The bullfighting news of the afternoon was in Huesca and the second bullfight of its Basil Fair, with the festival of San Lorenzo, patron saint of the city as its axis.
And it is that, after just one month of his last afternoon (Pamplona, San Fermín Fair, July 11) Morante de la Puebla returned to the arena. An absence caused by a hand injury in the Portuguese square of Vilafranca de Xira from which he reappeared - hastily - on the aforementioned San Fermin afternoon and from which he already suffered during the celebration.
A month in which along the way they have not seen the genius of La Puebla in squares and fairs of the level of, among others, Valencia, Santander or El Puerto de Santa María. Some absences that have coincided in time with the other top figure, the Peruvian Roca Rey, with the corresponding repercussion at the box office of the affected places. And in the very health, not only financial, of the bullfighting season.
Huesca at parties, green scarves around the necks of its people, and, not to a full square, the following, at 6:30 p.m. the paseillo started, with Joselito Adame and Ginés Marín and Morante himself, with their respective gangs. In the pigpens, six Antonio Bañuelos bulls, "the cold bulls" because they graze in Burgos with temperatures below zero come winter.
To mention that Morante arrived to Huesca together with Pedro J. Marqués (more than a proxy to use) in a small plane, a means of transport that he will use to face the immediate and continuous commitments that will take him from one end of the Spanish bullfighting geography to the other. It is not, of course, the first time that a bullfighter uses the plane to face travel, cases of Manuel Benítez El Cordobés, in the 60s or, two decades later, Jesulín de Ubrique.
Delicately he greeted Verónica Morante at the first, who already on the way out rushed - a word - walking. And in it he continued to reach the last third. Morante drew an ethereal trench and an exquisite change of hand, barely two flashes, since the one from Bañuelos was not enough.
After the obligatory snack, the room came out to which Morante received with long one-handed and a handful of rhythmic verónicas. The third of rods was a seen and not seen. Morante gave Javier Tebas -cá one is cá one- and the start of work had bullfighting in abundance. The same as the round ones and the natural ones that the bull drank because he had no other. Morante invented a task that went further, always well placed in the cite, tight, dotted with details and with a final round with feet together that was pure delight. He was going to ear but the faulty lunge left him in applause.
There was no victory, the bulls did not promote it, but the fans - and the companies - celebrate that Morante has returned.
Joselito Adame is a bullfighter with a figure band in his native Mexico and in the Spanish arenas he has left a record of his merits, although it is difficult for him to enter the cartels. In Huesca he did it on his own merits as the winner of the 2022 Fair and of the varied and wide repertoire of his cape, he left a record in the first of his batch in the remove by chicuelinas topped with serpentine. With authority he doubled low at the beginning of the slaughter and, in the environmental and emotional heat of the sunbathing, he tied series for the two pitons -better when they were round - which had merit given the conditions of the bull, without any surrender . A formidable lunge entering from the right and two ears, excessive perhaps, but long live joy.
The fifth showed, from the start, better behavior than the previous ones and the removal of Adame by zapopinas was brilliant. Start of work by statuary... and bull to the ground. The Mexican went to the media and from there, crutch on the right, called the bull who, although not overpowered, came promptly linking a couple of series of good stroke. He raised the level in the naturals, humiliated the attack, temper and length in the crutches.
He got to his knees, was run over, and the pythons passed over his head, leaving traces of scratches and blood. Total dedication of Adame, also by going after the sword and two other ears of great merit. Tomorrow, via substitution of Cayetano, repeat.
Ginés Marín is a classic bullfighter but, wherever you go, do what you see, he began the task with the third kneeling. He already standing he fought with temperance and at medium height a bull that, like the previous ones, was not a paragon of bravery either.
The sword fell low, but since it had a quick effect, there were sorrows and an ear to the song.
The sixth came out to the sounds of the Hymn of San Lorenzo accompanied by the clapping of the public and after passing by the horse the remove de. Ginés Marín left three verónicas and a half with flavor.
As did the round ones and a change of hand. Ease, temper, rest, also with the left hand. A task that could be summed up in two words: good bullfighting. Stoconazo and two ears.
They carried Adame and Marín on their shoulders and Morante walked out but there was the mark of his bullfighting.
The plane waits.
