September 3, 1999
Spanish Matador
Domingo López Chavez suffered a severe goring, last Sunday,
during a corrida in Plaza El Toreo de Tijuana. Although bleeding
and in obvious pain from the deep wound in the right thigh, the
young torero who, three weeks earlier, had registered an indulto
in the downtown plaza, refused to allow anybody to deter him from
killing his bull.
Chavez alternated with Miguel Armillita Chico and Eulalio López "El Zotoluco," facing a herd of bulls from Julio Delgado.
The bulls were generally brave and noble, but came up short when it came to strength. They attacked the picadores' horses with gusto, but most accepted only one pic and arrived out of gas and falling down, in the third act. Such bulls are more dangerous than strong bulls, for they're on the defensive and unpredictable.
Armillita
The youngest member of the Espinosa family clan of matadores received the easiest bull of the day, Augusto, a cárdeno that possessed a clean, noble attack. Miguelito opened with nice Verónica and a very good Media Verónica.
In the third act, Armillita Chico offered a somewhat brief, but good quality performance that was especially good on the left side. He killed on the second entry and was granted an enthusiastic turn of the arena.
But, with his second toro, the matador offered a rather lackluster faena, placed a decent sword, and was applauded.
El Zotoluco
With his first bull, Morenito, a 480-kilo black, Eulalio opened with a set of acceptable Verónicas. Then, without a climaxing remate, he went to the center of the ring to offer a nice set of Chicuelinas. He then designed a good faena that could be faulted only for its lack of temple. The bull's face and horns almost constantly touched the muleta. He, too, dispatched the animal on the second entry. He deserved an ear, but Judge Jaime Gonzales didn't see enough crowd petition to grant it, so El Zotoluco settled for applause.
With his second bull, an outstanding animal, the matador put nearly everybody to sleep. Except for a suffocating amount of border bologna that thrilled only the sunny side, he did not torear; he merely gave passes in which he failed to demonstrate any of the precepts by which a matador is judged. There was no rhythm, and certainly no rhyme.
He completed the action with an excellent sword placement, and was awarded two ears. But, in reality, he deserved only one, and that for the sword placement. His faena wasn't worthy even of applause, for he cheated, throughout. The crowd was conned.
Chavez
In his second appearance in three weeks, the young Spaniard was hungry for another triumph, but the 500-kilo Luna Azul didn't provide much of a chance. Nevertheless, the matador turned in a very fine third act, with long, artistic muletazos to both sides. He dominated and controlled the bull. After completing the performance on the second sword entry, he received a well-deserved ear.
But, he didn't have much of an opportunity with the last bull of the day. He opened with extraordinary beautiful Verónicas, gaining ground on each lance and finally leaving the animal in the medios with a fine media. In this observer's mind, those lances were the real highlight of the afternoon. The bull, which was a substitute, attacked the picador with gusto, accepting a pair of strong pics. This was potentially, the best bull of the day.
At the beginning of the third act, the Spaniard committed a grave technical error, leading the animal into his own body. The bull picked him up and lifted him high into the air, driving a horn into the matador's right leg, between the buttocks and the knee.
His subalterns rescued him from greater damage. One put a quick tourniquet on the torero's leg, while the others, including the matadors, attempted to carry him to the infirmary. But, the youngster fought them off, insisting on completing his performance.
He attempted to offer muletazos, but his bloody right leg refused to cooperate, so he decided to kill. But, killing a bull requires the matador to push off on the right leg, in order to drive the blade, and Domingo López had no strength in that leg. After several attempts, basically on only one leg, he went to the descabello, finally dispatching the bull. He was then carried to the infirmary and the awaiting surgeons.
Thus, ended an afternoon that came up short of expectations and closed with tragedy.
TORO TOPICS
The summer season resumes, this Sunday, in the downtown arena, with a sextet from Santa Rosa de Lima for Federico Pizarro, the wonderful Fernando Ochoa, and Tijuanense César Castañeda. The action begins at 4:30.
Don't expect to see Spanish Matador Julio Norte, who was scheduled to perform in Tijuana, several weeks ago. Norte has retired from bullfighting.
Spanish Matador Paco Ojeda, who abandoned the suit of lights in favor of dedicating himself to rejoneo, fought as a rejoneador, the morning of Aug. 15, winning four ears, in Dax, France. The same afternoon, in the same plaza, he cut another ear, performing as a matador.
A new Dutch novillero is working the circuit in Spain. Nikkolai Norte cut one ear, June 13, during a novillada without picadores, in Malaga. And, no, he didn't wear wooden zapatillas.
It has been a very bloody season in Spain. For the third time this summer, Matador Eugenio de Mora Received a grave goring, this one with two trajectories, one of 15 centimeters. Juan José Padi-lla received a huge goring in the stomach, last week. The wound evolved to peritonitis.
Eduardi Dávila is recovering from a goring in the left eye, while Miguel Rodriguez, Victor Puerta, El Fandi, Pepe Ibañez, and Antonio Fernandez are hospitalized as the result of gorings.
El Juli suffered a severe, but not grave, goring, last Sunday, in the northern Spanish town of Calahorra. The goring, with two trajectories, was in the right thigh, damaging muscles and nerves.
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