San Isidro 2025, decline of the bull, disappearance of the third of rods, stretched out to the flag... and Morante

The fact that the bullfighting jury of Plaza 1, the company that operates the Las Ventas bullring, composed of specialized journalists, chose Alejandro Talavante as the winner of the San Isidro Fair for his exit on shoulders on May 9th gives an idea of ​​the current state of bullfighting.

At least, the Telemadrid jury has unanimously opted for Morante de la Puebla , something obvious, and has chosen the bull Frenoso , from Victoriano del Río, as the best of the fair.

Fifteen sold-out afternoons out of a total of 26 bullfights (not counting two more, the Charity and In Memoriam bullfights) are a lot of sold-out crowds, which is a source of healthy satisfaction for all bullfighting lovers, a joyful delight for bullfighting business owners, and a major disappointment for bullfighting haters. In total, 576,228 spectators have passed through the Las Ventas bullring this May, the majority of whom are the 17,536 daily season ticket holders.

But bullfighting isn't all about arithmetic; the number of spectators doesn't tip the scales of the integrity, emotion, and purity of the spectacle one way or the other, and sometimes, as in this case, neither do the ears.

Bullfighting isn't all about arithmetic; 'sold out' signs don't guarantee the integrity, excitement, and purity of the spectacle.

There are other key ingredients, such as the bull, the bullfighters, and the quality of those sitting in the stands, including the journalists.

174 bulls have been fought throughout the cycle, including the six Beneficencia bulls, and not a single one of them can be singled out as truly brave and noble in all three stages. Not one.

Two names have been mentioned by various juries: Brigadier , from Pedraza de Yeltes, fought on May 14 by Isaac Fonseca, and Frenoso , from Victoriano del Río, who completed the Puerto de San Lorenzo bullfight on the 16th and was fought by Fernando Adrián. The former improved with the lances and came in long and humiliated in the third encounter. He galloped with the banderillas, but his behavior with the muleta was noble, lacking strength or greed. The latter simply performed well on horseback, going unnoticed in the second third and displaying mobility and character at the end.

Along with these, some other names such as Misterio , by Victoriano del Río; Amargado , by Fuente Ymbro; Pomposico , by José Enrique Fraile de Valdefresno; Alabardero , by Victoriano del Río; Torbellino , by Torrealta; Comisario , by Fuente Ymbro, and Gestor , by El Parralejo.

Based on these figures, the Victoriano del Río ranch was the most outstanding at the fair, having fought several bulls that stood out from the rest.

But if we take into account that the best bulls bred in the bullfighting arena are announced at San Isidro, we would have to conclude that the bull is suffering a worrying decline.

Most of them were stabbed into the ring, so the suerte de varas (luck of the lance) became a mere formality that has lost all meaning, and it's almost a miracle that a bull humiliates and pushes the horse. The reason could be that the breeder prioritizes the animal's duration with the muleta, thereby losing a crucial third of the fight. But there haven't been many outstanding bulls with the muleta either; rather than their noble caste, dullness and lack of strength have proliferated.

And what about bullfighters? A well-known fan asserts that a distinction should be made between bullfighters and artists; and a third level could be added: matadors.

In the 26-event cycle, 17 ears have been cut (including four for the rejoneadores and one for the novillero Aaron Palacio), and 13 bullfighters have performed a lap of the ring.

Many bulls came out 'picados' into the ring, so the suerte de varas became a mere formality, and it is a miracle that an animal humbles itself and pushes the horse.

It's a fact that Morante broke the bullfighting scene on May 28th, changed his appearance, and had the audacity to show the world the beauty of bullfighting. And that lesson is an extraordinary discovery, but also a serious setback . One of the limitations of human beings is their eagerness to establish firm concepts based on a permanent and, generally, inappropriate comparison, and it has become evident that the exercise of this parameter has harmed the rest of the ranking. Unintentionally, Morante's greatness has demystified his peers.

This is when the difference between bullfighters and artists is established, which were confused the day that bullfighting was called the art of bullfighting, and anyone who dressed in lights acquired the status of artist by right.

But reality shows that this is not the case; one can master the technique, be brave and thorough, and still lack the mystery that surrounds the emotion, the sublimation, and the transfiguration of the encounter between an animal and a human being into a feeling.

But before Morante's success, it had already become clear that the current bullfighting scene is full of bullfighters who know how to give passes but don't do much; who master the technique but also the advantages; who drag out their performances and prove incapable of radiating emotion; and others who were capable of truly attracting the attention of the stands but failed when it came to killing. And we mustn't forget that bullfighters and artists are, above all, bullfighters.

Today's bullfighting is in need of artists, because that's what the bulls are now bred, selected, and fought in demand; an animal so noble that it demands a very special muleta to attract attention.

Despite this, there are names that have remained in memory for different reasons beyond the bullfighter from La Puebla, and they are Fortes , Víctor Hernández , Clemente , Diego San Román, Juan de Castilla, the veteran Uceda Leal and the novillero Aaron Palacio, among others.

And the audience. Who would have imagined during the pandemic that just a few years later, the "sold out" sign would be hanging in Las Ventas Plaza for so many evenings? But, like everything in life, this shocking news also has its downside: most new spectators, especially the younger ones, haven't had the opportunity to learn from their elders, are unaware of the basics, and distort the flow of the show. Decidedly, in life, you can't have it all.