On The Road With A Bullfighting Superstar

60 Minutes' Drew Magratten On The Experience Of Traveling With A Star Matador

(CBS)  By 60 Minutes associate producer Drew Magratten

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Traveling around with a team of bullfighters at the height of the season is a lot like following around a rock and roll band during a summer tour except there’s no time for partying and the lead singer risks his life every night on stage. Some bullfighters fight 100 times a year - that’s 200 bulls. They crisscross Spain many times over, sometimes all within a week. It’s a grueling schedule, and part of the challenge of being a good bullfighter is simply having the ability to sleep in a car.

Our adventure with Cayetano Rivera Ordoñez began one August Saturday night in Linares, a small city in south central Spain, where 61 years ago, almost to the day, the infamous bullfighter Manolete was fatally gored in the ring. Fans come from far and wide to a ring like this; they can rattle off the tiniest of details about bullfights that took place decades ago as if they had happened yesterday.

Cayetano performed well with his first bull, earning himself an ear (yes, ears and tails from the freshly killed bull are the rewards for good capework in the ring). When Cayetano's second bull appeared, the last of the night, it was obvious he would be dangerous. The bull was distracted and had difficulty focusing on the cape. When Cayetano's banderillero, Angel Luis Prados, went to stick the banderillas (sticks) in the bull's neck, the bull's horn caught his leg as he was getting out of the way. With Prados down, his colleagues rushed into the ring, distracted the bull, and carried him to the infirmary.

But the bull remained, and Cayetano returned to the ring to hasten its fate. With his face straining emotion, he coaxed the bull to follow his cape and completed some stunning passes. The crowd was electrified. Finally, with a thrust of his sword, Cayetano finished off the bull, and he earned two ears for his performance. This normally qualifies a bullfighter to do a victory lap around the ring on someone’s shoulders and leave the plaza in triumph. But that night, Cayetano immediately left the ring to attend to his injured friend.

Prados was stabilized and taken to a major hospital about 30 miles away in Jaén, and we followed Cayetano and the rest of his team as they raced there. We weren’t allowed in, but the situation was reportedly grave. The goring had severed Prados’ femoral artery and though his life was not in danger, it was unclear if he would ever be able to walk again. It was a blow to Cayetano; it should have been a great night, and it should have furthered his positive momentum after having just come back to the ring after having suffered a goring himself three weeks earlier. It was now past midnight, and Cayetano hadn’t eaten since midday. We walked around the empty streets of the city’s downtown looking for a place that was open and finally settled on joint that served sandwiches and fries. It was a far cry from the romantic image we had of a bullfighter’s life. At 2 a.m. Cayetano crawled into his the van and tried to get some sleep during the 4 hour drive to Mérida, where he would fight that afternoon.

Mérida is an old Roman city, and looks the part. It was the hometown of Russell Crowe’s character "Maximus" in the movie "Gladiator." An old roman ampitheater is being restored there. In ancient times it hosted contests between man and beast, now all that takes place in a more modern bullring less than a mile away.

It was a perfect Sunday afternoon, and Cayetano again had the last bull. He fought it deftly, earning him an ear. But the crowd clearly wanted him to receive a second. The president of the bullring gets to make the final decision. But he refused, and was roundly booed. He apparently said later that he had also been stingy the previous night, and couldn’t appear to be inconsistent. Cayetano was angry. It was a hard won performance that in the end wouldn’t count for much. It was back to Madrid now after having fought four nights back-to-back.

Throughout our time in Spain, we had been planning to film the Rivera Ordoñez brothers fighting on the same bill. We were to do it in Ronda, where Cayetano’s brother, Francisco, is the impresario of the oldest ring in Spain, as his grandfather was before him. The fight was to be held the following weekend, during the Fiesta Goyesca, where the town dons traditional dress and parties for days. Cayetano was to wear a suit of lights specially designed by Giorgio Armani. But earlier that week, the two brothers were also scheduled to fight together in Palencia, a little town 3 hours north of Madrid. At the last minute, we decided we just couldn’t pass up this second opportunity to film them together.

That decision turned out to be fortuitous. While fighting his second bull of the night, Cayetano tripped, fell, and was trampled. There was no blood, but it was obvious Cayetano was hurt badly. We spent two hours waiting outside the hospital with his cuadrilla (his teammates), for some hopeful words. His situation wasn't good. Doctors said his liver was bleeding and that he might need surgery. In a few dramatic seconds, Cayetano’s hopes of finishing a season in triumph had been stamped into the sand. The rest of the season’s appearances had to be cancelled, and Cayetano will have to wait another year to don his Armani suit of lights in Ronda.

[czmdm]

Bullfighting Superstars?

Sissy clothes, drugged animals loaded with lances. I love watching bullfighters get gored. That''s ok, so did Ava Gardner.

[easeup-2009]

Bullfighting Superstars?

Sissy clothes, drugged animals loaded with lances. I love watching bullfighters get gored. That''''s ok, so did Ava Gardner.

Posted by czmdm at 04:10 PM : Oct 21, 2008

I saw one bullfight where the bull gored this guy and in the process ripped off his pants & underwear. The guy is writhing in pain half naked on the ground & the bull was standing over him, with the guy''s tighty whities hanging from his horn.

Chalk one up for the bull....

[watusayboy1]

October 21, 2008
Betrayal, secession and a cowardly Blow to America
Sarah palin working on Secret deal with Terrorist Group Alaska Independence Party to help Russia annexed the state of Alaska.

www.chilitoz.com is reporting

[watusayboy1]

listenup,

ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

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You republicans all are alike full hate and racism! Hick you think you own CBS?

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[cjfliesbach]

Of all the stories you chose to report -- on bullfighting, one of the more cruel spectacles. Cruelty to animals with an audience. It can''t get worse than that. The story was the matadors, I got that, but you can''t feature matadors without the bulls and the fighting. The bull is going to die at the end, so there is nothing fair about this sport. . . not to mention there is no "fighting", only taunting of an animal an pain. Terrible choice for a story on prime time, prime family time no less.
CJF

[txczechchick]

I really liked this story, I was glued to the TV watching it which is very rare for me to do! You talk about guys prancing around in skin tight outfits....hummmmm Football Players do too! Whatever it''s a tradition for them and I found it to be quite intriguing.

[gone2mauinow]

I disagree with Mr. Simon about what is "the worst thing that can happen in a bull ring". I don''t think its the bullfighter getting hurt as they are there by choice to torture animals. I think its the bull being drugged, stabbed with spears and eventually being killed in some perverted spectacle. This sport is similar to dog fighting with exception that a human does the killing instead of another animal. Both sports raise animals to be slaughtered for entertainment.

[megan25r]

This story disgusted me so much that I had to get up and leave the room. To show a bleeding, defenseless bull dying in the ring is beyond distatful. It truly upsetted and angered me. I think Spain is a dispicable country for allowing such inhumane treatment of animals. What barbaric & sick people they are to go and watch a defenseless animal that THEY MADE get into the ring be slaughtered and murdered. What crazy, twisted people call that entertainment? I hope the brothers have the same fate as their father. I'm very disapointed and disgusted by 60 Minutes decision to report this story. I am literally sick to my stomach. I hope this is the last piece 60 Minutes chooses to show that glamorizes animal cruelty

[Rosacd]

Being a spaniard, Non supportive of bullfighting, I understand the reactions of some people's comments, but I also think that saying "I hope the brothers have the same fate as their father" does not say any good either.
I tottaly support changing bullfighting rules,procedure, etc. in NO WAY I support the bullfighters being hurted (and I know they choose to be there) as I do not support anyone being hurt.

[Rosacd]

The same thing for "I love watching bullfighters get gored"
That says a lot about the kind of person writing