Review Madrid – 20 August 2026

Magro and Velásquez shine through a demanding night at Las Ventas

The rejoneo fixture at Las Ventas proved a demanding one, with few concessions from the livestock. The Passanha bulls, serious in appearance and substantial in build, tested all six riders and produced several moments of danger, particularly after incidents involving some of the horses.

Against this backdrop, Iván Magro and Paco Velásquez emerged as the standout performers. Both earned a lap of honour after making the most of the opportunities offered by their respective bulls.

Magro was faced with a bull that showed mobility during the opening stages. The Madrid-based rider took advantage of this to build an energetic performance and establish a strong connection with the crowd.

Riding ‘Príncipe’, he produced an eye-catching opening sequence of banderillas, consistently looking for closeness and excitement. He then mounted ‘Balilla’ to place two short banderillas before preparing for the final stage of the performance.

The killing rejón went in at the first attempt, although the bull was slow to fall. The request for a trophy did not gain sufficient momentum, and Magro ultimately received a lap of honour.

The other performance to stand out came from Paco Velásquez, who joined the line-up at short notice as a replacement for Moura Caetano. The Portuguese rider found the fifth Passanha bull to be the one that offered the greatest possibilities for artistic expression.

Velásquez raised the intensity from the outset and gradually built a performance that connected strongly with the stands. With ‘Volapié’, he performed several quiebros and particularly close lateral passes, before switching to ‘Xarope’ for a sequence of pirouettes and two banderillas that further lifted the atmosphere.

A failed first attempt with the killing rejón, before succeeding with the second, cost him the possibility of a greater reward. The crowd called for an ear, but the Portuguese rider ultimately settled for a lap of honour.

Risk was another defining feature of the evening. Sergio Domínguez produced some notable moments with quiebro-style banderillas, but his horse ‘Litri’ lost its footing while performing a pair of banderillas with both hands and was injured in the incident. Domínguez was subsequently unable to find the necessary accuracy with the killing weapons and received a warning before being met with silence.

Adrián Venegas also had to overcome an incident involving his horse ‘Requiebro’, which was injured during the handling of the sixth bull. The rejoneador maintained his determination and finished the evening with a spirited performance, although his lack of precision in the final stage ultimately affected the result.

Ana Rita showed commitment from the opening moments against a demanding bull. The Portuguese rider consistently looked for excitement and took particular risks with two violin-style banderillas. However, difficulties with the killing weapons ultimately affected her final result, with an ovation after two warnings and divided opinions from the crowd.

For Parreirita, the evening carried an additional significance. The Portuguese rider confirmed his alternative at Madrid against a Passanha bull that offered little assistance. His performance was characterised by seriousness and determination, although the bull’s reserved nature and mistakes with the final weapons meant that his reward amounted to silence after a warning.

That was the story of a Las Ventas night-time rejoneo fixture shaped by the uneven performance of the Portuguese-bred livestock and several incidents during the action. Despite the difficulties, Magro and Velásquez managed to stand out and were the only two riders to take a lap of honour during the evening.