Born in Córdoba in 1936, Manuel Benítez later known
as El Cordobés when he became a bullfighter, was raised in an orphanage in his home town. He was a construction worker, and inspired by a monument to the great matador Manolete in Córdoba, dreamed of being a bullfighter since
his teenage years. He would sneak into the pastures of some Ganaderia (Ranch raising fighting bulls) and prac-
tice by moonlight.
He finally vaulted over the fence as what is known as an espontáneo at a prestigious bullfight and began taking the bull through its paces with a home-made cape until he was dragged away by security.
He started his career as a Novillero (novice) in 1959 and became famous for his high profile antics such as kissing
the bull between the horns. He didn't take the Alternativa,
(a ceremony sponsored by a full ranked Matador, elevating him to the same category) until 1963, when he was already famous.
Banderillas are razor sharp barbed sticks placed in the bull's shoulders by a member of the Matador's "team"
and called Banderillero.
Once early in his career, on the way to the bullring he turned to his banderillero and announced he was going to do something never seen before in bullfighting.
When the time came to place the banderillas, El Cordobés
waved away the banderillero. He was going to place them himself.His banderillero stared in surprise as El Cordobés broke the banderillas to pencil lenght, marched to the mid- dle of the ring and turned his back to the bull.
Slowly he paced his way backwards and as the bull charged, a second before the horns reached his back he
stuck out his right leg to catch the bull's eye and divert the charge. As the bull swerved, he spun and stuck his bande-
rillas into its back. The crowd went wild!
All over Spain, El Cordobés planted his pencil lenght ban-
derillas sometimes kneeling with his back to the bull, jump-
ing up and whirling at the last moment.
Impulsivo was the name of a bull weighing over 1,100 Lbs.
each horn a foot long - and as they should be - straight for-
ward with a slight upward sweep at its tip; slimming down to a fine sharpness at the point.
El Cordobés faced it at Las Ventas, the bullring in Madrid in an event watched on television by thousands of Spaniards and that ended almost tragically with the near fatal goring of El Cordobés on the horns of Impulsivo. Three weeks later, he was back in the bullring.
In 1983 a bull he was about to fight, killed an espontáneo that jumped into the ring (as he had done as a youth).
Maligned by the Press for allowing it to happen, he went into
semi-retirement making occasional appearances until 2000
when he fought his last bull in Las Ventas and then cut off
his Matador's pig tail known as a coleta, ritually ending his
career and going into retirement, after being the highest paid
Matador in the history of bullfighting.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
RUNNING WITH THE BULLS

RUNNING WITH THE BULLS.
The Running with the Bulls, or "Encierro", in Pamplona, Spain, was made famous by Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises. The running is oly a part of the week-long party that turns the town of Pamplona upside down, from the 6th to the 14th of July every year: the "Fiesta of San Fermin"; San Fermin being the patron saint of Navarra, the province in which Pamplona is located.
The Running with the Bulls, is one of the events held in Spain that commands international attention. The parties are night long affairs, and thousands of gallons of wine are consumed, in an exciting, devil may care attitude.
The Fiesta is declared open by the Major of the town, and the firing of a rocket at the Town Hall Plaza; the crowd erupting in cheers, while being sprayed with dozens of bottles of champagne.
The first run starts at 8:00am. on the 7th, and the red scarfed runners - mainly young men - will run in front of the bulls, leading them from the pen to the bull ring. The spectators must remain behind the wooden double fence, just built along the streets of the runners route.
A rocket goes off at the time the bulls are released, and a second rocket announces that all the bulls are in the street. Shortly after, the runners appear followed by the bulls; some of them overtaking the runners, and serious situations develop.
Very professional Para-Medics are always at hand when needed, but injuries, some times fatal, occur. Seems that as the popularity of the Fiesta and the crowds increase, so does injury and death. The 1947 run, tragically stands out in the "Encierro's" history; with a bull named "Semillero" killing two persons on the same run. A similar double killing happened again in 1980.
Tourists from other European countries and parts of the world - some Americans included - arrive in droves, some of them participating in the running, and all of them in the partying. The general "have a good time" attitude of the people in the streets, bars and everywhere, is contagious and incredible. No doubt there is not a Fiesta anywhere in the world that could rival San Fermin.
As the Fiesta comes to an end, the "Sanferminians" are partied out and ready to go home and recuperate; but you can be certain that a very high percentage of them will return to Pamplona the following year.
RUNNING WITH THE BULLS.
The Running with the Bulls, or "Encierro", in Pamplona, Spain, was made famous by Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises. The running is oly a part of the week-long party that turns the town of Pamplona upside down, from the 6th to the 14th of July every year: the "Fiesta of San Fermin"; San Fermin being the patron saint of Navarra, the province in which Pamplona is located.
The Running with the Bulls, is one of the events held in Spain that commands international attention. The parties are night long affairs, and thousands of gallons of wine are consumed, in an exciting, devil may care attitude.
The Fiesta is declared open by the Major of the town, and the firing of a rocket at the Town Hall Plaza; the crowd erupting in cheers, while being sprayed with dozens of bottles of champagne.
The first run starts at 8:00am. on the 7th, and the red scarfed runners - mainly young men - will run in front of the bulls, leading them from the pen to the bull ring. The spectators must remain behind the wooden double fence, just built along the streets of the runners route.
A rocket goes off at the time the bulls are released, and a second rocket announces that all the bulls are in the street. Shortly after, the runners appear followed by the bulls; some of them overtaking the runners, and serious situations develop.
Very professional Para-Medics are always at hand when needed, but injuries, some times fatal, occur. Seems that as the popularity of the Fiesta and the crowds increase, so does injury and death. The 1947 run, tragically stands out in the "Encierro's" history; with a bull named "Semillero" killing two persons on the same run. A similar double killing happened again in 1980.
Tourists from other European countries and parts of the world - some Americans included - arrive in droves, some of them participating in the running, and all of them in the partying. The general "have a good time" attitude of the people in the streets, bars and everywhere, is contagious and incredible. No doubt there is not a Fiesta anywhere in the world that could rival San Fermin.
As the Fiesta comes to an end, the "Sanferminians" are partied out and ready to go home and recuperate; but you can be certain that a very high percentage of them will return to Pamplona the following year.
BULLFIGHTS: A COMMON MISCONCEPTION
Most people believe that a bullfight is a competition between a man and a bull; some, think is a sport.- It is not surprising, since the event is forbidden by law in the U.S.A., and a high percentage of the\ population have never seen one; and the ones that have, while traveling to Mexico or Spain, have not known or understood what was going on; this causing a very unfavorable reaction to the event.
First, a bullfight is not a competition or a sport. It is considered an art, in which the artist - the “Matador” - uses instead of paint and brush as his tools; a cape, sword, and essentially grace, courage, skill and personal style in his performance.
Because of the English word “bullfight”, many believe that it is, in some way, a sport. It is not. In Spanish, is called “corrida de toros”, with no reference to fighting in any way. Bullfights are not covered in the Sports section of newspapers, but in the “Culture” section. It is an art form, a show, like a play, a ballet or an opera.
It is not a competition, because the bull enters the ring to be killed. It was specially bred and raised to be fierce and aggressive; its purpose is to die in the bull ring instead of the slaughter house; demonstrating his fierceness and inbred qualities. There is a number of “ganaderias” (cattle ranchs) dedicated to breed this type of bulls; a few very famous in the bullfighting world, e.g. the “Miura” bulls, bred and raised in Spain, and some times imported by Peru, Mexico and other Latin American countries.
Very rarely a “Matador” is killed or wounded. “Manolete” (1917-1947) born in Cordova, Spain was the most legendary bullfighter in recent Spanish history. He imposed his own style. His feet not moving, made the bull look as charging around a pole, with the horns barely touching his clothing.His style was austere, brave and tough, but always elegant.- He was killed by a Miura bull named “Islero” at the Linares Bullring (Jaen), Spain, leaving that country and the taurine world in a state of shock.
If planning on going to a "corrida de toros", read about the event (in general) before you go, so you'll understand and appreciate what is going on.-
And please..! don't even think of seeing your first bullfight in a Mexican border town. It would mislead you, and you would come out of the bullring swearing never to go back. Go see your first ones, either in Mexico City or in any of the main cities of Spain, preferably when a famed matador is featured.
First, a bullfight is not a competition or a sport. It is considered an art, in which the artist - the “Matador” - uses instead of paint and brush as his tools; a cape, sword, and essentially grace, courage, skill and personal style in his performance.
Because of the English word “bullfight”, many believe that it is, in some way, a sport. It is not. In Spanish, is called “corrida de toros”, with no reference to fighting in any way. Bullfights are not covered in the Sports section of newspapers, but in the “Culture” section. It is an art form, a show, like a play, a ballet or an opera.
It is not a competition, because the bull enters the ring to be killed. It was specially bred and raised to be fierce and aggressive; its purpose is to die in the bull ring instead of the slaughter house; demonstrating his fierceness and inbred qualities. There is a number of “ganaderias” (cattle ranchs) dedicated to breed this type of bulls; a few very famous in the bullfighting world, e.g. the “Miura” bulls, bred and raised in Spain, and some times imported by Peru, Mexico and other Latin American countries.
Very rarely a “Matador” is killed or wounded. “Manolete” (1917-1947) born in Cordova, Spain was the most legendary bullfighter in recent Spanish history. He imposed his own style. His feet not moving, made the bull look as charging around a pole, with the horns barely touching his clothing.His style was austere, brave and tough, but always elegant.- He was killed by a Miura bull named “Islero” at the Linares Bullring (Jaen), Spain, leaving that country and the taurine world in a state of shock.
If planning on going to a "corrida de toros", read about the event (in general) before you go, so you'll understand and appreciate what is going on.-
And please..! don't even think of seeing your first bullfight in a Mexican border town. It would mislead you, and you would come out of the bullring swearing never to go back. Go see your first ones, either in Mexico City or in any of the main cities of Spain, preferably when a famed matador is featured.
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