Miguel Angel Perera
Very close to the Royal Box!
The Damas Goyescas arrive!
Picador
Preparations begin!!Over the past year or so I have had many discussions with our friend and neighbour Alvaro on the subject of bullfighting. They would always end up by him saying to me ‘before you can have an informed opinion on the subject you must experience one for yourself’
I knew I would only go once, so I wanted to experience a top meeting and coincidentally it would appear that the most important bullfight of the year is held annually at our own Ronda Bullring during the ‘Feria Goyesca de Pedro Romero in September, where all the participants dress in the traditional 18th-19th century costumes.
However, only the very best matadors are invited to take part in this event and tickets are virtually impossible to get hold of. It’s similar to our own FA Cup Final at Wembley! Apparently, tickets were changing hands on the black market for over 1,000 euros! Well to my surprise I managed to get hold of a ticket, via one of my close ex-pat friends who is well connected in the La Real Maestranza de Ronda.
I knew I would only go once, so I wanted to experience a top meeting and coincidentally it would appear that the most important bullfight of the year is held annually at our own Ronda Bullring during the ‘Feria Goyesca de Pedro Romero in September, where all the participants dress in the traditional 18th-19th century costumes.
However, only the very best matadors are invited to take part in this event and tickets are virtually impossible to get hold of. It’s similar to our own FA Cup Final at Wembley! Apparently, tickets were changing hands on the black market for over 1,000 euros! Well to my surprise I managed to get hold of a ticket, via one of my close ex-pat friends who is well connected in the La Real Maestranza de Ronda.
The day of the bullfight arrived and I was struggling with my conscience and began to have second thoughts as to whether or not I actually wanted to go! Prior to the bullfight there is a costume parade of the matadors, toreadors and the Damas Goyescas (18 beautiful ladies in traditional costumes) in horse-drawn carriages that travel through the centre of the town ending at Ronda’s historic bullring, the oldest in Spain.
Best Matador of the Day - Jose Maria ManzanaresThe four matadors that were scheduled to perform where the famous four, Francisco River Ordonez, Jose Maria Manzanares, Miguel Angel Perara and Cayetano Rivera. Unfortunately, Cayetano Rivera had been badly gored by a bull at the ’Plaza de Toros de Palencia a week before and was in the intensive care unit at the Palencia hospital, so obviously was unable to take part.
I had a fantastic seat, only 5 metres from the Royal Box and was rubbing shoulders with Giorgio Armani, The Duchess of Alba, Julio Iglesias, Paz Vega (Spanish Actress) Manuel Chaves (President of the Junta de Andalucia and PSOE Party) Magdalena Alvarez (Minister of Public Works) and Mariano Rajoy (Leader of the Conservative Popular Party)
I knew I was a part of something very special for the Spanish people and I felt privileged to be there. I sat next to a man from Switzerland, who had lived in Spain for sometime, and it had taken him 15 years to get a ticket to this event. The atmosphere was overwhelming and consuming and you could feel the passion of the crowd upon the arrival of the matadors. There is no doubting that these men are incredibly skilful, graceful and brave as they perform their art. However, as I had imagined, all of the splendour was over shadowed by the torture of the bull and its ultimate death.
These magnificent animals enter the arena with pride and spirit and twenty minutes later, humbled and humiliated by the skill of the matador are unceremoniously hauled away by the horns in an undignified fashion. Furthermore, if they haven’t performed well, and you have to ask yourself why they should, they are jeered and booed from the arena. Having given the crowd so much obvious pleasure, in my opinion they deserve better than that.
Having decided to live in Spain, I have to respect their culture and traditions, but having now experienced a bullfight for myself, my opinions of it have not changed.
The atmosphere in the town after the bullfight was electric….. There were thousands of people milling around, all the outside bars were packed and a large number of film crews and photographers were everywhere, hoping to get an interview or photograph of one of the many celebrities that were in attendance.
I had a fantastic seat, only 5 metres from the Royal Box and was rubbing shoulders with Giorgio Armani, The Duchess of Alba, Julio Iglesias, Paz Vega (Spanish Actress) Manuel Chaves (President of the Junta de Andalucia and PSOE Party) Magdalena Alvarez (Minister of Public Works) and Mariano Rajoy (Leader of the Conservative Popular Party)
I knew I was a part of something very special for the Spanish people and I felt privileged to be there. I sat next to a man from Switzerland, who had lived in Spain for sometime, and it had taken him 15 years to get a ticket to this event. The atmosphere was overwhelming and consuming and you could feel the passion of the crowd upon the arrival of the matadors. There is no doubting that these men are incredibly skilful, graceful and brave as they perform their art. However, as I had imagined, all of the splendour was over shadowed by the torture of the bull and its ultimate death.
These magnificent animals enter the arena with pride and spirit and twenty minutes later, humbled and humiliated by the skill of the matador are unceremoniously hauled away by the horns in an undignified fashion. Furthermore, if they haven’t performed well, and you have to ask yourself why they should, they are jeered and booed from the arena. Having given the crowd so much obvious pleasure, in my opinion they deserve better than that.
Having decided to live in Spain, I have to respect their culture and traditions, but having now experienced a bullfight for myself, my opinions of it have not changed.
The atmosphere in the town after the bullfight was electric….. There were thousands of people milling around, all the outside bars were packed and a large number of film crews and photographers were everywhere, hoping to get an interview or photograph of one of the many celebrities that were in attendance.
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