Ciudad Real remembers Santiago Barrero in an afternoon of commitment and promise

Ciudad Real’s bullfighting fair opened with a heartfelt tribute to Santiago Barrero San Román, whose memory remained present throughout the novillada. The Toros de San Román ranch displayed black mourning ribbons in his honour, in a contest that combined moments of interest with difficulties in finishing faenas with the sword.

Javier Fernández was the only novillero to claim a trophy. He earned it with a performance against his first novillo, while Aparicio Romero offered glimpses of quality and a distinctive approach to the art of bullfighting that will be worth following. Both, pupils at the Ciudad Real Bullfighting School, were among the afternoon’s leading figures.

Adrián Reinosa completed the line-up in a novillada featuring well-presented animals whose performances varied considerably. The bulls offered the young toreros different opportunities, although the sixth, which lacked transmission, limited the scope for a successful performance.

An opening marked by remembrance

Before the contest began, the crowd observed a minute’s silence in memory of Santiago Barrero San Román. The tribute also included an official recognition: Miguel Ángel Valverde, president of the Provincial Council, presented a commemorative plaque to the breeder’s widow.

The gesture demonstrated the respect and affection felt for a figure closely associated with the world of bullfighting. The black mourning ribbons worn by the novillos served as a reminder of the tribute throughout the afternoon.

Javier Fernández earns his reward

Javier Fernández was the only torero to turn the opportunities offered by his novillos into a trophy. His first opponent allowed him to build a performance that earned him an ear, awarded after he had received one warning. It was the afternoon’s most notable result and the only trophy presented to any of the three participants.

Against the fifth novillo, Fernández made another attempt to impress, but his sword work affected the outcome. His performance ended with an ovation after two warnings, preventing him from repeating the success of his first appearance.

Aparicio Romero displays a promising style

Aparicio Romero also gave the crowd reasons to take notice. The young novillero demonstrated an approach to bullfighting that won a favourable response from the stands, although he was unable to complete his performance successfully with the sword.

He received an ovation after one warning for his work against his first novillo. With the sixth, the least rewarding animal of the afternoon, he found few opportunities to develop his style and ultimately received silence from the crowd.

Nevertheless, his appearance in the ring left a positive impression thanks to his technique and intentions. Greater accuracy with the sword will be needed to turn such promise into tangible results.

Adrián Reinosa leaves without reward

Adrián Reinosa began and ended his participation without earning public recognition. On both occasions, he received silence after one warning, having been unable to find a way to make more of the opportunities presented by his opponents.

The Toros de San Román novillada featured well-presented animals offering varied performances. The third, which was fought as a replacement, was one of the highlights of the afternoon. The sixth, by contrast, proved the least conducive to a successful performance.

Among the banderilleros, Francisco Rodríguez and Miguel Ángel Ramírez acknowledged the crowd after placing the banderillas on the fifth novillo. Jesús de Natalia did likewise following his work on the sixth.

An ear to open the fair

With around one-third of the arena occupied and temperatures remaining high, Ciudad Real began its bullfighting fair with a novillada that produced modest results but offered several moments of interest.

Javier Fernández’s ear was the day’s only trophy. Aparicio Romero’s promising performance provided a further talking point, while the tribute to Santiago Barrero gave the event its most moving dimension.