Diego Ventura's mastery achieves the first grand entrance at the Malaga bullfighting fair

The 'Manolo Segura' main gate at La Malagueta opened for the first time during the fair's season ticket events this Sunday. The person responsible for opening it was Diego Ventura, after a performance where he once again demonstrated his mastery, showing why he is currently the leading figure in rejoneo (bullfighting on horseback) and reaffirmed his love affair with Málaga, where for the second consecutive year he was carried out on shoulders. Martín Ferrer could have joined him, who was very spirited in his performances, but he failed with the steel, thus evaporating the dream of an exit on shoulders. On an afternoon when one of the big news was the large crowd in the stands, Sergio Galán had a sober performance.

The second bull of the afternoon, 'Zapito', entered the ring listlessly, and Diego Ventura received it atop 'Querido'. He placed two punishing lances to try to enliven the charge. In the banderillas, he came out with 'Quirico', with which he placed two banderillas, tempering the bull on two tracks. It was the appetizer for the peak performance that came when 'Bronce' entered the ring, with whom he drew authentic muletazos (bullfight passes) with the hindquarters before placing the garapullos (smaller banderillas) high and leaving two banderillas after removing the horse's headgear, which provoked cheers from the stands. He finished with a carousel of short banderillas played on the violin atop 'Brillante' against a bull that had already stopped moving. He left two pinches before landing a rear rejonazo (lance thrust), which earned him one ear.

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He would achieve two ears in the fifth. After placing two punishing lances while riding 'Guadalquivir', one of the star horses of his stable, 'Nómada', entered the arena. Diego Ventura allowed a more cooperative bull than its brethren to come close and tempered it on two tracks, showing off in the banderillas by calling with the Spanish walk. The spectacle came with 'Quitasueños' through two bends, especially the second for its precision, which brought the audience to its feet. The epilogue of his performance, riding 'Guadalquivir', was again marked by short banderillas played on the violin. This time he was accurate with the first rejonazo that brought down 'Filibustero'. The stands of the bullring were filled with white handkerchiefs asking for the highest trophies. The box was right in awarding the two ears and in not granting the request for the tail, because although Ventura's triumph was undeniable, it was not as decisive as, for example, the one achieved last year.

Ferrer Martín was left with the sweet taste of victory after a complete performance on his two bulls. He received his first atop 'Charito', leaving two punishing lances. In banderillas, he placed them high while riding 'Mosca', allowing the bull's charge to come close, which caused him to suffer some bumps, while with 'Cigala' he shone with two bends in close quarters that set the clapping on fire. After the short banderillas, he left an almost whole rear lance, but needed ten attempts at descabello (a sword thrust used to kill a bull), which cooled the atmosphere.

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Spurred by Ventura's triumph, Ferrer Martín went all out in the last event of the festival, a more cooperative bull. Against it, the man from Vélez placed good banderillas, thrilled the stands with turns in front of 'Narciso's face, and heated up the atmosphere with the short ones and the rose. He left a rear rejonazo and again had to dismount and needed five descabellos, which diluted the triumph.

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Six years after his last appearance, Sergio Galán returned to Málaga, leaving a performance marked by the classicism and sobriety of his rejoneo. He stopped and tempered his first bull very well with 'Noche', was effective with the banderillas atop 'Ligero' and 'Capricho', and heated up the atmosphere with the short ones atop 'Óleo'. He left a low contrary lance and a descabello. In the fourth, he could do little since after the second banderilla the animal crippled a leg, so he cut it short. He left a low rejonazo.

EVENT DETAILS

Location: La Malagueta Bullring.

Bull Ranch: Two bulls from Benítez Cubero (1st and 2nd) and four from Pallarés (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th), properly blunted for rejoneo, of correct presentation and uneven behavior, generally docile and stationary.

Rejoneadores: Sergio Galán: Applause after a very slight request and silence; Diego Ventura: one ear and two ears with a request for the tail; and Ferrer Martín: applause after warning and applause after warning.

Incidents: Sunday, August 17. Almost full on a hot afternoon. Presided over by Carlos Bueno, who was correct in not granting the unjustified request for the tail that the public asked for Ventura in the fifth event of the festival.

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