Nîmes Harvest Fair: an ear for Mendoza and Ortega in a tasteless finale.

Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza cut off an ear during his farewell to Nîmes. Midi Libre – Mikael Anisset

Juan Ortega performed several series of derechazos, all in slowness and softness. Midi Libre – Mikael Anisset

Alejandro Talavante shone in the two rounds of naturals against his first bull. Midi Libre – Mikael Anisset

Alejandro Talavante a frôlé le coup de corne lors de son second combat. Midi Libre – Mikael Anisset

Pour la corrida de clôture de la temporada nîmoise, ce dimanche, de fades toros de Victoriano del Rio et le vent ont offert une corrida qui n’a jamais pris son envol. Un trophée a été décerné à Pablo de Hermoso de Mendoza et Juan Ortega.

The closing bullfight of the Vendanges fair recorded the best attendance of the harvest with a public that came to celebrate Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza's farewell to French bullfighting. The paseo was concluded by the traditional Marseillaise and the presentation of the city medal to the legend of the rejon.

The aficionados had few opportunities to get excited during this mixed bullfight because the evening audience was more reserved than the morning audience when the rider usually performs in Nîmes. Furthermore, the batch of Victoriano del Rio with heterogeneous sizes (third bull marked with the iron of Cortes), lacked transmission during the faenas and often had depth.

A last ear for Hermoso de Mendoza

Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza inherited two bulls from San Pelayo with a generous gallop and the second of the Capea family showed a beautiful alegria in his charges. The Navarrese rider offered several sequences that made his prestige with passages templated with the bull close to his mount, as with Navegante and Ilusion where he multiplied the quiebros. He concluded his first faena with a pose of short banderillas but a failure at the first conclusion deprived him of a trophy.

The Spanish rider was able to deliver a final recital in his last fight with a San Pelayo at a lively gallop. He shone with Malbec and Nairobi by spicing up his poses with pirouette banderillas to conclude the suertes. After an imperfect rejon de mort, the presidency acceded to the public's petition to offer him a last ear in Nîmes.

Alejandro Talavante inherited a first bull brave on horseback and the wind prevented him, as with Juan Ortega, from really bullfighting with a cape. His first faena was announced under the best auspices with an introduction full of toreria with one knee on the ground and his ease with his left hand allowed him to draw two series of natural all in relaxation. But this faena quickly decreased in intensity in the face of the lack of depth, rhythm and class of the Victoriano del Rio. He put a final point with circulars and a sword carried forward.

Juan Ortega's sweetness rewarded with a generous ear

His second bull, Jilguero, was a manso con genio that put the cavalry and the banderilleros to the test. Determined to triumph, he finally woke up the audience with the start of a faena on his knees, passing the bull in the back twice. The attempt to bullfight on the left horn was in vain because Jilguero immediately aimed at the maestro. As he seemed to be taking the measure of the bull on the right bank, he suffered a severe voltereta during his second series on the right. Dazed and getting up limping, Talavante decided to shorten the fight in the face of the danger represented by the wind and the brave.

Juan Ortega's first bull also delivered an honorable tercio of pikes. But Cortes' bull immediately showed signs of weakness at the beginning of the faena, stumbling several times. The Sevillian performed two right-handed series with his usual gentleness and taste, but never fully delivered due to a lack of depth. The bullfighter listened to some applause after a good sword positioned slightly forward.

After a discreet passage to the pike, the last Victoriano del Rio also lacked transmission with his bland nobility. The first three right-handed series were perfectly drawn with slowness and gentleness, without really connecting with the audience. Impossible on the left horn, the Sevillian finished his faena with two new right-handed series while the bull clearly dropped the pace. An effective delantera sword provoked a petition of measured intensity and the presidency granted it a generous ear.

The bullfight file

Arènes de Nîmes.

September 15, 2024.

9,500 spectators.

Two bulls from San Pelayo (rejon), three by Victoriano del Rio and one by Cortes.

Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza: silence and ear.

Alejandro Talavante: silence and applause.

Juan Ortega: applause and ear.