In the third bullfight of the Feria de Begoña in Gijón, José María Manzanares emerged as the clear winner, cutting two ears from the second bull of a varied run from La Ventana del Puerto and Puerto de San Lorenzo. Juan Ortega also managed to earn one ear, while Morante de la Puebla was ovationed for his elegant bullfighting, though the sword denied him a trophy.

Manzanares’ Excellent Performance and Ortega’s Artistic Style

Manzanares shone with his second bull, the best of the lot, which he expertly tamed. His performance was built on steady, natural bullfighting, predominantly with the right hand, and he added beautiful hand changes and trench passes. A fantastic and precise kill rounded off the act, earning him two ears and the adoration of the crowd. In his second, the fifth bull, he also had the chance to collect trophies but was undone by mistakes with the sword, though he was still ovationed.

Juan Ortega excelled with his first bull, the third of the afternoon. The Seville-born torero showed off his characteristic slow and deliberate style of bullfighting, bringing out great finesse, and was awarded an ear after a precise kill. In the sixth, he began with elegance but, as the bull tired, was unable to finish the job and was ovationed after failing with the sword.

Morante de la Puebla left his unmistakable mark with both bulls. His first bull allowed him to deliver isolated but magnificent passes. In the fourth, a more complicated, rebellious bull, Morante played with its quirks, but his poor handling of the sword denied him any trophies. Nonetheless, the crowd applauded him with a strong ovation.

A Memorable Afternoon

The afternoon was varied in both the presentation and the performance of the bulls. The second bull was especially notable, allowing Manzanares to triumph, while the substitute bull (fifth bis) showed noble qualities despite some weakness. The trio of toreros rose to the occasion, though their use of the sword ultimately kept the trophy count low.