Feria de Nîmes: Diego Ventura, the sense of great spectacle

Diego Ventura a ouvert la porte des Consuls lors de sa dernière venue à Nîmes, pour la Feria des Vendanges. Midi Libre – ALEXIS BETHUNE

Est-il éclatant rejoneador, torero magistral, metteur en scène inspiré ? Les trois. Qui peut, depuis d'innombrables temporadas, en douter ?

Son of João Ventura, one of the Portuguese ambassadors of equestrian bullfighting, Diego, born in Lisbon but who came very early with his family to settle in Andalusia, has, since the winter of 1998 in the small arenas of Churriana de la Vega, made horseback combat against the bulls his sole objective, illustrating the aspect of a discipline with a powerful impact.

Power still intact

Man of strong character, having repeatedly encountered and experienced tense episodes with other "figuras" of rejoneo, he has no equal when it comes to electrifying the public and racking up records. Sometimes moderately perceived for his behavior or his explosive style, Diego Ventura, since his beginnings, has established himself as a major showman.

After more than 25 years of alternative (the ceremony dates back to September 13, 1998), its power is intact and its power of transmission has never dulled. After having first seen the beauty of the arenas of Nîmes and the magic of the Roman stones one evening of the Pentecost feria in 1999, as part of a Portuguese bullfight, it was under the "bubble" from these same arenas, in February 2003, that he started during a rejoneo meeting and that he cut off his first ears. FIVE years later, great consecrations at midday on feria Monday with this time the privilege of discovering this Porte des Consuls which, since then, has opened several times to let him pass carried in triumph.

A regular at Puerta Grande

Including for his last appearance, during the 2023 Harvest. But it is obviously not only in Nîmes that he has made a habit of not leaving the track on his two legs. Seville was often able to verify this, but it was undoubtedly in Madrid that Diego Ventura experienced with the most emotion the exit from this Puerta Grande towards the square of Las Ventas. Eighteen times to date he has taken this path, to cries of admiration and the flashes of photographers. And it was still in Madrid that he signed two historic days in 2018. On June 9, the first tail cut by a rejoneador in the Spanish capital, and on October 6, for the Autumn Feria, a "solo" in front of six bulls, including one from the Miura ganaderia. A memorable paseo, crossing a track with around twenty of his horses acting as a guard of honor. An image for the album of memories.

Vibrant, seeking triumphs with overflowing fury, often delivering unbridled fights (in both senses of the word), impetuous and thirsty for ovations, Diego Ventura constantly illustrates what dressage and mastery mean. With a "cuadra" composed of incredible horses, it navigates the summits. On "Bronce, "Nómada", "Guadiana", "Guadalquivir, "Lío" or "Nivaldo", he reigns. As an artist and conqueror.