Arles, 2012

Arles, 6th of April of 2012
6 Domingo Hernandez.
Juan José Padilla (2 ears & 2 ears) ; Juan Bautista (1 ear & 2 ears) ; Sebastien Castella (2 ears & 2 ears)

Initially, I wasn’t supposed to go to this fight. I was supposed to have class from 4 pm to 7 pm, and since the fight was scheduled to startat 5:30 pm, I didn’t really hope to be able to go, but things changed in my University schedule, and it turned out I was free all day, so we booked tickets 5 days before the fight.

I was scared to see this figh. Because Juan José Padilla only has one eye. I suppose it’s what scared me the most about it, I was apprehensive about it. When the paseo started - beginning promenade - I got goosebumps. It’s Padilla’s first fight in France, and the first time this year I see Juan Bautista and Sebastien Castella. The standing ovation they got once the paseo was over just sent thrills down my spine. At first, it was only for Padilla, but after he had saluted the crowd, he asked Bautista and Castella to join him, and they were applauded too.

I find it amazing that Padilla has come back after being so badly injured - he lost one eye, and has facial paralysis. I mean, many of us wouldn’t have healed that quick from such an injury - 6 months ! - and surely, I wouldn’t have gone back into the sport. At all. But he did. And boy, he did well. Sure, the first fight was brilliant, it was well done, and his banderillas were amazing. He got two ears for it, but with my mother we agreed, it should have been one and a half, but he got two because it was the first fight of the season and because it was his comeback to France after the ghoring.

But damn, if he raised the level from the first bull, Bautista and Castella managed to keep up with that level! It’s seldom I see a bullfight which takes so many ears - 11 as a total, and that’s amazing! I had goosebumps a few times during the fight, and after seeing 60+ fights, that’s telling something! :o

Though, something managed to bring the thing a little bit down, was the fact that when Bautista did his Vuelta of honour (or however you say it in English), I asked for one of the two ears he had gotten. He recognized me - long story - and he threw it at me, looking at me and smiling at me. Except the ear fell a little bit before me, and some man took it and when he went to give it further to the one he thought Bautista had sent the ear to, he gave it to a kid. (Boy, it sounds selfish that way, but yesterday it was like the whole world had ended for me. Because, it’s kind of like if yor favourite football player/Soccer player/tennisman/wrestler/whatever hands you his shirt, you know it’s for you, he knows it’s for you, but when you’re about 5 cm from it, somebody snatches it out of your reach.. How’d you fell about it ?)

But, during his second fight, when the first tercio - third - with the picadors was over, the crowd began to scream ‘Maestro’, asking Bautista to do the Banderillas’ tercio himself. He doesn’t usually do it, and lets his banderilleros do the job for him, but I joined the crowd’s wish and yelled MAESTRO the loudest I can. I think he heard me. Some lady behind me said to her neighbour ‘That’s the way it should be done !’ and I have no idea wether he had decided it before or not, but he told his banderilleros to go back into the callejon (behind the red planks), and they handed him the banderillas. I always like seeing him doing it, because he’s actually really good at it.

The whole fight was just one big happy dream. We went out early with my mother to see them come out of the bullring a hombros - on the shoulders of someone else - and we saw them getting into their trucks.

Damn, what a way to kick-start the season ?!
11 ears, that is just amazing. Fucking amazing.