Feria d’Istres: Big door for Carlos Olsina who claims his place

Sunday’s morning bullfight was a hymn to French bullfighting where the local cattle and bullfighters proved that they deserved to appear in the French ferias.
Starting with the Pagès-Mailhan toros which proved their quality and had harmonious lines and a size adapted to the category of the Istres arenas. Three examples (1, 2 and 5) developed qualities of bravery, nobility and class which earned a legitimate posthumous vuelta for Carlos Olsina’s second opponent.

An ear for El Rafi

El Rafi opened his morning perfectly and the Nîmes seems to have reached a milestone in 2024. His finesse and elegance have been recognized since his debut in novillada but his toreo has gained depth and he now shows all his abilities from the first exchanges with the toro. He greeted the opening toro with great ease and drove home the point during a quit the cape on his back at the end of a tercio of spades where he preserved the Pagès-Mailhan. His first faena took on a beautiful artistic dimension with series temples on the right hand with a lot of relaxation and verticality facing a quick Pagès-Mailhan and with a well-paced charge. His performance reached a crescendo when he took the left bank where the deep passes followed one another gently and slowly before concluding with manoletinas adjusted. A lightning 3/4 blade put an end to the fight and the public showed coldness by giving him only one ear.

His second Pagès-Mailhan, more massive and tall, was greeted with genuflection before imposing charges on him from below. The toro let himself be carried away by El Rafi’s invitations during the faena but he lacked rhythm and transmission. The Nîmes managed to exploit his qualities by drawing three series on each meritorious horn although the brave was abrupt and pressed the handbrake during faena. The final sword was more effective than well positioned and the Istres public warmly applauded him during his vuelta.

Three ears for Carlos Olsina

After his indulto in Béziers last year and a great performance in Alès at the start of the season, Carlos Olsina did not miss his chance in Istres where he inherited the best lot of the morning with two bulls full of bravery, background, class and nobility.

Carlos Olsina opened his account against a noble first Pagès-Mailhan with a deep gallop. Faena’s start on her knees in the center of the floor was explosive and the four sets that followed on both horns were perfectly crafted. Even if the Biterrois would have benefited from offering his opponent some time to rest. He concluded his first faena with redondos exhibited and a magnificent sword of exemplary sincerity.

Olsina then faced a great toro from Pagès-Mailhan, winner of a Vuelta, whom he greeted with two largas on your knees. After having done well during his only duel with the cavalry, the brave showed exceptional qualities with the muleta which the young maestro exploited superbly. The series followed one another on the two horns and the right-handed passes took on magnificent depth and slowness. The only downside to his performance is a final desplante where he threw the trastos and the brave man immediately punished him with a severe shove. Once again, he threw himself at the toro to achieve a perfectly positioned blow to cut off two well-deserved additional ears.

THE natural by Jorge Martinez…

Jorge Martinez was the unlucky one this morning by inheriting the two bulls offering the fewest options. The Spaniard did not have the opportunity to deliver a complete faena and was clumsy with the steels. But his cold courage, the purity and classicism of his passes seduced aficionados.

Particularly during several natural interpreted with great depth while respecting the canons of bullfighting: perfect placement when crossing, chest advanced towards the toro and muleta positioned below the horns of the brave, to shoot long passes from below. Gorgeous !,