Dos cornadas

This was set to be Miguel Ángel Perera's big night at the Feria de Otoño in Madrid. His task was to fight all six of the bulls.

In the end, Perera managed to deal with five of the bulls in spite of suffering two cornadas.

The first bull was dispatched without any problems. The second was going well until he got caught by the bull whilst executing the volapié*. During the fight with the third bull he had to leave to visit the infirmary. The second bulls horn had pierced his scrotum, grazed his testicle leaving the wound at the root of his penis. After minutes he returned to continue the fight with the third.

Caught by the fifth bull.

The fourth bull went well but his problems were not over. At the start of the third part of the fight with the fifth bull - the work with the muleta - he was caught again by the horn of the bull. This resulted in a 15cm cut to the superficial femoral artery. No matter, he got the doctor to apply a tourniquet so that he could continue the fight and dispatch the bull.

Even for a very brave Spaniard, enough is enough. So, at the end of that fight, Perera was taken to the infirmary to be operated on. David Saleri substituted for him to deal with the sixth bull.

Miguel Ángel Perera was awarded ears for the third, fourth and fifth bulls. The crowd petitioned for two ears for the fifth but the President awarded only one. The crowd were not acting out of sympathy but in appreciation of the skill and grace he had shown in his veronicas, quites and naturals**. So a mixed night for the young Spaniard - much glory but at a great cost.

* A way of killing the bull where the torero distracts the bull with the muleta in his left hand and goes in on the left of the bull with the estoca in his right hand.

** Passes made by the torero in the three different stages of the fight.