Written by BLANCA Rios Montes• 23 October, 2024• 07:13• What is Bullfighting?

Functions, Challenges, and Curiosities of the “Sobresaliente” in Bullfighting

HomeWhat is Bullfighting?Functions, Challenges, and Curiosities of the “Sobresaliente” in Bullfighting

Do you know what a sobresaliente is in a bullfight? Who hires them, and when do they intervene? Find out all about this figure, with facts and examples, in this article. Click here!

la figura del sobresaliente en los toros

The Unsung Role of the Sobresaliente in Bullfighting: Responsibilities, Challenges, and Stories

The role of the sobresaliente is one of the most underappreciated and least known in the world of bullfighting. Most enthusiasts, and even the general public, know it refers to a “reserve” matador, who steps in when one of the main matadors is gored or injured and cannot continue the fight. But how many people truly understand the responsibilities and duties of a sobresaliente during the bullfight? In this article, Servitoro sheds light on these and other questions.

Firstly, it’s important to clarify that sobresalientes are contracted by the company organising the event. If it’s a mano-a-mano bullfight (two matadors facing each other), the two main matadors will each be accompanied by a sobresaliente. However, if there is only one matador facing six bulls, there will be two “reserve matadors” making the walk behind the headliner.

Their primary function, as mentioned, is to take over the bullfighting duties if the main matadors suffer severe injuries. However, they also assist during the bullfight, such as entering the arena to help during the banderillas phase if it’s a mano-a-mano, or standing in the middle of the ring to protect the subalterno who is handling the second third of the fight in case of an unexpected charge from the bull.

Usually, the sobresalientes are seasoned professionals who have taken their alternative (become full matadors) but for various reasons haven’t had a successful career. Faced with a lack of contracts, they see this role as an opportunity to continue working in their profession. Matadors like Fernando Martín “Sacromonte”, Abelardo Granada, Nicasio Pérez “Cesterito”, or Manolo Gómez, and more recently Enrique Martínez “Chapurra”, David Saleri, Salvador Ruano, Miguel Ángel Sánchez, and Álvaro de la Calle have taken on this role frequently.

One of the most significant cases in recent years is that of Álvaro de la Calle. He was forced to take the lead in the bullfight during the 2013 Feria de Begoña in Gijón when both Antonio Ferrera and Javier Castaño were injured. De la Calle successfully fought a bull from the La Quinta ranch, cutting off an ear after a powerful performance. Again, in Madrid in 2022, he handled five bulls after Emilio de Justo was injured, earning a lap of honour after killing an impressive bull from the Victoriano del Río ranch.

David Sánchez “Saleri”, in 2001, ended up fighting an entire bullfight of Los Guateles in Olivenza after Pedrito de Portugal, who was supposed to fight solo, was injured during the first bull of the evening. Years later, during the 2008 Feria de Otoño, Saleri had to kill the last bull from Fuente Ymbro after Miguel Ángel Perera suffered a serious injury in the previous bout.

However, there are times when the sobresalientes themselves get injured. This happened in 2022 during a mano-a-mano in Estella between Sánchez Vara and Imanol Sánchez when Chapurra was gored by a bull from Miguel Reta, or when Manolo Gómez was injured after stepping in for the last bull of the evening in the 1990 Goyesca in Madrid, featuring Curro Vázquez and Luis Francisco Esplá, who also suffered injuries.

The most severe incident occurred with Julián de Mata, a matador who worked as a taxi driver and rarely dressed as a bullfighter. On 25th May 1975, he was hired as sobresaliente for a mano-a-mano between Ruiz Miguel and Antonio José Galán. With both fighters in the infirmary, De Mata, visibly out of practice, was gored in the chest while trying to fight the sixth bull, leading to the suspension of the event due to the lack of any available matador. Such are the dramas and challenges, not always glorious, faced by this often-unknown figure in the thrilling world of bullfighting, or as the famous Cañabate might call it, the “Planet of the Bulls.”