Full summary of the 2026 Antequera bullfighting season

To provide a complete overview, I distinguish between the Real Feria de Agosto, held on August 22 and 23, and the Spring Fair novillada, held on May 30. In this way, all bullfighting events held in 2026 at the Plaza de Toros de Antequera are included.

General balance

The Antequera season consisted of:

1 novillada con picadores, at the Spring Fair.
1 corrida de rejones, at the Real Feria de Agosto.
1 goyesca bullfight, also in August.
18 animals fought: six young bulls and twelve bulls.
Eight exits on shoulders.
21 ears, one tail, and one symbolic tail.
One pardoned bull: “Correcaminos”, from Apolinar Soriano.

The organizing company was Taurina de Buendía. The Real Feria de Agosto brought together two lineups of top figures and recorded an attendance of over three-quarters of the capacity on both days.

Spring Fair

May 30 — Novillada con picadores

The season began with a novillada featuring successful performers from Malaga, held at 7:00 PM.

Lineup

Francisco Morales.
Fuentes Bocanegra.
Olga Casado.
Six young bulls from Apolinar Soriano.

The young bulls were well-presented and offered excellent play overall. The fifth, “Correcaminos”, number 8, was pardoned. The bullring recorded approximately half capacity.

Francisco Morales

Francisco Morales cut one ear from his first and both ears from his second young bull.

He finished the afternoon with three ears, becoming the top numerical winner of the novillada and being carried out on shoulders.

Fuentes Bocanegra

He was received with applause after his first performance. His great moment came against the fifth, “Correcaminos”, a young bull of extraordinary conditions that he managed to have pardoned.

He symbolically paraded both ears and the tail, starring in the most important livestock and emotional event of the day.

Olga Casado

Olga Casado cut one ear from each young bull in her lot. She earned two trophies and also exited through the Puerta Grande, completing the shoulder-high exit of all three members of the lineup.

Novillada balance

Francisco Morales: three ears.
Fuentes Bocanegra: two symbolic ears and tail.
Olga Casado: two ears.
Most outstanding young bull: “Correcaminos”, pardoned.
Winning livestock: Apolinar Soriano.
All three novilleros were carried out on shoulders.

Although Francisco Morales earned more ears, the most significant episode was the pardon achieved by Fuentes Bocanegra.

Real Feria de Agosto

The main bullfighting program was concentrated during the last weekend of the Real Feria: a corrida de rejones on Saturday the 22nd and the traditional goyesca bullfight on Sunday, August 23rd, both at 7:30 PM. The Antequera goyesca is approaching its centenary, which will be celebrated in 2028.

August 22 — Corrida del Arte del Rejoneo

Lineup

Andy Cartagena.
Diego Ventura.
Leonardo Hernández.
Bulls from Benítez Cubero and Pallarés.

The first three bulls belonged to Benítez Cubero and the last three to Pallarés. The herd offered good general behavior, especially the fourth and fifth, two brave, noble specimens with transmission. The bullring recorded three-quarters capacity.

Andy Cartagena

Against the first, he stood out especially with Hechicero. The bull ended up weakening in the final third, but Cartagena managed to cut one ear. There was also a minority request for a second.

The fourth, from Pallarés, was one of the best bulls of the entire fair. Cartagena delivered a complete performance, with great connection to the audience, and cut two ears. There was a request for the tail, which was not granted.

Result: one ear and two ears.

Diego Ventura

The second was a brave bull from Benítez Cubero that offered play throughout the fight. Ventura gave an important performance, although a failure with the final lance left the prize at one ear.

His great triumph came against the fifth, from Pallarés. He delivered a vibrant, technically complete performance with an enormous connection to the stands. He killed with a precise lance and paraded both ears and the tail.

Result: one ear and two ears and a tail.

Leonardo Hernández

Leonardo Hernández cut one ear from the third, a brave bull from Benítez Cubero. The request for a second was strong but not granted by the presidency.

The sixth had focus and mobility, although it transmitted less than other specimens. Hernández managed to raise the intensity through a classic and committed performance, finished with a great two-handed pair.

Result: one ear and one ear.

Corrida de rejones balance

Diego Ventura: three ears and a tail.
Andy Cartagena: three ears.
Leonardo Hernández: two ears.
Total trophies: eight ears and a tail.
All three rejoneadores were carried out on shoulders.
Best bulls: fourth and fifth, from Pallarés.

Diego Ventura was the top winner of the afternoon and of the entire Real Feria de Agosto, thanks to the tail cut from the fifth.

August 23 — Traditional Goyesca Bullfight

Lineup

Juan Ortega.
David de Miranda.
Pablo Aguado.
Bulls from Astolfi.

The bulls were well-presented but offered unequal play. The bullfight recorded more than three-quarters capacity and ended with Juan Ortega and David de Miranda being carried out on shoulders.

Juan Ortega

The first came out cold and ended up weakening during the muleta work. Ortega achieved some isolated passes and received an ovation after a slight request for an ear.

With the fourth, he created his masterpiece. He received it with a ‘larga cambiada’, continued with ‘verónicas’ of great poise, and performed an excellent ‘quite por delantales’. With the muleta, he developed a classic and artistic performance, with long passes, culminated by a great sword thrust.

Result: ovation with salutes and two ears.

David de Miranda

The second was a noble bull from Astolfi. David de Miranda built an exciting and tempered performance, with good passes on both sides. He closed with very tight ‘manoletinas’ that brought the audience to their feet. Although he missed before the final thrust, he cut two ears.

The fifth weakened due to a lack of strength. The bullfighter from Huelva shortened the distances, maintained the intensity, and managed to cut one ear after a good sword thrust.

Result: two ears and one ear.

Pablo Aguado

The third was a complicated bull that posed difficulties from the first thirds. Aguado responded with grit and skill, achieving two series of great quality. After a miss and a sword thrust, he cut one ear.

The sixth was the least impressive bull of the fight. Aguado showed willingness and sought triumph in close quarters, but the animal did not allow him to develop a performance of greater substance.

Result: one ear and silence after warning.

Goyesca bullfight balance

David de Miranda: three ears.
Juan Ortega: two ears.
Pablo Aguado: one ear.
Total trophies: six ears.
David de Miranda and Juan Ortega were carried out on shoulders.
David de Miranda was the top numerical winner.
Juan Ortega delivered what was probably the performance with the greatest artistic personality of the bullfight.

Winners of Antequera 2026

Absolute winner of the Real Feria de Agosto

Diego Ventura, with three ears and a tail.

He was the only performer to cut a tail and starred in the most numerically decisive performance against the fifth bull from Pallarés.

Winner of bullfighting on foot

David de Miranda, with three ears.

His performance against the second from Astolfi was one of the most important of the cycle, combining temper, depth, dedication, and a final part of great exposure.

Most artistic performance

Juan Ortega, against the fourth bull from Astolfi.

His cape work, the ‘quite por delantales’, and a muleta performance of marked classicism stood out, finished with a great sword thrust and awarded two ears.

Winner of the Spring Fair

In numerical terms, Francisco Morales, with three ears.

However, Fuentes Bocanegra starred in the most relevant event by pardoning the young bull “Correcaminos” and obtaining the two symbolic ears and tail.

Best animal of the season

“Correcaminos”, number 8, from Apolinar Soriano, pardoned in the Spring Fair novillada.

Most outstanding livestock

The main recognition goes to Apolinar Soriano, for the excellent group fought in May and for the pardon of “Correcaminos”.

Within the August Fair, the fourth and fifth bulls from Pallarés stood out especially, allowing the great triumphs of Andy Cartagena and Diego Ventura.

Classification by trophies for the entire season

Diego Ventura: three ears and a tail.
Francisco Morales: three ears.
David de Miranda: three ears.
Andy Cartagena: three ears.
Fuentes Bocanegra: two symbolic ears and tail.
Juan Ortega: two ears.
Leonardo Hernández: two ears.
Olga Casado: two ears.
Pablo Aguado: one ear.

Conclusion

The 2026 Antequera bullfighting season was brief but very successful. The three events ended with exits on shoulders and left a balance of 21 ears, one tail, one symbolic tail, and one pardon.

The spring novillada provided the great livestock event with “Correcaminos”; the corrida de rejones was the most decisive event, with eight ears and a tail; and the goyesca offered the moments of greatest artistic content through Juan Ortega and David de Miranda.

Therefore, the great names of Antequera 2026 were:

Diego Ventura: absolute winner of the Real Feria.
David de Miranda: winner of bullfighting on foot.
Juan Ortega: author of the most artistic performance.
Francisco Morales: top numerical winner of the novillada.
Fuentes Bocanegra: protagonist of the pardon.
“Correcaminos”: best animal of the season.
Apolinar Soriano: most outstanding livestock.