Ever since I was a kid growing up in Ogden Utah back in the early 80's, I've been fascinated by the Spanish bullfight. I even searched out books on bullfighting at the Weber County library, where I found and read "Death in the Afternoon" by Ernest Hemingway. I'm probably the only kid in Utah to have ever read that book. Now here we are 40 years later and I still enjoy learning about and keeping up with the bullfights.
Last week was the anniversary of the Dominguez Escalante expedition making its way into Spanish Fork - Utah County.
I didn't make it to the celebration in Spanish Fork on September 18th, I did drive by the park however earlier in the day and saw them setting a few things up.
Sadly, it was not a great day for a celebration out of doors, it was just bad luck they picked that day. The morning of the 18th it rained probably the most I have seen it rain in one day in Utah. It came down in buckets for hours that morning! It did clear up later in the day but everything was so wet, and it was fairly cold outside too, that I think most people just wanted to stay home and get dry.
Here is a video that popped up in my YouTube feed that is pretty well done explaining how things went and how things could have gone with the expedition. Interesting video and fun to watch.
Funny how you never see a photo of La Maestranza without at least a few people milling around. It must be just one of those places where there are always people hanging out, taking photos.
I guess I just need to get there and see for myself if I can get a photo without people in it.
La espera terminó. La antigua Plaza de Toros San Marcos de Aguascalientes luce espectacular para recibir hoy el décimo aniversario de la Corrida de la Insurgencia. Con la intervención artística de Isabel Garfias concluida, el histórico recinto está listo para ser escenario del acontecimiento taurino del año.
Las imágenes hablan por sí solas: un torero ocupa el centro de la arena, rodeado de toros, flores y motivos geométricos en una composición que abarca toda la circunferencia del ruedo. El rosa mexicano, los azules, los rojos y los amarillos desbordan vida en una obra que, junto con las tablas y los burladeros intervenidos, envuelve a la plaza en arte, color y mexicanidad.
En este extraordinario marco, Octavio García “El Payo”, Juan Pablo Sánchez y Román harán el paseíllo para estoquear tres toros de Santa Inés y tres de La Asunción, que marcará el esperado debut ganadero de Joselito Adame.
La Orquesta Sinfónica de Aguascalientes, bajo la dirección de Román Revueltas, acompañada de las voces y el piano invitados, dará vida a un programa musical preparado especialmente para esta celebración. El toreo, la música y las artes plásticas se encontrarán en una tarde que celebra diez años de historia, identidad y libertad, a beneficio del DIF Estatal.
La cita es hoy, 19 de septiembre, a las 6:30 de la tarde. San Marcos ya ofrece una imagen para el recuerdo. Ahora, los toreros tienen la palabra.
I have always liked Pablo Aguado, ever since his breakout performance in Sevilla back in May of 2019. The only thing with him it seems is he can be a little hit and miss with his performances. (Easy for me to say, right?)
So that is why I was happy to see that on August 2nd of this year he had another Puerta Grande performance, this time in El Puerto de Santa Maria.
I have saved these links to Mundotoro where you can watch video of his performance. Hopefully they stay up for many years on Mundotoro. In the past it has seemed that sometimes their videos disappear. I hope that won't be the case with these videos.
Pablo Aguado, en El Puerto: una de las faenas de su carrera (Vídeo)
Salamanca vuelve a responder a lo grande. El último festejo de la Feria de la Virgen de la Vega colgó el cartel de ‘No hay billetes’, siendo este el segundo lleno de la feria, para una tarde que reúne a Morante de la Puebla con dos de las grandes esperanzas de la tierra, Ismael Martín y Julio Norte.
André Gonçalves is a rising luso-Mexican equestrian bullfighter (rejoneador) born in Mexico on December 11, 2008.
Son of the renowned Portuguese equestrian rider Thiago Gonçalves and a Mexican mother, he made his debut in Portugal at age 16 on June 6, 2005, in Paio Pires.
Known for his poise, temple, and deep-rooted equestrian background blending Mexican and Portuguese bullfighting traditions.
I have to admit, I don't think I have ever heard of this place before, that doesn't mean this feria is not important though.
Actually, these small town ferias are the most important. This is where the heart of the bullfight lives, en los pueblos. "Sin toros no hay fiestas, sin fiestas no hay pueblo."
A photo of los pañuelos en las plaza de toros de Ronda.
Each plaza probably has their pañuelos organized a little differently depending on the set up of el palco.
Of course the colors are standard everywhere, white to award one ear, two ears, or a tail. Hence three white handkerchiefs. Green to send a subpar bull back to the corrals, red in case they have to place las banderillas negras, blue to give the bull a vuelta al ruedo for an exceptional bull, and orange for an indulto.
Los Enganches, protagonistas en el domingo de la Feria de Ronda.
Imágenes del Concurso-Exhibición de Enganches de Ronda, organizado por el Real Club de Enganches de Andalucía, la Real Maestranza y el Ayuntamiento, con el apoyo de la consejería de Agricultura de la Junta de Andalucía.
So, awhile ago in another post I mentioned I would eventually do an update on a situation in Spanish Fork, and a Facebook post that I eventually had to delete because I caused chaos in Spanish Fork apparently.
Back in late March of this year I was in Spanish Fork and went to check out the old Dominguez Escalante monument to see how it was looking after the trials of winter. And to put it plainly it had not survived winter well. I noticed that up at the top of the monument it seemed to be crumbling even more, and there were cracks starting to run almost from top to bottom. Here are some photos that I took.
As you can see the corners were really starting to break apart.
Anyway, on April 5th I was driving past the park and looked over and noticed that it seemed like the monument wasn't there anymore. Were my eyes playing tricks on me? Was I just not looking in the correct spot?
So I got out of my car down the road a bit and walked back to the park. And sure enough the monument was gone, all that was there was a patch of dirt.
I thought, wow, the city must have noticed how bad the condition was and decided to take it down. Was this announced though? Did everyone know this was going to be done?
So I went to the city's website and looked through the past few months of city council notes or meetings (or whatever you want to call them) but saw nothing there about removal of the monument. I went to their Facebook page to see if something was there but there was nothing, and a Google search came up blank.
So I joined a Spanish Fork Historical Facebook page just to pose the question and see if anyone else knew what was going on. Boy, was that a mistake. I posted the photo of the dirt patch and almost immediately started to get responses. Nobody knew they were going to do that!
Well, the conversation stayed civil for a few hours, mostly with people just surprised as to what was happening. There were some comments however from some disgruntled residents about Spanish Fork always taking away things that have been there for years and years "in the name of progress."
Then things soon started to get out of control.
Some people who are new to the area started to say things about people that have lived there all their lives and are not welcoming to new people.
Then people started to turn things into a "Mormon" vs "Catholic" issue since everything in Utah has to at some point turn into a blame Mormon thing.
Then some a few people who seem to have a long standing dislike for each other started to come on there and began to discuss other topics that weren't even about the monument.
Then other people started posting videos showing the monument that is still there with the bronze statues of Dominguez, Escalante, and the native american guide and asking what all the fuss was about. They had completely missed the point that I was referring to the crumbling cement monument.
And finally some girl came on there and just started lobbing F-bombs for no reason about all kinds of subjects.
All of this happened in less that 24 hours. So, needless to say I gave up and just deleted the whole post.
There was one bright note though, someone who works for the city did come on there and say the monument was removed for safety reasons, that the plaques that were on the monument will be saved and displayed eventually somewhere in the park, and that in September they were planning on having a 250 year anniversary celebrationg.
I was happy that person came on to clear things up but their comments were pretty much drowned out by the comments of the others bickering and cyber yelling at each other.
And I happy to announce that Spanish Fork has officially set a date for the celebration, September 18th.
Will I be able to go? I'm not sure, I work that day but will have to see what is going on at work to see if I can swing by or not.
The plaza de toros de Ronda re-opened this year after a two year renovation. It is over 200 years old (the plaza opened in 1785) so it was time for another renovation.
Thankfully the renovation was completed in time for this year's September fair which is always dedicated to Pablo Romero, the creator of what is known as the modern bullfight.
As always a corrida Goyesca was held in which Morante debuted another unique traje goyesca. Jose Maria Manzanares, Juan Ortega, and rejoneador Diego Ventura performed as well.
I'm going to try and gather as many photos as I can and post them. This may be a winter project however, my computer seems to be too old (like me) and I might need to gift myself a good laptop for Christmas. It would make updating this blog a lot easier, in the meantime I will do what I can though.
Last night I was scrolling endlessly on Instagram when a video pops up about a new video game called Toro 2.
I almost fell out of my chair! I began to shout with joy!
A follow up to the original Toro video game is coming out next week and I had no idea. I never saw any articles or anything hinting to the fact that a follow game was in the works.
Long story short, basically 10 years ago there was a bullfight video game called Toro. I tried ordering the game but something happened and the link I was sent never worked, or the email got lost, something like that. Too much time has passed and I can't remember what the exact situation was. But anyhow, I never got to play the game, was sad for awhile, and then moved on with my life.
(here is a link to my post about the Toro video game)
Fast forward 10 years and here we are with another chance to become bullfighters ourselves, at least in the digital world.
Here is an article I found as well.
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Controversial PlayStation 4 Game Announces PS5 Sequel & Release Date
A controversial PlayStation 4 game is returning with a PS5 sequel, which now has an official release date. A brand new trailer showcases what fans can expect from the second installment.
Toro 2, a follow-up to 2015’s original Toro game, is set to release on September 9, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and PS4 alongside Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Developed by RecoTechnology, Toro 2 is an arcade title in which players can challenge bulls in iconic arenas as they attempt to become champions.
The official Toro 2 trailer showcases a packed arena where a bull charges toward a bullfighter at full speed.
“Become a bullfighting star,” reads the video description before teasing the various arena locations where players will get to challenge the bulls. The venues include Pamplona, Madrid, Nimes, Seville, and Mexico.
The trailer also confirms a brand new multiplayer mode while unveiling a brief gameplay clip as well from the upcoming sequel.
“Be a bullfighter, be a bull”, reads another description while confirming a Versus mode in which players can choose to be either a bullfighter or a bull and then compete against their friends.
The third-person 3D bullfighting simulator will also feature a Career mode where players can start their journey to become a legendary bullfighter. They can work their way to stardom in some of the world’s most prestigious bullfighting arenas.
Toro 2 is coming a decade after its predecessor, which was a popular game, especially among PC players. It managed to earn 73% positive reviews on the Steam platform.
However, the game did attract some flak as well, if not much, for simulating traditional bullfighting. Some critics argued that it glorified animal cruelty for entertainment.
RecoTechnology’s Toro 2 arrives on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch on September 9, 2026.
So yeah, I will be ordering the game for sure. I think I will try it on Nintendo Switch to start out, that seems to be the easiest. I don't have a Switch but I think you can buy used ones for pretty cheap at video game stores. If not I will just buy a new one, nothing will stand in my way this time!
So, like I have said before, it is not easy being a bullfight fan, especially here in the US.
Whenever I look at bullfight news there is inevitably a story about some judge somewhere, or politicians, not allowing bullfights to take place. Mexico is where most of this is taking place sadly.
But occasionally there is good news, like what has been happening in parts of Spain. Bullrings that haven't sold out in decades are selling out. That doesn't mean there are not issues in Spain, but at times news like this makes you smile.
For example, I just posted how Bilbao sold out for the first time in 15 years.
Pontevedra earlier this month sold out for the first time in 17 years.
Tarazona just sold out for the first time in 63 years. (see article below)
Last year Toledo and also Chinchon sold out for the first time in 16 years.
Last year Almedralejo and also Valladolid sold out for the first time in 9 years.
Last year Marbella sold out for the first time in 42 years.
Last year Muro sold out after not being able to hold bullfights for 8 years.
And last year Almodovar del Campo sold out for the first time in its history.
So, there is good news, we just have to keep the faith there will be more good news.
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Roca Rey, Juan Ortega y Aarón Palacio cuelgan el ‘No hay billetes’ en Tarazona 63 años después
(mundotoro.com 8-30-26)
Tarazona vive este domingo 30 de agosto una tarde para la historia. Roca Rey, Juan Ortega y Aarón Palacio han colgado el cartel de ‘No hay billetes’ en el coso aragonés 63 años después. Un suceso que no ocurría desde el 17 de julio de 1963, en una tarde en la que se anunciaban el rejoneador Ángel Peralta, Jaime Ostos, Santiago Martín ‘El Viti’ y El Caracol.
Roca Rey, Juan Ortega y Aarón Palacio se anuncian en el cartelazo de la feria de Tarazona para lidiar una corrida de Jandilla. Una tarde que pasará a la historia del municipio maño.
If you spend time (or waste time) like I do on Instagram, and if you have ever liked a post by any artist who paints scenes from the West, or horses, etc. you probably have been exposed to the art of Mark Maggiori.
Mostly famous for his hyper realistic style, especially his backgrounds and clouds, his art has become very well known.
Originally from France, he fell in love with Western art after a visit to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. Since that visit he has painted dozens and dozens of jaw dropping works of art depicting life in the West.
He is also well known for his "print drops". The only time to get a print of some of his works is to follow him on social media or on his website, and make a purchase during his print drops that he does a couple of times a year.
Or, you can attend an auction where he sells some of his original paintings like he is going to do in September in Jackson Hole Wyoming. (see his site for details)
Be prepared though, last year he sold two paintings at an auction in Austin TX where one sold for $300,000 and the other sold for $350,000.
Oh, I guess you can also just go directly to his studio and make a purchase like Kevin Costner did. But unless you are Kevin Costner or someone like him you probably won't be given the address of Mr. Maggiori's studio anyway.
Here is something I have never seen, although I've always thought it could happen quite easily, a Monosabio was gored today in Bilbao. (Not too seriously, but had to be taken to the hospital for treatment for a goring in the glute.)
He was helping get a bull off the picador's horse when the bull turned on him quickly and got him on the ground. From there he pushed him around quite a bit until a horn got into the mono's glute. Could have been worse though for sure.
Es una de las noticias más importantes de los últimos años. Un acontecimiento histórico. Vista Alegre ha colgado el cartel de ‘No hay billetes’ este jueves 27 de agosto en el quinto festejo de las Corridas Generales de Bilbao, en el que se anuncian Diego Urdiales, Alejandro Talavante y Roca Rey. Una noticia de enorme impacto para el toreo en una tierra en la que la tauromaquia vive momentos difíciles. Una muestra de que, pese a las dificultades, la fiesta sigue viva en el País Vasco.
Una tarde para la historia por los antecedentes y el momento que se vive. Vista Alegre lleva quince años sin colgar el cartel de ‘No hay billetes’. Esta tarde ha devuelto la expectación alrededor de la plaza de toros de Bilbao de la mano de Andrés Roca Rey, Alejandro Talavante y Diego Urdiales.
An amazing video, very well done and with high quality video. Watch it on your HDTV if you can.
What a life it must be being a ganadero de toros bravos. Sure, it must be incredibly hard work, all ranch work or farm work is. But to raise fighting bulls, how can life get any better?
Back in April, the 18th to be exact, I found myself out for a drive. I ended up in Springville and decided to check out the outside of the Springville Museum of Art building.
It has always caught my eye because it looks like it could have been an old Spanish mission.
Why was it built to look like that? I have no idea. I have done some Google searches to see if anyone has said why that style, the Spanish Colonial Revival style according to the plaque outside, was chosen. But to no avail.
I'm not complaining, I actually like it. It is very unique for these parts especially with the red tile roof and fenced in courtyard complete with fountain and all.
Too bad there is not a Plaza de Toros somewhere nearby where we could hold a proper feria complete with bullfights, a horse fair, and the women could dress in their finest Andalusian dresses.
