Arles Fair: Legendary Enrique Ponce's Successful Farewell in Triumph with Castella

Sébastien Castella and Enrique Ponce went out through the front door during the Goyesque bullfight on Saturday in Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Sébastien Castella during the paseo. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Enrique Ponce during the paseo. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Sébastien Castella in the patio of cuadrilla. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Enrique Ponce cut an ear off his second and last bull in Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Enrique Ponce dans le patio de cuadrilla. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Sébastien Castella a obtenu trois oreilles à Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Le dernier brindis d’Enrique Ponce pour Jean-Baptiste Jalabert. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Enrique Ponce toasted his first bull to Sébastien Castella. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Enrique Ponce cut an ear off his second and last bull in Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Enrique Ponce cut an ear off his second and last bull in Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Enrique Ponce cut an ear off his second and last bull in Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Enrique Ponce cut an ear off his second and last bull in Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Sébastien Castella a coupé trois oreilles à Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Sébastien Castella a coupé trois oreilles à Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Sébastien Castella a coupé trois oreilles à Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Sébastien Castella cut three ears in Arles. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

This Saturday, the Arles arenas were full for the mano a mano between Enrique Ponce and Sébastien Castella.
The Spanish bullfighter cut two ears during his emotional farewell to France and the Béziers native accompanied him through the front door with a total of three trophies during this Goyesque.

The "goyesque" d’Arles is the most emblematic bullfight of the French season and it began with frustration because the magnificent decoration prepared by Christian Marti on the boards could not be completed by a work on the sand because the fort mistral which was blowing on Arles did not allow it.

This did not take away from the prestige and decorum of this very special bullfight with the music of Chicuelo and the Escandihado choirs that offered an additional dimension to the faenas and vueltas.

A final great door for Enrique Ponce

While the stands were filled, there was no optimism in the stands during the paseo as the wind promised to spoil Enrique Ponce's farewell to France against a Garcigrande field unequal in size and armour. Especially since the bulls did not help the maestros much with the exception of bibs 2 and 6 allocated to Sébastien Castella.

The concerns were confirmed at the end of a first fight with a Garcigrande devoid of nobility and lacking charge against whom Enrique Ponce logically shortened the debates with difficulty with the steels.

But the maestro could not leave the French public without offering some of the most beautiful facets of his bullfighting to the public that allowed him to dominate the escalafon for three decades. Facing his second Garcigrande with exquisite nobility and a gentle and slow charge, Enrique Ponce performed delicious right-handed series with perfect physique where he managed to reduce the bull by slowing down his charge. A final magnificent concerto concluded with the house signature: the “Poncinas”. The sword returned with difficulty on his second attempt and his performance was reduced to a trophy.

Enrique Ponce wanted to end his French career on a high note. The maestro made great efforts and tried hard to draw some tasty details from his repertoire but the bull did not have the means to offer more to the master. Nostalgia was gaining ground in the tendidos to see the maestro's last arabesques and a sword carried backwards did not calm the public's desire to award him one last ear.

The trajectory of this maestro who marked the history of bullfighting deserved to leave France through the great gate of Arles. Emotion reigned during the two vueltas and the triumphant exit and a whole aficion wanted to thank a legend who was putting an end to his French career before leaving bullfighting at the beginning of October in his city of Valencia.

Three ears for Sébastien Castella

For this end of temporada where he did not obtain the expected successes, Sébastien Castella approached the first stage of his end of French season with great determination before going to Dax then Nîmes, twice. Like Ponce, he managed to forget the risk represented by the violent wind which led to some untimely clashes of fabrics which caused defects in the bulls. He took advantage of the deep charge of his first Garcigrande on the right horn to perform four impactful and deep series. A well-positioned half-blade allowed him to open his counter.

The Biterrois wanted to drive the nail in the coffin against his second bull from Campo Charro with an explosive start to the faena where he chained together ten passes without moving a toe pressed on the boards. But, after a beautiful right-handed series, the bull immediately dropped in intensity and the faena quickly lost its intensity.

Sébastien Castella began his last faena with a knife between his teeth, pricking his opponent very little. Facing the best bull in the bullfight, the Frenchman made an explosive start to the faena with three "cambiadas" in the center of the ring. The last one was done with his left hand. He continued with several perfectly chiseled series on the right bank with a lot of depth, circulars with the bull stuck to his femorals and a finale with exposed bernardinas. A perfect sword made two undeniable handkerchiefs fall to go out through the front door with Enrique Ponce.