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Rejoneo the art of bullfighting on horseback

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Tremendous skill is required both in controlling your horse and in judging and executing moves artistically in the arena with the bull. Consequently there are few riders of repute, but as in flamenco, this aspect of torear from the saddle developed because of a handful of outstanding individuals, such as Paco Ojeda, Juan Belmonte, Alvaro Domecq and Angel Peralta.

Originally sparring with bulls in the open country was used by the army for training riders during peacetime, a practice engaged in by both Arabs and Christians. Informal corridas arose with some dozen bulls that were killed almost immediately so lasted only 7 or 8 minutes.

By the 17th to 18th centuries, toreo on foot developed and gained popularity, perhaps because rejoneo was elitist and specialized. Neverthelass Don Antonio Cañero won much acclaim with his skill in the saddle at the Plaza de Toros de Madrid. Both riders, horses and bulls are trained prior to the bullfight. Clearly a bull must not see a man on foot in the field, but also it was important to make use of the open space of the campo. The horse would lead the bull along a straight line, so that it would not learn to turn into the horse until it was in the ring engaged in the ritual sections of the lidia (bullfight).

©text by Simon Zolan 1999 with thanks to conversations with Don Diego Romero Toscano

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