Ventas Bullring on Thursday, August 27, 2026, But the Corrida From Pedraza De Yeltes Bulls Largely Lacked the Bravery the Crowd Had Hoped

A 720-kilogram bull, the heaviest of the season in Madrid, drew huge anticipation at Las Ventas bullring on Thursday, August 27, 2026, but the corrida from Pedraza de Yeltes bulls largely lacked the bravery the crowd had hoped for. From the morning, the fifth bull of the afternoon had generated great expectation. Weighing in at 720 kilos, it set a season record in Madrid.

Silence fell as the clarions announced its exit. Once the tank was in the ring, the crowd called for Galdós to give it a long pass on horseback. But tempers flared over the picador's poor work, and the bull did not charge the second vara with much bravery either, waiting through the banderillas.

Despite that, Fernando Sánchez left a great pair. The Peruvian dedicated the bull to the crowd and began low, while the bull turned quickly. "Don't shrink, man! shouted El Rosco.

It wasn't a question of shrinking or not — the bull took an hour to pass, and when it raised its head, it was taller than Joaquín. It also touched the muleta every time. But it wasn't easy to overcome the panzer in front of him.

Still, he did it in a series of right-hand passes, but Potrillo was short on strength and caste, and didn't pass, leaving things in no man's land. That was the general tone of the corrida: lots of frame, lots of horn, but caste in short supply, in an early-season atmosphere with mostly aficionado crowds and much cold (18 degrees at the start and falling). The first bull pressed Espada's cape and pushed on horseback, but from there began to fade, forcing Iván García to expose himself enormously in an extraordinary third pair.

Francisco José began high, wanting to do things well on the right with Bello, but without route on the left. The bullfighter worked both sides tenaciously, somewhat smothering a bull that wanted more distance. He finished with tight manoletinas, and the best of the faena was a long chest pass, before getting stuck with the sword and hearing a presidential warning.

The second bull behaved very similarly, not passing on the left, but had exciting tandas on the right. It was "quick and in hand, and Galdós understood it that way, delivering vibrant series on the good horn and managing to draw out another with the left after much insistence. The main flaw of this Hurón was its short duration, ending very quickly.

The third had less fuel. Alberto Sandoval picced it well, and the animal gave in, as in Espada's quite, but it was clear it was very short on everything. It was slow when Parejo tried to draw it out from the start.

It didn't lower its head or say anything. It was noble, didn't make a foul move, but bravery was absent. Christian cited it with a very open compass, always losing a few steps to give it space, and thus managed to build its confidence until drawing out a meritorious series of naturales, tempered and with great firmness, as were the following ones, with feet together.

But the bull left looking at the stands, and was dull and manso, in the end. It gave a big rush toward the pens when it felt the steel. Madrid had roared with the tandas on the money hand, and it was clear an ear could fall.

But repeated failure with the descabello left everything in an ovation with salutes. The crowd received Parejo's dedication in the sixth with enthusiasm, hoping he would cap off his night. He began with ayudados high, with the plaza delivered, eager to see what would happen with a more than interesting bull.

Not to be outdone in the first thirds, it had manso'd like its brothers. But the Pedraza bull brought out its caste, showing it had to be overpowered. At first the man from Cádiz sought to look pretty, the bull got under him and lifted his feet off the ground.

There Christian brought out his race and began to dominate Resistente's charges. He gave it the distance it asked for, and with great commitment, shone again on the natural, linking the tandas. And always with the muleta placed, because if it saw the alley, it would stop and stare at the boards.

Las Ventas Monumental Bullring, Thursday, August 27, 2026. Bulls from Pedraza de Yeltes. Francisco José Espada, in navy blue and gold: pinchazo, media caída and two descabellos (silence). Two pinchazos, estocada and three descabellos (silence).

Joaquín Galdós, in mink and jet: two pinchazos, short estocada and descabello (silence). Christian Parejo, in pale pink and gold: estocada and five descabellos (salutes).