June 18, 1999
Bullfight World...
by Lyn Sherwood
A near capacity crowd was on hand, June 13, to watch history unfold in Plaza El Toreo de Tijuana. It was a long, exhausting, and beautiful afternoon.
A wonderful herd of bulls from Begoña was presented to Rejoneador Giovanni Aloi and Matadores Eloy Cavazos, Oscar San Román, and Alfredo Gutierrez.
The animals, weighing from 445 to 555 kilos, were exceptionally well-presented in a variety of colors. All attacked the picadores with gusto. Only two of the herd presented problems that its matador was too inexperienced to resolve. Although it's still early in the season, this herd may qualify as the best of the summer.
The first toro, Centauro, a cárdeno of 450 kilos, provided a great opportunity for the rejoneador. Although Giovanni Aloi offered very little by way of dressage, and didn't extend his performance with anything extraordinary, such as placing banderillas with two hands, or giving quiebros, it was a very clean and honest performance. He placed rejones and banderillas in very good style, and dropped the animal with an excellent rejón de muerte, that won a pair of ears. The bull was applauded at the exit.
In regular lídia, Eloy Cavazos opened with good Verónicas to the 555-kilo Maestro. The animal took one, long pic, which qualified as three or four, and proved to have been too much. With the aplomado and bronco toro, Eloy gave a pleasant faena, mostly on the right, a media altura, capped by an excellent sword placement. There was petition for an ear, which Plaza Judge Jaime Gonzalez denied.
But, Eloy's second bull, Unico, at 460 kilos, was a magnificent creature. Eloy received it with erratic Verónicas. Unico accepted three pics, although the third came after the change of act and resulted in a fine to the picador.
In the third act, Unico was a great bull that kept getting better. Eloy gave it a grand faena to both sides. He could do no wrong with the bull, as the homunculus matador ran the hand long, taking advantage of the animal's honest attack. At the end, in light of nearly unanimous crowd petition, Jaime Gonzalez granted the life-sparing indulto and Unico was dismissed from the arena, to enter a new and active life as a seed bull. It's a great job, but one that's very difficult to get. Cavazos took three vueltas, one with the ganadero.
If memory serves me, this was the second indulto for Eloy in Tijuana, the last one recorded at least 20 years ago, to the bull Ojalete, in Plaza Monumental. But, Unico was superior to Ojalete.
The second sword, San Román, introduced himself to Destacado with very athletic Verónicas. He then placed banderillas in grand style. In the faena, the matador reminded this reporter of the earlier days of Leonardo Benitez. San Román gave a very artistic, very complete performance to both sides, with especially good work on the right side. He capped it with a great sword placement, al encuentro, and won a well-deserved ear.
He gave nearly the same performance to his second bull, opening with great Verónicas, placing bande-rillas with ease, giving a good faena, and killing with an excellent sword placement. But, there wasn't enough crowd petition to allow the plaza judge to award an ear, although one was deserved.
Alfredo Gutierrez, nephew of Matador Jorge Gutierrez, looks like a torero. He's courageous, artistic, and destined to find his place in the sun, but he lacked enough experience and decision to deal with the two most difficult bulls of the afternoon. Gutierrez seemed rather confused by his first bull, which overthrew a picador.
The bull's attack was short and tricky, and it took queréncias next to the barrera, limiting the matador to defensive actions, topped with a good sword placement. Applause. He wasn't successful, either, with the last bull of the day, and animal that offered potential to a torero of greater experience, but was beyond a matador as green as Gutierrez.
In all, it was a great day. Six bulls killed, each with one sword entry, and one indulto. An afternoon to not soon be forgotten, one that reaffirmed the reality that 50-year-old Eloy Cavazos is Mexico's Número Uno, and promises to claim that title, as long as he continues to perform.
TORO TOPICS
The next Tijuana corrida, June 27, will feature a herd from San Pablo for Alfredo Lomelí, Humberto Flores, and newcomer Iñaki Elias.
The season is going very well in Spain, especially for the top figuras. On June 9, in Yecla, Rivera Ordoñez cut two ears from his second bull, while El Juli cut a pair from his first. Both left on shoulders, while Litri was shut out.
On June 7, in Placencia, Juan Moro won three ears, Enrique Ponce was awarded four ears and a tail, and El Juli cut two ears. One June 6, in the same plaza, Rivera Ordoñez won an ear from each of his bulls and El Cordobés cut three ears.
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