfairly dragged the names of a couple of friends of mine through the dirt. As I've mentioned before, although I'm not a student nor an instructor of CAT, I do align myself with them. I have trained with the instructors and many students, as well as participated in tientas in Mexico, Spain and California along side them. The pictures in question were part of a story on CAT which was published by the New York Times on 03/10/06. The article chronicled the participation in the class by the author. The author speaks of his fears and accomplishments after facing a fighting animal. After reading it, I realized how ridiculous the whole moral discussions which had resulted really were. Well, it seems the same old fart who raised a stink in the first place has tried to start it up again. He's on a moral campaign to banish CAT and its members. All I gotta say is, what the hell is this guy bitching about while being a member of Mundo Taurino. Seems he is the one who has his wires crossed. Let me know what you think.

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Two weeks after this years most famous toro of the Mexican season sailed into the barrera seats of Plaza Mexico, Burladerodos.com posted a photo essay commemorating the efforts of the medical team and plaza employees. Although a tad overdone on the claims of orderly execution of duties in crisis, the newly posted pictures illustrate the chaos and danger which transpired last January 29th, 2006. Included were photos of the unfortunate aficionados who were injured and the talented doctors who attended to them including doctor Rafael Vázquez Bayod. The scenes are reminisant of the infamous images of European hooligan induced soccer riots and stampedes. The additional shots of Pajarito show him soaring into a crowd of aficionados. In the photo above, the diverse reactions in the crowd are quite telling. Pajarito has remained in the news, even after having to be sacrificed in the stands. The ganadero and empresa of Plaza Mexico were accused of providing false documents and records of the bulls fought that day, and it was later revealed "Pajarito" was actually a toro who was never shipped to Plaza Mexico. Also, safety of Mexico's plazas are under scrutiny. There is talk of adding another cable around the lower seats in order to prevent another flying bull from landing in the stands. Animal rights groups actually got into the news while protesting subsequent corridas in Mexico City and stating Pajarito's death symbolized the cruelty of the bullfight, and Pajarito did not have to be sacrificed. The legend of the flying bull will live on, and look to DBB for any breaking news. Check it out. (Foto de Burladeros.com)

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I was wired for sound back in October when I last fought in Tijuana. I wore a mic for an upcoming documentary which will be released later this year. All the pieces were in place, but as you know, my animal was the worst of the lot so luck was not on my side. A preview trailer was posted by Anthony on his newly iWeb created blog. I'm looking forward to the finished product. Were looking to go on location in the future to get some footage at Hernando Limon's or possibly down Mexico way. Si dios bendiga. Check it out.

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Tonight I watched as all the news stations showed the video. Channels 8, 10, 39, 51 and 6 in San Diego all showed it. Galavision, Telemundo and Univision showed it as well. I saw the pictures on Google and Yahoo from newspapers from San Diego to Ireland. Wanna know what video? On Sunday January 29th, 2006 in Plaza Mexico in Mexico City, Pajarito a 503 Kilo bull from the Mexican ranch of Cuatro Caminos entered the bullring, didn't like what he saw and promptly exited the ring. Slight problem. There really is no way out of the ring. Pajarito actually jumped over the fence, vaulted himself off the fence and landed in the stands (picture 1, notice the clown who is smiling but doesn't spill his beer). Chaos ensued. Pajarito slashed his way through the crowd, trampling over young and old spectators (picture 2). He gored a 70 year old woman in the chest, and broke a man's leg. Eight other people ended up with minor injuries. Pajarito eventually became wedged in between the first row seats and a wall where he was secured by plain clothed Toreros and monosabios (employees) and finally put down by Matador Leopoldo Casaola who had been watching the bullfight from the cheap seats (picture 3). Pajarito was the first bull to actually make it into the stands. Plaza Mexico has had many bulls attempt to clear the protective cable which encircles the ring, but no bull in the 60 year history of Plaza Mexico had ventured as far as Pajarito. Ironically, and of course a point the media really played up, "pajarito" means "little bird" in Spanish. Click here to see the video. The narrator of the video actually is one of the spectators in the stands who was forced to jump in the callejon.

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Last night marked the three year anniversary of when I broke my wrist in Leon Gto., Mexico. It was a cold Winter night in Central Mexico and the Cortijo del la Feria de Leon was filled with supportive spectators. A day earlier we had hand picked my bull at Campo Alegre. I chose my bull for his age, he was well armed with a good set of horns and had an interesting Cardeno color. His number was 626 and started out very aggressive, but developed nasty habits during his time in the ring. I managed to do adequate Veronicas and elected to place banderillas after one pic. I got his attention for the banderillas, but he took off suddenly. He caught me off guard. When I started running to my left, my boot slipped in the soft sand. His trajectory required me to gain alot of terrain, which I could not adjust to because of the speed of his charge. Needles to say I realized I was not gonna beat him, so I stopped. Big mistake. His right horn just missed my midsection and I proceeded to roll off his right flank sending me spinning into the ground. I landed on my hand, and did not realize at the time my wrist had been broken. I shook off the dust and continued the lidia. I was caught up in the moment, but now I realize his bad habits were due to my jerking away the muleta and not completing the passes. At the end of a series of naturales, and with my wrist swelling like an orange and hurting like a son of a bitch he cut short and turned in during my pase de pecho. He caught me on my right leg, but he didn't have the power to flip me. I balanced and spinned on his back for like what seemed like forever. I finally fell to the ground landing again on my wrist. I did manage to shake it off again, and eventually dispatched with him. Because there was only one ambulance, I had to wait for the Festival to end before I got a ride to the hospital to mend me up. The doctors set a pin in my wrist, and put a cast on which I wore for three months. The lessons learned were (1) Commit and do not second guess, (2) Do not place banderillas unless I'm 100% comfortable, and (3) I do break, so respect the animal and keep a straight head cuz it can snowball and get worse. Damn, thinkin about it still gives me the chills...

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What do you get when an American company waves greenbacks at the owner of 4th largest bullring in Mexico? Answer: piles of concrete. It seems the owners of Ciudad Juarez' Plaza Monumental have sold the property to Walmart. Pepe Lopez Hurtado and his brother Antonio inherited the Ciudad Juarez bullring from Mayor Lopez Hurtado and seemed to have pulled a fast one on the citizens of Juarez. The Hurtados also own Tijuana's Plaza Monumental Bullring by the Sea. Rumors of the supposed demolition and Walmart sale began circulating among Cyber-Taurinos on January 12th. The rumors quickly turned into reality as photos began to surface and witnesses confirmed the destruction. The local ABC affiliate in El Paso, Texas ran a story on the Juarez bullring, click here to see the video. If you've read my post on the State of Bullfights in border towns, you know I'm really effected by the ineffectiveness of how the Fiesta is run from Mexico City. The two plazas in Juarez and Tijuas are operated independently from the monopoly which runs the majority of Mexican bullrings, Espectáculos Taurinos de México, S.A. de C.V.. Yet, the quality of the Corridas presented in Tijuana has really deteriorated in the last decade. Interest in bullfights in the major border towns is declining and the demolition of the 3rd most important border bullring behind Tijuana B.C. and Monterey N.L. is a huge blow to border aficion. I don't believe La Fiesta Brava is in danger of disappearing in Mexico. I do believe as quality diminishes, monopolies grow, and American Economic Imperialism increases, more room will have to made for Home Depot, Costco, and Staples who want to join Walmart in Northern Mexico. This is great for the region in a economic sense, but stay the hell away from TJ's two bullrings, El Toreo and Plaza Monumental.

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During this past Summer, I had the opportunity to visit L.A. Cetto's Winery in Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California. I visited the winery not because of the wine, but rather because of a bullfight they were having in the small Plaza de Toros on the property. Believe me, for a person who's life evolves around bulls and wine, this place is heaven on earth. I was suprised to see the size of the winery and vineyards at L.A. Cetto. The bullring itself is a nice little plaza designed to hold intimate crowds who can spend a day at the winery and take in a bullfight. The BBC ran a story on the growing popularity of the boutique wineries in Valle de Guadalupe. In the article, L.A. Cetto is mentioned, but a key drawback to the potential success of the tourist draw of Mexico's premiere wine region is touched upon. Half the benefit of visiting wineries and tasting wines is purchasing what you taste and bringing a stash home. Of course crossing back into the U.S. you can only declare 2 liters of any alcohol. Until this changes, the wines of Mexico will at best grow into a novelty rather than a force to be reckoned with.

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It was a long time coming but The Spanish Matador's Union has suspended all contracts of Spanish Matadors fighting in Mexico, as well as suspending all contracts of Mexican Matadors fighting in Spain. Basically this is how and why it went down. The Spanish Matadors Union voted to break the agreement they had with Mexico in retaliation to the threat of Spanish Matador Antonio Barrera's pending five year suspension if Barrera was to participate in a 12/25/05 Corrida in Mexico City's Plaza Mexico. This was backlash to the controversy from the Corrida in Plaza Mexico on 12/11/05. Plaza Mexico Empresario Rafael Herrerias contracted Rejoneador Rodrigo Santos and Matador Humberto Flores to appear with El Fandi and Finito de Cordoba. Herrerias added Santos to the 12/11 Corrida knowing the Union of Mexican Matadors insisting on the 50/50 requirement Mexican/Foriegn Toreros be among Toreros on foot. The Mexican Union of Matadors protested the cartel. Herrerias ignored the Union's protest and held the Corrida. The Mexican Union in turn banned Mexicans Flores and Santos for a year, and Fandi and Finito for five years from fighting officially in Mexico. This five year ban proved to be exessive. The retaliation by the Spanish Matadors Union was in protest to the bans on Fandi and Finito as well as the pending ban on Barrera. Herrerias purposely announced Humberto Flores on the 12/25 cartel in defiance of the Mexican Union. This is consistent with Herrerias Mafioso tactics.  This is why the late Matador Antonio Lomelin was wacked.  It was documented Lomelin knew too much of Herrerias illegal tactics, and was willing to speak about them. Lomelin stated in a interview Herrerias had his thugs rough him up and if he talked anymore, he would regret it. Lomelin turned up dead a short time after, and was hastily cremated. Power is Herrerias motive. Herrerias is way outta control, and to manifest his power and I believe out of some sickening perversion, he has brought many Mexican careers to a halt.   The real battle is not between Spanish and Mexican Unions, but rather between Herrerias and the Mexican Union. Herrerias mission is to bust the Mexican Union, thus gain full control over Mexican Matadors and Plazas. The by-product of this mess is even more low quality Corridas throughout Mexico because Herrerias heads the Empresa, Espectáculos Taurinos de México, S.A. de C.V. which operates many rings in Mexico. The quality of bullfights in Mexico has been at an all time low, and the latest events will ensure it to get even worse.

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Bullfights? Your Club or Mine? NEW YORK TIMES. 12/11/05. Here's something you don't see every day: 33 mostly middle-age New Yorkers sitting around a television set in a Midtown restaurant, watching a bullfight. The setting, on a recent Thursday night, was a Spanish restaurant in Manhattan where the New York City Club Taurino - an organization of bullfighting enthusiasts - holds its monthly meetings. On the television: a videotape of a 1982 bullfight known to aficionados as the Corrida of the Century because it featured six especially ornery and energetic bulls and some of Spain's most revered matadors, including Luis Francisco Esplá. Over tapas and a steady flow of wine, the group of women and men sat rapt for around 20 minutes, the silence punctuated occasionally by oohs and aahs, until Esplá pulled out the killing sword. The matador arched his back, tucked in his chin and narrowed his eyes ominously, staring down the blood-soaked beast before him. "Complete psychological domination," said Lore Monnig, the club's president. A moment later Esplá reached over the bull's horns and plunged the sword between its shoulder blades. The sword went in only halfway to the hilt, and the bull spun around angrily. A few moments later it dropped to its knees, stood up and dropped again. For someone who had never seen a bullfight, the death of the bull was jarring. "Let's applaud!" Ms. Monnig said. The group clapped. New York, it's safe to say, is not a bullfighting town. Even so, there is not one but two clubs in the city for bullfighting fans, with a total of about 240 members. They are part of a national network of such clubs, called peñas taurinas, and if the Thursday night gathering was any indication, the New York bullfighting scene is improbably vibrant. The New York clubs meet once a month - usually at a Spanish restaurant or at a member's home - to eat, drink, watch videos and DVD's of bullfights, and occasionally to listen to speeches from matadors. Members see one another on bullfighting tours of Spain or Mexico and while running with the bulls in Pamplona. A few brave or simply foolish members are amateur bullfighters, called aficionados prácticos, who actually kill bulls themselves. The clubs aren't underground exactly, but fearing animal rights protesters, they don't disclose to the public where they meet, and they don't recruit. (I agreed not to reveal the name of the restaurant where the club meets as a condition of attending a meeting.) "We're not proselytizing," Ms. Monnig said. "I'm not trying to persuade anybody that they should have this passion too. I just hope they don't think I'm crazy." As perhaps befits groups organized around the appreciation of mortal combat, the two New York City bullfighting clubs are themselves locked in a battle, one that seems unlikely to resolve itself soon, if ever. For nearly 40 years there was one bullfighting club in town, the Club Taurino of New York. But three years ago some members thought the club was becoming too social at its meetings, losing its focus on bullfighting. The rules they instituted prompted a chunk of its members, led by Ms. Monnig, to secede and form the New York City Club Taurino, which while bullfighting-obsessed, is nonetheless very social. "Our club is more for purists," said Kevin Gordon, 51, a portrait painter and the president of the older club. "We do a lot of programs that explain the subtleties of the bullfight. The main thrust of our club is bullfighting." There are a few points every bullfighting aficionado is quick to make to newcomers. The first is that they find the word bullfight objectionable, and prefer instead the Spanish word toreo to describe the standoff between man and bull. "There is such a thing as a bull fight," Ms. Monnig said. "It's two bulls fighting in a field." The word bullfighting, she said, is "loaded and it doesn't describe what happens. You're not fighting a bull, you're trying to dominate it." Another point: a club meeting is not the place to discuss the moral issues surrounding bullfighting. Robert Weldon, 33, a Spanish teacher at a public school in Manhattan, said that debate trails bullfighting enthusiasts everywhere they go, and a bullfighting club meeting is one place where they can talk about the technical aspects of the toreo. "You don't want to get into the arguments - it's silly," Mr. Weldon said, before wearily stating the stock rejoinders: fighting bulls live more than twice as long as beef cattle; they are pampered until fighting day; the meat is always consumed; and seeing a bull die gives one a better appreciation of what it means to eat beef. "In the modern world the bovine destiny is the plate," said Mr. Weldon, an aficionado práctico who has killed three bulls. "It's not fair, and it's not supposed to be fair," he said. "It's not a sport, it's an art because the bull dies." So what type of person joins a bullfighting club? The crowd at the Spanish restaurant included doctors, lawyers, writers and scientists. There were fluent Spanish speakers and few who knew a few clumsy but useful phrases: "Más vino, por favor." Marta Sánchez-Carbayo, a cancer researcher in Manhattan who is from Spain, said she came to the meetings because they reminded her of home. "It's like if you're in Madrid and you met people who know everything about the rodeo, or Walt Disney," she said. "They are Spain lovers." Timothy Baum, a Manhattan art dealer who specializes in surrealism, said he was introduced to the New York City bullfighting scene by an aficionado in Spain who knew about the clubs. "I initially got into it because I was devoted to Hemingway," Mr. Baum said. "A lot of people read, and it stays fiction, but for me it all comes alive. Only a few members understand the bullfight really really well, and they instantly form a bond." Mark Finguerra, 37, a screenwriter from Brooklyn, said he became interested in bullfighting while researching a screenplay he was writing about Sidney Franklin, a bullfighter from Brooklyn who warranted a mention in Hemingway's "Death in the Afternoon." The movie was never made, but Mr. Finguerra became obsessed. He plans to kill his first bull in Mexico in January. Mr. Weldon, the teacher, described himself as an accidental bullfighting fan. Before he killed his first bull , Mr. Weldon said, "I'd never killed a mammal." On a trip to Spain in 1998 he attended an afternoon of bullfights in Madrid and became a fan. King Juan Carlos was in the front row, Mr. Weldon said, and the country's three best matadors were in the ring that day. "It blew me away," he said. "There is something incredibly powerful about a man trying to stand as still as possible and to dominate and control a wild animal that's trying to kill him, and at the same moment creates incredibly subtle, beautiful, delicate artistic images." Mr. Weldon went back the next year for four months and attended 40 bullfights. He has since attended another 120. Ms. Monnig, who became obsessed with bullfighting after attending a toreo as a student visiting Spain, said she had been to 500 to 600 bullfights. Not everyone in her life understands. "My best friend from Italy thinks it the most grotesque thing she's ever heard of," Ms. Monnig said. Whatever social stigmas that may arise from being a member of a bullfighting club in New York, they can be much worse for aficionados prácticos, who must practice their moves in the city's public spaces. Practice, Mr. Weldon said, is vital because much of bullfighting is counterintuitive. For example, if a bull passes too close, the instinct is to lean back. But since a bull follows the motion of the cape, leaning back might inadvertently draw the bull into one's body. Mr. Weldon and Mr. Finguerra practice in front of a mirror at a gym and in city parks, with one man holding a pair of horns and charging at the other. They get their share of strange looks. "People aren't confrontational," Mr. Finguerra said. "They just say, 'Are you bullfighting?' " Mr. Finguerra, who sheepishly admitted that neighborhood kids sometimes taunted him with cries of "Olé!" but nonetheless said he was "coming out of the bullfighting closet." "You do look a little ridiculous," he said. Mr. Finguerra has been in the ring with smaller bulls at a bullfighting camp, and said that the act of staring down even a small bull made him appreciate the real thing, which he described as terrifying. "You hold the cape out and he looks right at you," Mr. Finguerra said. "And you think, 'He's not buying it.' "

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For years there has been speculation from Hollywood there was a feature film in the works about the life of Spanish legend Manuel Rodriguez y Sanchez "Manloete". On 11/17/05 it was reported that such a film is a go! Amongst American taurinos the consesus is Adrien Brody is hands down the obvious choice to play "Manolete". The surprise of the announcement was the choice of Brody's co-star, Penelope Cruz. YES! Brody, Cruz into bullring for 'Manolete' London. Hollywood Reporter 11/17/05. Adrien Brody and Penelope Cruz will star in the long-gestating matador drama "Manolete," the film's producers said Thursday. Set around the passion and the fury of the bullring in 1940s Spain, the film centers on the true story of Spain's legendary bullfighter, Manolete, and his obsessive love affair with actress Lupe Sino. Writer/director Menno Meyjes ("The Color Purple") is scheduled to travel to Madrid next month to start preparation, and Brody is expected to join him in January to train with a bullfighter. Shooting is expected to begin in March. The project is a collaboration among U.K. based Sequence Films, Spain's Lola Film and Tunisian producer Tarak Ben Ammar's Quinta Communications

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An interesting article on advanced medical procedures in Bullfighting related injuries was published recently in of all places the Wall Street Journel. It's a very interesting article which highlights the modern day torero's evolution of risk of injury versus recovery from life treatening gorings.

Spain's gory pastime creates market for surgeons. 11/10/2005, Keith Johnson, The Wall Street Journal. Madrid. In late August, a half-ton bull gored matador Antonio Barrera in the chest, tossing him into the air and snapping his collarbone in two places. It was the peak of the season, and the matador had a score of fights that would pay more than $100,000 still ahead of him. Severe gorings had shortened each of his previous three seasons, and this year seemed finished too. Instead of calling it quits, Mr. Barrera turned to one of bullfighting's newest stars: Angel Villamor, a 39-year-old orthopedic surgeon. Dr. Villamor, who honed his skills rebuilding injured motorcycle racers, crafted a custom-fitted plastic sleeve that he bolted around Mr. Barrera's shattered bone in place of a cast. He then injected hemoglobin-rich blood into the marrow to induce quicker healing and topped off the treatment with daily physical therapy. Rather than spending three months in bed, Mr. Barrera was back in training in three weeks and in the ring a week after that. "After the goring, I thought it was the same story all over again," said Mr. Barrera, 29. "Thank God I could finish a season at last." As elite surgeons such as Dr. Villamor grow more skillful at treating complicated gorings and bone fractures, matadors are taking more chances to earn praise from fickle audiences. This season has been one of the bloodiest in memory. In the past, gorings often meant death or long-term disability, especially in small-town rings far from trained surgeons or well-equipped operating rooms. In 1984, a famous Spanish matador, Francisco Rivera, bled to death during a bumpy two-hour drive to a hospital in Cordoba. Most matadors used to play it as safe as they could. Many still won acclaim from less-sophisticated spectators by going through the motions in front of the bulls. The new ringside medical wizardry has bred a deadlier dynamic. Matadors can get sewn up and be back in action in days, even after horrific injuries. As a result, crowds expect performances that constantly push the envelope. Bullfighters take more chances than ever to impress fans, such as deliberately working on the side of the bull's more dangerous horn. All of Spain's top matadors have been gored this year, some on several occasions, a toll longtime observers say they haven't seen in years. Most of today's active bullfighters have each suffered four or five gorings that would have been fatal a few generations ago, experts say. "These kids are risking their lives day after day, and the public doesn't even appreciate it," says Luis Alvarez, a manager who has worked in bullfighting for 50 years. Big-league sports nowadays have doctors standing by to stitch up athletes and get them back on the field. In the National Football League, orthopedists and general practitioners -- and sometimes chiropractors and dentists -- patrol the sidelines to respond to injuries. In football, boxing and hockey, a big concern is head injuries. In bullfighting medicine, it is the odd shape of the wounds that requires specialized knowledge, according to Ramon Vila, the doctor at the Seville bull ring. "Sprains, ligament tears, the kind of things that happen to athletes are the kind of thing that can happen to you in a bad afternoon working on the house," Dr. Vila says. "But gorings are unique. Even among other animals with horns, there is nothing like it." The fraternity of bullfighting doctors consists of about three dozen vascular and orthopedic specialists around Spain. They watch contests at their local bullfighting rings from front-row box seats. They can sprint to the stadium's on-site infirmary, scrub in and start work on the operating table within four minutes. Dr. Villamor isn't one of the on-site surgeons but is often called upon to treat matadors after the initial patching-up. One example of his handiwork is a molded hand guard he crafted for a leading matador from Colombia who keeps breaking little bones in his right hand. In the past year, Dr. Villamor has started attending fights to keep an eye on his patients, even though he wasn't formerly a big fan. "I get really nervous," he says. "I feel like a matador's wife watching them fight." The most dangerous moments come in the third and final act of a bullfight, when matadors try to subdue the bull using the red cloth known as the muleta. For most passes, a matador spreads the muleta over the sword held in his right hand. The larger the muleta appears, the more likely the bull will charge after it instead of the matador. The passes that win acclaim and riches come when the left hand is holding the muleta, brandishing less of it. The matador incites the bull by stepping forward with his left leg, exposing his femoral artery. "Back in the heyday, the crowd would fall deathly silent just because a matador took the muleta in his left hand," says Jose Carlos Arevalo, a bullfighting historian and magazine editor. "Now they don't even give it a second glance." One rising star, 22-year-old Sebastian Castella, was fighting the first of his two bulls of the day during the all-important bullfights in Seville this spring when the animal thrust a horn clean through his thigh. Spurning help from his handlers and dripping blood, Mr. Castella killed the bull. He refused medical treatment, bandaged himself and then waited half an hour to fight his second bull, which he also killed. Only then did he agree to go to the infirmary to treat a severed sciatic nerve, which is often excruciatingly painful. Later in the season, after another series of gorings, Mr. Castella fought for three weeks with two open wounds in his legs. Spain's approximately 200 matadors are drawing record crowds and performing a record number of fights each year. Bull breeders get a subsidy from the European Union based on how many cows they have, and thus have an incentive to keep weaker bulls on hand to breed and supply small-town arenas. Still, the "fiesta nacional" has taken a backseat to modern diversions, especially soccer, and is getting less play in the Spanish media. It is perennially under fire from animal-rights groups, too. In the season finale in Zaragoza, Mr. Barrera, the bullfighter with the patched-up collarbone, was again struck by a bull and hurled into the air. One of his assistants raced in to help and received a foot-long goring through his right thigh and groin. The assistant survived, and Mr. Barrera finished off the bull. Mr. Barrera got only tepid applause from the sellout crowd. Two weeks later, he packed his bags and set off for Mexico, to fight a few more months during Latin America's winter season.

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There's a saying in Bullfights, "Si los toros no embistan, no hay fiesta". Well, lets just say, I got all dressed up for a party, and I was stood up. On Saturday, October 8th I participated in the 4th Festival de Aficionados Practicos in Tijuana's Cortijo San Jose. This year the bulls were from Hernando Limon. This years Festival suffererd a little bit from disorganization. More so than years past. Case in point. A couple of weekends ago I dragged my kids to the lifeless scortched back country of Tecate, Baja California and onto Hernando Limon's ranch in order to hand select my bull, as did most of the other participants of the Festival. We went so far as to name our selections as we have done in previous years. I named my animal "Manzanito", in honor of my fellow employees who were gonna trek to TJ and watch me fight. I hustled the last 4 weeks before the Festival, ordered a new Traje Corto (below, left), split the cost of a cow for some practice, and got in a little bit of training on the side. Well fast forward to the day of the Festival, and things didn't roll out exactly as planned. When I was to fight my bull, I was pumped up and ready to go, but they released the wrong bull. I had to wait for some guy to finish before I could perform. This seems like no biggy, but the sooner you fight on a card the better. It's seniority based, so its kinda lame when you perform after someone who is making their debut, and you have years under your belt. So I go on to fight my animal. He started good with the Capote, but he was manso (cowardly) with the Banderillas and Muleta. Let me rephrase the latter. He sucked with the Muleta. I tried to remove him from his querencia, but he got worse the more I tried. I dispatched with him as soon as I could. To top off my misfortune, it turns out the bull I had hand picked (#42) actually had been released first, and I ended up fighting "Cositas Dos" #22. BTW, "Manzanito" had bad habits but was not the worst of the afternoon as "Cositas Dos" was. Misfortune happens like this everyday in Bullfighting, but when you fight one or two times a year, drop a load on a new suit and a bull, it kinda sucks. I gotta mention I was very satisfied with my cape work. I executed some of the best Veronicas I've ever done, and I succesfully performed a quite of Navarras (below, center). Sweet. Check out the video and pics.

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While I was typing my latest post on how Americans are buying more wine instead of beer, I was enjoying a homemade White Chocolate Cappuccino while working on the computer, and watching a Bullfight live from Spain on the Internet. Although the image was very pixelated, its live television! This turned out to be a special morning. My current favorite Matador Manuel Jesus "El Cid" was performing in Anteguera with Cesar Rincon and Enrique Ponce. The third bull of the afternoon was "Gimnastico" #23 from the Ganaderia María José Barral. "El Cid" and "Gimnastico" put on the best performance I've seen in a long time. "Gimnastico" was brave with the horses, destroyed a burladero, consistent in his charges, and would not stop charging. "El Cid" was in the zone with "Gimnastico" and despite two avisos, he continued to extract and display the brave animal's extraordinary qualities. Only after the whole crowd in Anteguera was ready to riot, the plaza Judge granted the Indulto to "Gimnastico". It was great and it all unfolded on my desktop. The Internet has added many aspects to many people's lives such as Banking, Current Events, Music etc. For me, the fact I can watch a good bullfight live from Spain, well it doesn't get better than that! Pics

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Ever since I returned from my trip to España last year and having attended Bullfights in Haro, Burgos, Segovia and Madrid, I have found it very difficult to get motivated enough to drive 10 miles south to Tijuana and attend any Bullfights. As a matter of fact, the last Bullfight I attended was one I participated in. Last September 18th, 2004, I took part in a Festival in Playas de Tijuana along with many of the San Diego/Tijuana region's Aficionado Practicos. I do not like missing Bullfights in Tijuana, but after España, I realize just how much disrespect for La Fiesta Brava there is in Tijuas. Disrespect might be a little strong though, because it really is ignorance of the Cross Border crowd which attend the Corridas in Tijuana. The lack of knowledge of what is happening in the ring is a major distraction, and really drains the value of the ticket prices and is not worth dealing with the Post 9/11 Border Crossing Drudgery. El Juli opened the 2005 Season on May 1st, but his presence was not enough draw for me. A friend of mine who I ran into at work confirmed my feelings about the Juli fight and informed me it was a total Zoo, and not worth the price of admission. It's really too bad, because there really is a knowledgable base of Aficionados in Tijuana, many of which I consider friends. Of course there are not enough to fill the stands. When you can't bring the crowds, you can't bring the stars. The Empresa which runs Tijuana, Espectáculos Taurinos de México, S.A. de C.V. runs other rings in Mexico, mainly Mexico City. The disrespect starts there. The Empresario Rafael Herrerías is a Mafioso who will sign Spanish Matadors El Juli, Enrique Ponce, Matias Tejela, etc, for Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Aguacalientes but he will not mention them in the same breath with Tijuana. This really sucks. So away I stay. Now staying away keeps me out of the loop as well. This week I became aware of a Festival which is taking place in Tijuana on Saturday August 13th. I started receiving phone calls from friends this week asking if I was gonna be there. Hell I didn't know it was being held. But thats O.K. I really can't afford to buy a bull and new Traje Corto at this point. We just paid for a new Pool and new Patio Furniture. Today, the local rag ran an article on a longtime friend of mine who will be fighting Saturday. I used to train with El Estudiante when I was a teenager and trained all last Summer with him for the Festival we participated in last September. The late news of Saturday's Festival and the article in the Trib, did accomplish one thing. El Gusano is alive and kicking. I will be fighting in Tijuana in October 2005, which of course will be the first Bullfight I attend since... Hell, September 18th, 2004.

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Have you ever wondered what exactly goes on during a Bullfight? Well, I stumbled across a website by a group of Fiesta de San Fermin enthusiast from Los Gatos, CA. Thier site, World Adventure Pamplona 2005 posted daily Podcasts of the recent concluded Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. On the site I came across a particular Podcast of thier experience of attending a Bullfight. I found it very interesting in its explanation and perscpective of the Bullfight. It addresses concerns of newbies to the Fiesta, and quite accurately goes into the detail of the events which unfold inside the bullring.

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It's that time of year again! The annual Running of the Bulls starts tomorrow in Pamplona, Spain. This year will be the second with no live TV coverage in the U.S., but you can watch live on the net here, and always catch up with all the craziness past and present at the official Pamplona website here. Stay tuned. The Bulls run for eight days, starting every morning at 7 A.M. Spanish time...

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I've never been one to argue the existence of Bullfights. When discussing Bullfights with people who are not familiar with the Fiesta, if I detect any animosity or discontent I'll end the conversation. It's my choice, It's my pasion, and I am not in the position nor will I put myself in the position to shove it down anybody's throat. I understand the view of people who campaign against Bullfights. I strongly dissagree, but I do understand. Some PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) members on the other are are taking it where it should not go. Click here and see why some people are losing their shorts over it.

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My co-worker and Paisano Siciliano, Anthony was finally able to get me some prints of my fight in September 2004. As I looked over the pics, I once again was taken back by the pictures he took of me when I dedicated my bull to my friend Nicolas Ortuño. Nico was my sister's High School boyfriend. But more than that, he was a brother to me. Some of my most memorble times were with Nico. I'll never forget the time Nico, some freinds and I drove to Guadalajara, Mexico in 1986 to go to the World Cup. They swear I pulled down my pants looking for my ticket I had lost while eating birria outside the staduim in Leon. I'll never forget when Nico was in my wedding party even though he and my sister had decided to move on. I'll never forget the times Nico would bring my brother Vicente, and I Orange Danish Rolls from his job at the grocery store. How about the time, while in Mexico in '86, we sat on the beach outside of Puerto Vallarta sipping cerveza, while the waiter who took our order actually put on some swim fins, jumped in the water and emerged with our order of fresh oysters. Nico taught me the game of soccer. He was a hell of a player. Nico's laugh was unique and in itself hysterical. I write about Nico in this manner because upon my return from Spain last July, I learned Nico died of Cancer. Ironically, Nico was a Doctor and treated Cancer patients in Tijuana. He died on 6/30/04. That was my sons 12th birthday, and I remember calling my him from Salamanca, wishing him a Happy Birthday. All the Taurinos I was with wished him a Happy Birthday as well. It was memorable because we toasted to my son with a round of Cañas de San Miguel. Little did I know a dear friend had died on the very same day. Upon returning from Spain and learning of his passing, I decided to say goodbye to Nico the best way I could. To this I say Thank You Anthony, and Adios Nico, Amigo Mio...

Va por ti, Nico... Cordobesa dedicada

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I belong to a Bullfight Mailing List where Bullfight enthusiast all over the world discuss all kinds of stuff relative to Toros. I know personally many participants on the list. Others I don't know, and like other cross sections of society, it's best to keep my distance. For month's now I've been reading messages of downright computer illiteracy, arrogance, and archaic dumb ass Old World views. The other day I finally broke down and mixed Work with Bulls. There's this one viejo seco who just doesn't get it. He complains about his dumb ass P.C. which is always out of commission due to viruses. He's been paying out his ass for repairs for a while now. Remember this is a maillist about Bullfights. I finally posted the following message:

"Gentlemen,
I apologize in advance, but I can't take it anymore. It pains me to read the computer troubles of fellow aficionados. While I have silently battled not mixing " Work" with "Toros"; I'm Bruno Valdez, Aficionado Practico (some of you know me already), and I want to ask you a few questions. Wouldn't it be great to live in a world where there would be a computer which didn't get plagued with viruses, and thus have no need for Anti-Virus software? It would be a dream to have a computer in which you could compose an e-mail with your favorite Toro pictures with one click of the mouse. How about seamlessly incorporating your digital pictures into a small movie that you can post on the internet so you could share with the Taurine world? How about a computer you could buy for $500, and use the monitor and mouse from your old source of frustration!? A computer where you would overcome the fear of simplicity. Ever wished for an Operating System that does not crash? I repeat an Operating System that does not crash. Is there such a machine?...Like I said, I can't take it anymore. Send me an e-mail at the address below or see it for yourself at www.apple.com. I can only say, I have virus free, crash free, and worry free peace of mind. Pardon me Stanley ... and now.... back to La Fiesta Brava!"

The best response I received was: "I fundamentally disagree with you, but since this is a taurine forum I will not follow up. E.G."

Subtle, yet typical. Oh well, enjoy your viruses, crashes and, and Longhorn was it? ¡Ignorantes!

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Its been about seven years now. When I lived in Tucson, I had my paintings posted on a previous website of mine. Follow this link, and take a look at a side of me not a whole lot of people know about.

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On Saturday February 5th, a bull in Mexico City was given the indulto. Trojano has stirred up emotions in the bullfight world. Please follow this link for some special pictures of this great toro. I will buy the video on this one.

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I saw my first bullfight when I was 14. That was back in 1975. The Matadors fighting in the Mid 70's (VLV) were Manolo Martinez, Curro Rivera, Antonio Lomelin, Eloy Cavazos, Adrian Romero, Mariano Ramos and later Manolo Arruza, David Silveti, Cruz Flores etc.. Well its like this, most of those guys are dead now! Eloy and Mariano are still active, Arruza is coming outta retirement and Romero is still retired. Manolo Martinez' liver did him in a decade ago. Curro Rivera died (heart) in a tienta about 4 years ago. David Silveti surrendered to his own demons and Antonio Lomelin was silenced Mexican style last year. Today I read Cruz Flores passed. Flores wasn't one of the greatest Mexican Matadors in history, but like Silveti he is one who I saw develop from Novillero into a successful Matador. Life is short, and when its over, its over. Soo, Bruno's new rule to live by, "Drink Wine, Make Babies and Kill Bulls, cuz you never know when your gonna die". ¡Viva La Fiesta de los Toros!

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A little more from the Festival on 9/18/04 in Tijuana. The below video caps are three of my favorite moments from my fight. The first was with the capote. My Veronicas felt a little rushed, but I felt I nailed the Media Veronica. I saw Frascuelo do two giant Medias gitano style in Madrid on 7/4/04. I couldn't wait to try it myself. Pic two is the natural mas templado of the faena. I really felt in the zone in that natural. The last pic is of probably the best Pase de Pecho I have ever done. I didn't just execute the pass, I wrapped that bull around my body. At least that's how it felt to me

The festivales in Tijuana turned out OK. The first day, the 18th in which I participated started 2 hours late. No horse for the picador (¡Ay Dios Mio!). It was really the only negative of the whole weekend. Once again the becerros from Garza Leal were first class. The first day saw many high points, some low points. El Loco Ortega had a field day placing the palitroques. Juan Carlos Mondragon had a very fine faena, but did not capitalize with the sword. Santiago Gonzales did very well but also had trouble with the sword. I did OK, cutting two ears. I dedicated my bull to a friend who lost his fight with cancer, Nicolas Ortuño. The second day on the 19th, had "El Charro" Gomez passing out ears like cojines. Matador "El Estudiante" did very well, as did Peter Rombold. A lot of unnecessary drama from others. Overall, a great time was had by all. Click here to see my fight. Its 20 MBs, so be patient, or better yet buy a Mac! Also, check out the pictures Eva and the kids took during the festivals.

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More on CAT. I belong to the Yahoo Group Mundo Taurino. I love reading the latest on the Taurine scene, but I'm growing tired of the viejos who rag, and rag , and rag. I have been training off and on with Coleman and Santi for 3 plus years now. Although I've never been a "student" of the school, I do not hesitate to align myself with them. Coleman gets alot of shit from viejos amargados on MT who cowardly hide behind thier keyboards and have nothing else to do but remember the old days, and piss on people they don't know. CAT is opening the doors for many people who would otherwise face the closed doors and corruption I faced when I was 14 and 15 years old. ¡Enhorabuena Coleman y Santi! Check out a film clip of one of their students, Alex LeMay.

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Although not mentioned by name, I was recently mentioned in an article in the British Telegraph's website. As, I mentioned before, I traveled to Spain to fight some vacas at some Spanish fighting bull ranches (ganaderias). I met up with some students from the California Academy of Tauromaquia (CAT) and its instuctor, Coleman Cooney. Daniel, the author of the article was one of the students. I'm the "Mexican American" he mentions. Also, you can see me in the back round of the first picture at Montavo, hands crossed, after a long stressful day of fighting intense vacas. Also worth mentioning, the Ecuadorian Matador de Toros mentioned is Santiago Vidal Smith, a true gentleman and good friend.

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I never have been a fan of camping. While growing up we did pleanty of it. I had fun as a child at times, but I never really got use to the dust, heat, cold, bumpiness, and bugs. We were invited to a Portuguese Fighting Bull ranch in Coalinga, CA. I was really looking forward to fighting California grown fighting bulls/cows. That part turned out great. The Portuguese community gots it going on up there in No. California. A full on Bullfight Season (Bloodless = Velcro), and a sense of community which is missing from mis Mejicanos down in here SoCal. As far as the camping, hot, buggy, dusty, and hot. We made the best of it though. Bruno-Simon rode his first 3 wheeler, and Veronica was a dust ball for 3 days. Eva and I realized if were gonna do this camping thing, don't forget the tent stick thingys, bring an extra can of Off, and keep the vino flowing but no more cigars (¡Ay que cruda!). Check out the fun. Oh yeh, my vaca was a half breed pinchi that didn't want to charge for squat. See if you spot my 20 Gig iPod which came to the rescue again!

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The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona was quite dramatic this year. It wasn't broadcast on ESPN2 or OLN this year, but luckly I was able to catch the Encierros on TVE via DirecTV. This year was the bloodiest in 16 years. Monday July 12th alone had 8 gorings with the Jandilla bulls, half of the 16 gorings for the entire week of encierrros. I've been hesitating posting this footage of Pamplona, but click here for the highlights.

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It's been a while again since I've added any content here. What have I been up to? Well, I went to Spain and back. The build up to the trip was of course working my ass off so I could take the time off, and preparing everything. I found an excellent fare for $601 on Iberia, and mapped out my intinerary and was off. The trip was to be of bulls and wine. The family stayed at home, because of the bull aspect of the trip. I went to help CAT conduct classes, and to finally experience the Spanish embestida. We participated in 3 tentaderos, visited 3 ganaderias, attented a Corrida de Toros in Segovia, and ate really well. On my own, I went to Corridas in Haro, Burgos, and Madrid. I was a little bummed the town of Haro was in Fiestas, so all the wineries were closed. No biggy, I'll be back. The heat, "Oh My God"... I was hot the whole time. I would have lost much poundage from sweating so much, but I stuffed myself with Bocadillos de Jamon, Tortilla de Patata, and lots of Cañas, Riberas, and Riojas.

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I was in Segovia on this day and I managed to make it to the Corrida. It was a good Cartel, with much of the crowd eager to see Javier Conde. Also performing that day were Matias Tejela and Uceda Leal. I make it a rule, if I do not have an adequate camera I usually do not take pictures of the Corrida, but rather of moments just before. I managed to sit above the Puerta de Cuardillas and captured the following images.

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Feria de April in Sevilla is over now. The second most important Feria of the year in Spain next to Feria de San Isidro in Madrid. There were good performances this year, but not many good bulls. Javier Conde (2, 3, 4), Cesar Rincon (2, 3, 4, 5) putting in the best performances. It was a special Feria for me cuz I was able to view 3 of the Corridas, 1 on TVE, and 2 on the internet. Good stuff... I will make it in person one of these days.

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Link to my Bullfight page. Straight out, if you don't like Bullfights stay out. I'm not making excuses, its about Toros and there is blood. So if it bugs you, its on you... BTW, its still under constuction, so don't mind the mess.

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