{"id":9000,"date":"2025-03-06T14:06:28","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T13:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.servitoro.com\/female-bullfighting-authenticity-and-overcoming-barriers\/"},"modified":"2025-03-06T14:58:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T13:58:46","slug":"female-bullfighting-authenticity-and-overcoming-barriers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.servitoro.com\/en\/female-bullfighting-authenticity-and-overcoming-barriers\/","title":{"rendered":"Female Bullfighting: Authenticity and Overcoming Barriers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Women in the world of bullfighting<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Despite bans, criticism, and the difficulties faced throughout the history of bullfighting, women have always been present in the arena<\/strong>. However, their role has consistently been subject to social rejection and various prohibitions depending on the era.<\/p>

As early as the 17th century, records show several women facing bulls<\/strong>, though always on horseback, as it was deemed \u2018indecorous\u2019 for them to do so on foot. In the following century, Francisca Garc\u00eda and Nicolasa Escamilla, known as La Pajuelera<\/em>, became the first well-documented female bullfighters. The latter was even immortalised by Francisco de Goya in an engraving from the La Tauromaquia<\/em> collection (1816), now housed in the Prado Museum.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Image: Goya Foundation. Nicolasa Escamilla La Pajuelera<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The 19th century saw the emergence of female bullfighting troupes that achieved considerable success in various arenas<\/strong>. The first of these was led by Francisca Coloma<\/strong>, who acted as a picadora<\/em> and banderillera<\/em> around 1840, alongside Jorja Garc\u00eda<\/strong> and Ramona Castell\u00f3<\/strong>. Later came banderillera<\/em> Martina Garc\u00eda, La Maestra<\/em><\/strong>, considered the first woman to fight wild bulls, followed by a troupe led by Lolita Petrel<\/strong> and Angelita Pag\u00e9s<\/strong>, who made their debut in Madrid\u2019s old bullring on 12 September 1895.<\/p>

Other prominent names of the era included Dolores S\u00e1nchez La Fragosa<\/em>, Dolores Pretil Lola<\/em>, Ignacia Fern\u00e1ndez La Guerrita<\/em>, Mar\u00eda Salom\u00e9 Rodr\u00edguez La Reverte<\/em>, Adelaida \u00c1ngela Pag\u00e9s, and Tomasa Prieto<\/strong>. However, the early 20th century saw growing opposition to women becoming professional bullfighters, particularly from male matadors.<\/p>

On 2 July 1908, Juan de la Cierva, Minister under Antonio Maura\u2019s government, issued a Royal Decree banning women from bullfighting<\/strong>, arguing that it was an \u2018improper\u2019 spectacle that opposed \u2018culture and all delicate sentiment\u2019. Some, like La Reverte<\/em>, continued in disguise\u2014adopting the name Agust\u00edn Rodr\u00edguez to remain in the arena.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Three bullfighters' poster: Mar\u00eda Cobian, Conchita Cintr\u00f3n and Juanita Cruz<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In 1934, with the arrival of the Second Republic, the ban was lifted<\/strong>, partly due to a petition led by Juanita Cruz<\/strong>, the era\u2019s leading female bullfighter and one of the most important in history. She gained the support of Marcial Lalanda, fought alongside Manolete, and performed over 50 times in 1934 and 1935. However, following the Civil War, the ban was reinstated in 1940 and remained until 1974.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Conchita Cintron dressed as a charro, at the Bogota Bullrin<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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During this period, Conchita Cintr\u00f3n<\/strong> became a key figure. Restricted by post-war laws, she could only perform in Spain as a rejoneadora<\/em> (horseback bullfighter), yet abroad she showcased exceptional skill on foot. She made her debut in Lima\u2019s Acho bullring in 1936 and participated in nearly 800 events across Colombia, Mexico, France, Venezuela, Peru, and Portugal. Though in Spain she was limited to charity festivals, La Diosa Rubia<\/em> (The Blonde Goddess) shared the bill with legends such as Juan Belmonte, Antonio Ord\u00f3\u00f1ez, Antonio Bienvenida, and Manolo V\u00e1zquez.<\/p>

Another pivotal name in the fight for women\u2019s bullfighting was Mar\u00eda de los \u00c1ngeles Hern\u00e1ndez, known as \u00c1ngela<\/em><\/strong>, from Alicante. In 1972, she led the struggle to abolish the ban on women wearing the traje de luces<\/em> (suit of lights). On 10 August 1974, the Ministry of the Interior repealed the prohibition, allowing \u00c1ngela to become Spain\u2019s first officially licensed female matador. She made her debut on 15 September 1974.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Maribel Ati\u00e9nza<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Her fight paved the way for others, including Rosarito from Colombia, Alicia Tom\u00e1s<\/strong> (recently deceased), Mari Fortes<\/strong> (mother of matador Sa\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez Fortes), and above all, Maribel Ati\u00e9nzar<\/strong> from Albacete. Ati\u00e9nzar fought six times in Madrid\u2019s Las Ventas and five times in Seville, cutting ears in both arenas, before moving to Mexico to take her alternativa<\/em> (professional bullfighter status). In the early 1980s, she became a key figure in female bullfighting, leading up to one of the most significant moments in its history: the rise of Cristina S\u00e1nchez<\/strong>.<\/p>

Trained at Madrid\u2019s Bullfighting School, where other female novices such as Yolanda Carvajal<\/strong> had also emerged, Cristina made an impact from her earliest public appearances in the 1990s. She won several novice competitions, made her debut with picadores<\/em>, and triumphed in her first Las Ventas appearance on 8 July 1995. Her alternativa<\/em> on 25 May 1996 in N\u00eemes, under the mentorship of Curro Romero and with Manzanares as witness, was a major event broadcast live by Spanish national television.<\/p>

During her early years as a professional, she participated in numerous bullfights in Spain and Latin America, where she was highly regarded. She performed in Seville\u2019s Maestranza<\/a><\/strong>, confirmed her alternativa<\/em> in Mexico, and shone at Madrid\u2019s San Isidro Fair in 1998. However, she later faced resistance from male colleagues and struggled to secure spots in major fairs. This led to her retirement announcement in 1999, with her final fight taking place in Las Ventas<\/a><\/strong> on 12 October.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The vedette Alicia Tom\u00e1s left the stage for the arena for a while.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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While Cristina was the first woman to receive her alternativa<\/em> in Europe, M\u00e1laga\u2019s Mari Paz Vega<\/strong> became the first to do so in Spain. Moreover, she was also the first woman to be granted alternativa<\/em> by another female matador\u2014Cristina S\u00e1nchez herself\u2014in C\u00e1ceres in 1997. In 2005, she confirmed her status in Las Ventas, becoming the second and, to date, the last woman to do so. A solid and courageous bullfighter, she faced powerful bulls in arenas such as M\u00e1laga and Zaragoza, where she achieved triumphs. She also found success in Venezuela, Peru, and Mexico, where she confirmed her alternativa<\/em> at the monumental Plaza M\u00e9xico.<\/p>

In the 21st century, more women have taken the alternativa<\/em>, including Raquel S\u00e1nchez, Sandra Moscoso, Peru\u2019s Milagros S\u00e1nchez, Conchi R\u00edos<\/strong>\u2014who made history as the first woman to cut two ears from the same bull in Las Ventas as a novillera<\/em>\u2014Roc\u00edo Romero<\/strong>, and, in Latin America, Marbella Romero, Hilda Tenorio, Lupita L\u00f3pez, and Karla de los \u00c1ngeles<\/strong>. However, none have reached the heights of their male counterparts.<\/p>

Today, the legacy of female bullfighters continues through promising talents such as Raquel Mart\u00edn<\/strong> from Salamanca, Estrella Mag\u00e1n<\/strong> from Toledo, and Olga Casado<\/strong><\/a> from Madrid. These women aspire to carry forward this story of authenticity and perseverance, keeping alive a centuries-old struggle in a world still largely dominated by men.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Author<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Jos\u00e9 Miguel Arruego
Bullfighting Journalist<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Experience the Passion of Bullfighting with Servitoro<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tLogro\u00f1o San Mateo Fair: Bullfighting Without Looking at the Sky\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tAlmod\u00f3var del Campo: The Miracle of a Capital-City Fair in the Heart of La Mancha\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t
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Forget the major cities: the best-kept secret of the bullfighting world, bold and dazzling, awaits \u2026<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead more \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t
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The 50th-anniversary season ticket at Campos G\u00f3ticos brings the very best of bullfighting to Palenc\u2026<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRead more \u00bb\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t
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