Antonio Ferrera: silencio (pinchazo y estocada) y silencio (media y dos descabellos).
López Chaves: pitos (bajonazo) y silencio (estocada)
El Cid: gran ovación tras aviso (metisaca, media estocada y un descabello) y una oreja (pinchazo y estocada)

El Fundi: Silencio (estocada corta caída) y oreja (gran estocada).
Diego Urdiales: Gran ovación con saludos (media lagartijera) y silencio (metisaca, dos pinchazos y media).
Alejandro Talavante: silencio (estocada) y gran ovación con saludos, tras aviso y leve petición (pinchazo, estocada corta y dos descabellos).

Luis Miguel Encabo: protestas (media defectuosa) y bronca tras aviso (estocada y tres descabello)
Sánchez Vara: silencio (estocada trasera) y silencio (estocada)
Luis Bolívar: ovación con saludos (estocada en los bajos, pinchazo y estocada) y ovación (bajonazo)

Uceda Leal: silencio (estocada desprendida) y silencio (dos pinchazos y estocada).
Curro Díaz: silencio (media estocada y cinco descabellos) y silencio (estocada baja y ocho descabellos).
Salvador Vega: silencio (pinchazo y media caída) y silencio (estocada caída).

Miguel Abellán: palmas (estocada baja) y silencio (dos pinchazos, estocada y tres descabellos).
El Juli: leves pitos (pinchazo, metisaca caído, nuevo pinchazo, estocada baja y ocho descabellos) y silencio (tres pinchazos y estocada).
Miguel Ángel Perera: ovación tras petición y aviso (estocada baja) y gran ovación (estocada).

Nº 98, Grosero, negro mulato, 484, 1/05

José Tomás (JT) turned in a phenomenal performance in Granada on 5/23/2008 in the Feria de Corpus Cristi. His opening cape work was highlighted by some fine Delantales. It was with the muleta where he produced some fine work. Although deserving of awards, a tail was a little overkill. Socio RJ compares JT’s performance to Manolete where the same sacrifice of the Torero is the expectation and it takes a master, “a living legend” to pull off this art toro after toro. This is the magic of JT. JT lays out his life every afternoon. Since returning to the ring on July 17th, 2007 in Barcelona, JT has received serious gorings in Linares, Salamanca, Guadalajara (Jalisco) and serious tossings in Malaga (’07 and ’08) and Santander. These cojidas are testaments to JT taking it to the limit and willingly crossing the line. JT ventures into territory where few toreros ever do. He’ll do this and as RJ points out, while not having to adjust to the different toros, but rather having the toros adjust to him. At this moment, there is no other Torero bringing in the crowds. No other Torero who has raised the expectation to a level not seen in decades. No other Torero who despite the punishment, will without any hesitation cross over that line, and stay quieto ready for the next.

 

On the day where Israel Lancho confirmed his Alternativa, the ceremony and corrida where marred by the goring of veteran Matador de Toros, Frascuelo. I saw Frascuelo in Madrid in 2004 and will never forget the loudest applause of the day were a couple of Media Veronicas he performed on his first toro. On this day cut short during the first stages of his first toro, the second of the day after confirming the Alternativa of Lancho, Frascuelo was punished by his foe. The toro turn quickly after a natural and caught Frascuelo on the inside of his left thigh and flinged him in the air. After landing on his head and his legs over his head the toro followed through by plowing the horn into the right inside thigh of the matador. To top it off, Frascuelo bit his tongue upon hitting the ground. Another note is Lancho’s height. The guy has to be at least 6′ 5″, at least. When fighting toros of 500 kilos, they look like vacas in relation. Details of Frascuelo’s gorings as published by El Mundo: “Parte médico de Frascuelo: herida por asta de toro en la cara interna posterior del tercio medio del muslo izquierdo, con dos trayectorias, una hacia arriba de 20 centímetros con sección de músculo bíceps femoral y otra de 15 centímetros hacia adentro que alcanza el fémur, contusionando el paquete vasculonervioso. Otra en cara interna del tercio superior del muslo derecho con una trayectoria hacia abajo de 20 centímetros que causa destrozos en músculos abductores. Herida contusa en la lengua. Pronóstico grave. Trasladado a la Clínica La Fraternidad.”


Frascuelo: herido al torear de muleta a su primero.
Iván García: silencio (pinchazo y estocada), protestas tras dos avisos (cuatro pinchazos y cinco descabellos) y protestas tras aviso (cuatro pinchazos, estocada y tres descabellos).
Israel Lancho, que confirmaba la alternativa: silencio tras aviso (dos pinchazos y estocada), silencio (tres pinchazos y estocada baja) y saludos (estocada que asoma y estocada).

Álvaro Montes: ovación tras aviso (rejón y cuatro descabellos) y oreja (pinchazo y rejón).
Moura Caetano: protestas (cinco pinchazos y dos descabellos) y aplausos (rejón).
Joao Moura hijo: silencio (cuatro pinchazos y medio rejón caído) y silencio (tres pinchazos, rejón y descabello).
Leonardo Hernández: dos vueltas al ruedo tras fuerte petición (pinchazo y rejón) y oreja (rejón y cuatro descabellos).

The much anticipated Corrida with Morante de la Puebla, Julian Lopez ‘El Juli” and José María Manzanares nearly got rained out. The “No Hay Billetes” sign was once again posted and the skies did not disappoint. While Manzanares drew the most difficult lot of the Victoriano del Río encierro, ‘El Juli’ positioned himself to cut trophies with the fifth toro but he finally killed it with the third attempt. It was Morante’s day though. The rain could not stop him from turning in a faena “a escuela Sevillana” capped with a desplante de rodillas with the “toreria” reserved for the maestro from La Puebla del Rio. Morante lost his two ears after two pinchazos (the second an attempted recibiendo) and two avisos, settling for one ear.


Morante de la Puebla: silencio tras aviso (pinchazo y estocada) y oreja tras dos avisos (pinchazo y estocada trasera).
El Juli: silencio (gran estocada) y aplausos tras aviso (cuatro pinchazos, estocada y tres descabellos).
José María Manzanares: silencio (pinchazo y estocada) y ovación tras aviso.

Iván Vicente: ovación tras aviso (estocada y descabello) y ovación (estocada).
César Jiménez: silencio (pinchazo y estocada) y silencio tras aviso (estocada).
Eduardo Gallo: silencio tras aviso (pinchazo y estocada) y silencio (estocada corta).

Enrique Ponce: silencio tras aviso (estocada defectuosa y descabello) y división de opiniones (estocada corta).
Sebastián Castella: ovación tras aviso (pinchazo y estocada caída) y silencio (tres pinchazos y estocada).
Morenito de Aranda: gran ovación (dos pinchazos y el toro se echa) y ovación (gran estocada).

An interesting battle is brewing. While going through my email today, I came across a story about a Christian group leading a boycott against Starbuck’s. It seems the new logo of everyones favorite coffee house is offensive. The new brown logo was released as the new Starbuck’s Pike Place Roast hit the stores in April. The logo design itself reverts to an earlier rendition which showed a Greek Siren bare breasted. In the new version, the same Siren has her nipples covered by her hair. The original designs exposed areola had generated enough controversy for the coffee company’s cover up. The Christian do gooders weren’t satisfied with that. Apparently the Siren offensive pose is spreading her legs like a prostitute ready for gentlemen callers. I could not believe anyone would make such a fuss about this but I was further astounded when I found out the Christian group is from none other than San Diego, California. Great.

Octavio García ‘El Payo’ left quite an impression on the Madrid crowd. The Spanish papers all praised his work with the capote and felt cheated by his untimely cornada. Rosa Jimenez Cano stated best on her El Pais Blog, “Ha venido a Madrid como se debe y, además de repertorio y gusto”. That’s what looked fresh in his performance. He brought it to Madrid and he was in it mentally. I went searching for more on ‘El Payo’ and found some good stuff. You can see he has been prepared right. His confidence and sitio in Madrid can be seen in his earlier novilladas. I think this kid will raise the bar in Mexico along with Joselito Adame and Mario Aguilar.

Not much of note in today’s corrida. Juan Bautista and Serafín Marín received acknowledgement for their efforts. The encierro from Las Ramblas were big and for the most part mansos. Both Marín and Matías Tejela showed signs of recovery from their recent gorings.

Juan Bautista: silencio (estocada) y silencio (estocada corta y descabello).
Serafín Marín: silencio (media baja) y palmas (estocada).
Matías Tejela: silencio (pinchazo y estocada) y silencio (estocada)

Queretano Octavio García “El Payo” had the picky Madrid crowd at his feet. With a varied repertoire of lances as Tafalleras, Gaoneras, Chicuelinas Ambulantes, Revoleras and Veronicas, “El Payo” topped his cape work with a grand faena on his first novillo. Opened with two Pendulos and a Capina, the Mexicano Novillero positioned himself to cut two ears. It disappeared as “El Payo” killed with two pinchazos. The Madrid crowd applauded his efforts. On his second animal, “El Payo” received the bull in the medios with a Tafallera, Veronicas and a Revolera. He then attempted to a quite of Tafalleras linked with Chicuelinas. “El Payo” was then caught behind the knee with the novillo’s right horn. Thus a potentially best of the feria performance came to an end. The other novilleros on the cartel Daniel Martín and Pepe Moral did not do as well.


Daniel Martín: silencio (tres pinchazos y estocada), silencio (estocada) y silencio en el que mató por El Payo (pinchazo y estocada contraria).
El Payo: gran ovación en el único que mató (dos pinchazos y estocada).
Pepe Moral: silencio (pinchazo, estocada y cuatro descabellos) y silencio (estocada).

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Luis Francisco Esplá: pitos (estocada caída) y protestas (estocada).
Pepín Liria: aplausos (pinchazo, media tendida y descabello) y gran ovación (estocada).
Paul Abadía, ‘Serranito’: silencio tras aviso (pinchazo defectuoso y estocada caída) y silencio tras aviso (pinchazo, media y cuatro descabellos).

Andy Cartagena turned in a masterful and emotional performance to cut two ears and exit the plaza through the Puerta Grande. Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza also did a very good job to cut an ear.

Joao Moura: silencio (pinchazo, rejón y descabello) y silencio (pinchazo, rejón caído y cuatro descabellos).
Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza: silencio (pinchazo, rejón y descabello) y oreja (rejón).
Andy Cartagena: rejón en dos tiempos (ovación tras leve petición y dos orejas (rejón caído y trasero).

A lackuster corrida was highlighted by the valor of Salmantino Javier Valverde. After being violently tossed and scooted about the Las Ventas sand, Valverde rose and showed what he is made of. Last year Valderde suffered a tremendous tossing but finished his turn. Today Valverde again battered, continued his lidia respectively and received a vuelta. Rafaelillo did some good work and continues to be a torero who wins applause by his workman doblenes.
Rafael Rubio, ‘Rafaelillo’: saludos con protestas (estocada y tres descabellos) y silencio (estocada).
Iván Vicente: silencio tras aviso (estocada y cuatro descabellos) y silencio (silencio (estocada).
Javier Valverde: silencio (cuatro pinchazos y el toro se echa) y vuelta al ruedo (pinchazo y estocada baja).

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Juan Bautista: silencio (bajonazo) y silencio (pinchazo y estocada) .
El Cid: vuelta al ruedo tras petición (estocada) y gran ovación con saludos tras aviso (dos pinchazos, media estocada y descabello).
Alejandro Talavante: silencio (estocada) y silencio (estocada).