Successful debut for Thomas Joubert at the Copa Chenel

Thomas Joubert a coupé la seule oreille de la 5è levée de la Copa Chenel samedi. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

By cutting off the only ear of Saturday's bullfight in Estremera (Madrid) during the famous Madrid competition, the Arlesian took an option for the second round and join Christian Parejo.
By cutting off the only ear in Saturday's bullfight during the famous Madrid competition, the Arlesian took an option for the second round and join Christian Parejo.

Thomas Joubert is the only representative of the Copa Chenel, a competition which brings together 21 toros matadors in the 1st round, 9 of whom will qualify for the next phase before the semi-finals, the final and the concluding mano a mano. The winner will earn their place for a cartel in Las Ventas at the end of the period.

Postponed due to bad weather, the Thomas Joubert bullfight finally took place this Saturday in Estremera (Madrid).

For his thirtieth paseo since his alternative in 2011, the Arlesian made his debut in Spain as a bullfighter.

In the company of Mario Santos (silence and vuelta) and Diego Garcia (greeting after notice and vuelta), Thomas Joubert (vuelta and ear) won the only trophy of the day for the 5th round of the Copa Chenel.

The Arlesian served superb series while relaxing and calming after an introduction by statutes in his very particular style to his first opponent El Retamar (encaste Nuñez). The failure with the steels caused him to lose a trophy and he was rewarded with a vuelta.

Faced with his second toro from Hermanos Cambronell (encaste Domecq), Thomas Joubert once again convinced the tendidos and a nice blow caused the handkerchief to fall.

Probable qualification for the next round

At the end of the seven bullfights in the preliminary round, nine bullfighters will qualify for the second round.

With this ear and the quality of his first faena, Thomas Joubert seems to have taken an option to be designated winner of this 5th Copa Chenel bullfight. In the coming days, the jury will decide with an addition of points valuing five criteria: attitude, artistic expression, lidia, sword and ears.

This competition represents a unique opportunity for the French bullfighter while French companies ignore him this time despite his great performance in Saint-Gilles for his return after three years of retirement. Only Istres has scheduled it while French aficion maintains great interest in its toreo.

After thirteen years of alternative life, he is part of this caste of bullfighter whose career can be reborn at any time because he is endowed with a unique personality with his cold courage and his bullfighter abandoned.