The organizing entity, Casa de Misericordia from Pamplona has just released this afternoon the lists of bull ranches and bullfighters for the coming Sanfermin Feria del Toro 2014. There is a budget of around 3, 5 million euros this year. This figure is roughly shared at about 70% of the total Budget for the fees of the bullfighters and about 30% for the bull ranches. Some of the 2014 season’s big successes will be seen in Sanfermin – such as Miguel Ángel Perera-, some of the more successful names from last year’s Feria del Toro 2013 have also been invited back – such as Padilla, Mora, Fandiño- and some of the concurrent classic big names such as – El Juli, Talavante, Hermoso de Mendoza and Galán-. Then again some others such as Morante and Manzanares continue to give Sanfermin bullfighting week a miss and won’t come to the Feria del Toro this year either. José María Marco García-Mina, a member of the Bullfighting commission explained some of the criteria behind the choice of bullfighters and Bulls.

3 euros per adult and 1 euro per child is the cost of the tickets to enter the bullring each morning to watch the running of the Bulls event.

Perhaps one of the most conspicuous measures taken for this coming year’s fiestas is the fact that the running of the Bulls will no longer be free for all those who wish to watch the event from inside the bullring. The increase in security costs and the need to ensure the safety of the bullring has meant an increase in the number of personnel contracted to control access to the bullring and to ensure that no dangerous objects might be thrown from the stands. This need for more control has been pushed by both the Government and the City hall and so the Casa de Misericordia feels obliged to cover these costs by charging for the seat tickets to the bullring for those who wish to watch the bullrunning from there during the weekdays. Up to now these weekdays had been free for entrants. José María Marco García-Mina, representing The Casa de Misericordia explained these details at the press conference.

Complete List of Bull ranches and Bullfighters for the 2014 Feria del Toro in Sanfermin.

5th of July
The Parralejo novillo (young bulls )for Borja Jiménez, Francisco José Espada and Posadas Maravillas
6th of July
Carmen Lorenzo Bulls for horsemen, Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza, Sergio Galán and Roberto Armendáriz
7th of July
Torrestrella Bulls for Antonio Ferrera, Miguel Abellán and David Mora
8th of July
Aguirre Ybarra Bulls for Uceda Leal, Francisco Marco and Paulita
9th of July
Victoriano Del Río Cortés Bulls for Juan José Padilla, Iván Fandiño and Juan del Álamo
10th of July
Garcigrande Bulls for Finito de Córdoba, El Juli and Alejandro Talavante
11th of July
Jandilla Bulls for Sebastián Castella, David Mora and Jiménez Fortes
12th of July
Fuente Ymbro for Juan José Padilla, David Mora and Jiménez Fortes
13th of July
Adolfo Martín Bulls for Diego Urdiales, Manuel Escribano and Alberto Aguilar
14th of July
Miura Bulls for Javier Castaño, Luis Bolívar and Esaú Fernández

The Bullfighting Commission from the Casa de Misericordia has released a statement this morning to notify that the Sanfermin Feria del Toro 2014 will see the first-time-ever appearance of the Garcigrande-Domingo Hernández bull ranch. Two other bull-ranches will make their reappearance after an absence of some years, namely the Adolfo Martín and Jandilla bull-ranches. The reason for the inclusion of the novel Garcigrande was explained by the Commission as due to “the good results obtained by this bull-ranch over the 2013 bullfighting season.” Likewise, the bull-ranches of the Jandilla and Adolfo Martín have been contracted again after missing the last few years. Five of the bull ranches from the total of eight appear once again in 2014. They are the Dolores Aguirre –which win the award as the best bulls of 2013 with the premio Feria del Toro. Also continuing are the Fuente Ymbro –one of whose bulls last year won the Carriquiri award, the Miura, the Victoriano del Río and the Torrestrella bull ranches.

Three of last year’s breeds were not signed up this year; the Alcurrucén, the Valdefresno and the El Pilar bulls. The novillada on the fifth and the horseback bullfighting on the sixth keep the same bull ranches as last year: the San Pelayo de Guareña for the horse-back fights and the El Parralejo for the young bulls in the novillada.

The Sanfermin 2013 Bullfighting week provided some curious moments in addition to the classic situations of opening the main gate for the successful toreros and the number of ears that they were awarded. Now that the week has come to an end, it might be useful to take a general look back at the events of the bullfighting week.

The week had begun on the 5th of July with the novillada (young bulls). The young bullfighter, Posadas Maravillas was awarded two ears and was carried shoulder-high through the main gate for his good work. On the following day, the 6th of July two of the three horse-riding toreros – Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza and Sergio Galán – were also carried shoulder high after receiving two ears each amid great applause from the public.

On the 7th, the first day of classic bullfighting,  the Alcurrucén bulls featured in a particularly insipid afternoon of bullfighting which perhaps had its only highlight in the fact that one of the banderilleros – the bullfighter’s deputies – got a jab of the horn to his scalp. On the 8th,  Manuel Escribano was awarded one ear against the Dolores Aguirre bulls, and displayed some decent fighting before the large crowd. But again, perhaps the most interesting anecdote occurred when the sixth bull jumped over the protection fencing and created panic among those in the passageway, including the Government representative in Navarra, who had to scurry away in search of a protection shelter. Apparently, she will be fined for breaking the rules by being present in the passageway area.

On the 9th, the bullfighter  David Mora stood out in another largely insipid bullfighting afternoon, with bulls from the Valdefresno bull-ranch.  He was award one ear while the rest came away empty-handed.  The 10th was expected to be the height of the week’s bullfighting with such bullfighter figures as Morante, El Juli and Talavante. All of them left empty-handed in a bland afternoon where neither bulls nor toreros could shine.

Finally, on the 11th there was a satisfactory bullfighting afternoon. David Mora was awarded two ears.  Francisco Mora got one and Iván Fandiño suffered a hair-raising tossing.

On both the 12th and the 13th the protagonist was the popular torero,  Juan José Padilla. Although he left empty-handed after the first day’s fighting, he showed on the following day that he is  special bullfighter in the Pamplona bullring and he was awarded two ears.  Finally, on the 14^th , the last day of the Feria del Toro de Pamplona 2013 the bullfights featured the Miura bulls and here, Jímenez Forte came away with one ear.

This year the award for the best bull-ranch  went to the Dolores Aguirre bull-breed that had fought on the 8th of July. The Carriquiri award for the best bull went to Heroína, nº 111 from the Fuente Ymbro bull-ranch and it was fought on the 13^th of July by Padilla.

SEE ALL THE CHRONICLES OF THE 2013 BULLFIGHTS

The final day of the afternoon bullfighting week in Pamplona did not display very much. The bulls did not show much strength and the best bullfighter was Jimenez Fortes who was awarded an ear thanks to a risky fight from which he came out a winner, although not altogether convincing.

14^th July Miura

Rafaelillo: Request for a ringside parade and silence

Javier Castaño: Silence and silence

Jiménez Fortes: An ear and silence.

Juan José Padilla is the uncrowned king. Today in the bullring he showed that he is a special bullfighter for the Pamplona Bullring.  The public were right behind him all the way and he responded with a fine piece of bullfighting with his second bull. It seemed he would get two ears but, in the end, was awarded only one by the president. In any case, as he already had been awarded one ear for his first bull, the main gate was opened in his honor. He was carried out shoulder high as was the other bullfighter, Iván Fandiño, who had got two ears for his first bull with a great display. Just a few days after his dramatic tossing, this bullfighter was carried out shoulder high alongside the king. Padilla, King of Pamplona.

13^th July (18. 30 p.m.) Fuente Ymbro
Juan José Padilla. Ear and ear
Miguel Ángel Perera: silence and applause
Iván Fandiño: two ears and applause

Reportaje fotográfico: Maite H. Mateo

Ver todas las corridas de la feria

Juan José Padilla came to the bull-ring to fight bulls, and, although he came away without any award from his fights with the El Pilar bulls, nobody seemed to mind very much, because in Pamplona, at least on the sunny side of the bullring, what the popular Padilla does with the bull in the arena is what least counts. He is going to be popular and an idol in the ring until he retires. His mere presence is a spectacle for the crowd. The rest of the afternoon bullfighting and even Padilla could have come away with an ear if he had killed cleanly. Both El Juli and Jiménez Fortes got one ear each and they were proved competent toreros but yesterday, Padilla was the king.
12th July. El Pilar-Moisés Fraile
Juan José Padilla: silence and applause
Julián López “El Juli”: ear and applause
Jiménez Fortes: ear and silence

Photographic Report: Maite H. Mateo

See all the bullfights of the  la Feria del Toro 2013

Finally, yesterday we saw a decent bullfighting spectacle. In this case, largely thanks to the toreros because the bulls did not display very much. David Mora was awarded a deserved ear for each of his two bulls and the gate to the bullring was opened in his honor for the first time in Sanfermin 2013 bullfighting week. Francisco Marco tried his very best and he also received one ear as his award. Iván Fandiño got the two worst bulls and he received a tremendous tossing from one of his bulls that left him at the mercy of the bull’s horns. Luckily, the bull only whacked him on his head with its horn as it failed to give him a goring.

According to the medical report issued from the infirmary inside the bullring, Iván Fandiño was treated for severe head bruising and temporary loss of consciousness after the fifth bull. After the bullfights, the bullfighter was sent off to hospital to receive x-rays and his condition was reserved. Finally, late last night he was discharged and it seems that it was just a fright in the end. This is the sequence of the tossing.

Photos: Miguel Goñi.
One of the most curious moments of this triumphant afternoon for Juan Mora occurred yesterday when  the “mulillas” or horses used to haul away the death bulls, suddenly broke away from their minders at the fourth bull and started to run wildly around the arena in front of the shocked thousands who watched open-mouthed from the stands. Finally they were brought to a halt after crashing into the wooden fencing around the arena.

Tomorrow will be the turn of Padilla.

11 julio (18:30 h.) Torrestrella
Francisco Marco: silence and one ear
Iván Fandiño: applause and applause
David Mora: one ear and one ear

See all the bullfights of Feria 2013