The Feria de Beaucaire in full imbroglio despite an initially attractive poster

Jesus de la Calzada withdrew after seducing Céret. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Miguel Andrades a également renoncé après sa belle prestation de Céret. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

Two Torist novilladas will be organized on July 27 and 28 in the Beaucaire arenas with two superb ganaderia duels. Unfortunately, a crisis situation between the organizers and the bullfighting professionals is causing trouble.

Everything was off to a good start for vintage 2 024 in Beaucaire when the Association taurine beaucairoise (ATB) announced that a second novillada would be organized this weekend for its traditional Feria. With two duels of ganaderias in the Paul Laurent arenas which will seduce the Torist aficion with the Marques de Albaserrada and the Isaias y Tulio Vasquez on Saturday July 27, then the Dolores Aguirre and the Curé de Valverde on the following day. Tensions began when the organizers decided to organize "the world of cuadrillas" where a draw will be made of banderilleros and picadors.

De la Calzada, Miguel Andrades and Hargous forfeit

The associations of subordinates and bullfighters showed their discontent, from the month of June, by issuing press releases and the pressure increased last weekend with the package of Clément Hargous and a new salvo from the French subordinates recalling the ATB to the French regulations and the right of bullfighters to freely choose their cuadrilla and the duty of the organizer to respect the Spanish collective agreement on the salary scale and social contributions of novilleros and subordinates.

Concluding "that the French picadors and banderilleros initially announced will not participate in the two shows as is".

This Monday, the situation worsened and two of the headliners of the Feria, Miguel Andrades and Jesus de la Calzada, withdrew in turn. In their press release, they take up the arguments of French professionals and mention "various irregularities in the contract signed with Thierry Cazaubon"poderosa SAS" mandated by the ATB" always on the subject of the choice of squads, minimum remuneration and social contributions.

This situation is problematic and should not be resolved because each party sticks to its positions (read details from Laurent Giner of the ATB below). However, this Feria 2 024 was very tempting with a second novillada and was to mark the great current dynamic of bullfighting after the "no hay billetes" in Maugio and Lunel which confirmed the popular success of Arles and Nîmes.

Saturday, a desafio(duel) of ganaderia of Pedrajas origins is organized with the farewells as mayoral of Marques Albaserrada of Nîmes Fabrice Torrito and the iron with the glorious past of Isaias y Tulio Vasquez. They will be fought by Garcia Corbacho and Kevin Alcolado, and, therefore, a replacement to be defined for Jesus de la Calzada.

The next day, the braves of encaste Conde de la Corte de Dolores Aguirre and Curé de Valverde will be fought by Joao D’Alva, Uceda Vargas, who will replace Clement Argous, and a substitute of Miguel Andrades TBD.

Necessary tour of the table for the future of novilladas

This new controversy, of which the bullfighting mundillo has the secret, is more than regrettable and the opponents of bullfighting will surf on the subject. Innovating and moving the lines often provokes an outcry although we can understand that a bullfighter, who prepares for twelve months, cannot deprive himself, at the very least, of his banderillero and his his trusted picador.

But the future of novilladas also requires an evolution and a dialogue between each party because a novillada currently costs around 50,000 euros in a small arena and box office receipts are not enough to balance the budget. They owe their salvation to the search for partners and the work of volunteers to find additional income from refreshment bars and catering.

Reservations at the bodega of the Association Taurine Beaucairoise (ATB) from July 25 to 27 or 06 67 60&nbsp ;89 12. Prices from 25 to 50 euros.

The reaction of Laurent Giner from the ATB

Representative of the Beaucaire bullfighting association (ATB), Laurent Giner is very upset about this situation and justifies the choices of the organizer.

"I am willing to acknowledge certain errors, notably in letting each novillero choose a trusted banderillero. A picador and a banderillero perceive; according to the Spanish convenio (union minimum), 680 euros gross or 534 euros net in a novillada of an arena like Beaucaire. After the controversy in Villaseca de la Sagra, which experienced the same problem as us, a "convenioenhanced" to – 25% was negotiated with ANOET (association of organizers) at 510 euros gross or 400 euros net. In France, for intermittent entertainment workers, the minimum is around 120 euros. Now this "convenio" is Spanish and we organize in France. Nothing in the UVTF bullfighting regulations provides for respecting this agreement other than in its preamble. An article that existed then disappeared… and has just been reinstated in recent days!"

To find an economic balance, Laurent Giner explains having found a solution to maintain their net remuneration by providing travel expenses from Spain and by reducing social security contributions. "A subordinate who performs in Beaucaire will receive 500 euros net, or halfway between the "enhanced convenio" and the highest. Those who say we don't pay are lying. We just pay differently. I understand that they are defending their interests for social security contributions. But, to make up the budget and organize these shows, the ticket office brings in 25,000 euros and there is a shortage of 15,000 euros per novillada. We are looking for partners and working with volunteers, optimizing all expenses. Everyone must make an effort. Not just the non-profit association that organizes. I will say after the Feria the scandalous exchanges we had with certain professionals…"

Laurent Giner affirms that the Feria will take place normally this weekend. "We are saddened that the two headliners, De la Calzada and Andrades, have withdrawn. We penalize ourselves but we couldn't give up, otherwise we will eventually die. Moreover, we did not ask them for the compensation that we could have demanded after the signing of the contracts last spring. The conclusion of the replacement of Clément Hargous by Uceda Vargas gave us balm to our hearts. He was delighted with his fees and the covering of costs when he thought he would not be paid. Things will be resolved because we already have two squads engaged with good professionals from the Asprot association and we are working on replacing the two novilleros packages. We have the passion and we will be able to realize this project in the future. concludes the organizer.