Before the 61st edition, for the novillada on Sunday June 5, the members of the peña Ordoñez recall the rules.
“Bullfighting is the passion of fleeting moments.” Gérard Quittard has the sense of the formula. And the president of the peña Ordoñez knows what he is talking about. La Cape d’or, this challenge between three novilleros, which it launched in 1963, two years after its creation, and of which it will be, Sunday June 5, the 61e edition (novillos by Roland Durand for Solalito, Alvaro Burdiel and Lalo de Maria, paseo at 11:30 a.m.) sometimes unleashes passions. Mainly when the trophy is not awarded. It’s happened eighteen times already (including one, in 2020 because of the Covid). And twice, it was the breeders, in this case Carmen Ordoñez in 1973 and Hubert Yonnet in 2000, who had been preferred to the young men on the track.
A few minutes to decide
This was still the case last September. Neither Solalito, who had cut off the only ear of the race, nor Carlos Olsina, nor Miguel Polope had succeeded in convincing the members of the jury. “We all had the same hesitation, only a few minutes to decide and whether it was an anniversary date or not, the Golden Cape, it should not be overused”says Gérard Quittard again today, who does not regret his choice. “What reassured me, he adds, it’s that the professionals did not challenge our decision.”
Independence
To claim to leave with the trophy, the criteria are precise. The following are taken into account in particular: the entire service as soon as it leaves the novillo; the quality of the lidiador of the novillero more precisely during the tercio of spades; his adaptation, during the faena, to highlight the qualities of his adversary; the killing being judged more on the sincerity of the novillero’s commitment than on its final result. “The awarding of the trophy does not depend on the awards given by the plasterer. We have our independence and we value it”said the president.
Jesulin de Ubrique, José Tomas, Alejandro Talavante, El Juli are some of the figures to have put their names on the charts. But only three French people have won it twice, Nimeño (1976 and 1977), Andy Younes (2015 and 2017) and El Rafi (2018 and 2019).
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