Four ears for Roca Rey and a full house at the Feria del Caballo in Jerez. In Jerez, Roca Rey claimed four ears at the Feria del Caballo after recovering from a serious injury. Morante de la Puebla returns to the ring, and the city unveils a monument to Rafael de Paula. All tickets are sold out.
At the Feria del Caballo 2026 in Jerez de la Frontera, public attention was drawn to the return of two leading toreros—Roca Rey and Morante de la Puebla. On Friday, the Peruvian Roca Rey managed to claim four ears, which became the highlight of the evening and sparked an enthusiastic reaction from the audience. His comeback after a serious injury sustained in April was marked by a full house and a special atmosphere in the arena. Morante de la Puebla, who also recently suffered an injury in the ring, was unable to seize his chances, while Sebastián Castella took just one ear.
Today, May 16, Morante de la Puebla returns to the arena in Jerez, this time accompanied by José María Manzanares and Juan Ortega. All tickets for the evening were sold out in advance, just as they were the previous night. The second day of the Feria del Caballo is scheduled to begin at 19:00, with live coverage provided by Canal Sur TV and its app.
As part of the festivities, the city unveiled a new monument to Rafael de Paula—a legendary figure in Spanish bullfighting. The bronze statue, standing over three meters tall, now greets visitors at the main entrance to the arena on Circo Street. The project was initiated by Morante de la Puebla and his apoderado Pedro Jorge Márquez back in 2022, with funds for the monument raised through public donations. The cost of the monument amounted to 50,000 euros, and Rafael de Paula lived to see the project during his lifetime.
Rafael de Paula, whose real name is Rafael Soto Moreno, was born in 1940 in the Santiago district of Jerez. At the age of 13, he first entered the arena, and in 1960 he took the alternativa in Ronda. One of the highlights of his career was the 1964 corrida in Jerez, when he single-handedly fought six bulls and took seven ears. In 2002, he was awarded the Gold Medal of Merit in Fine Arts by the Spanish government.
The topic of bullfighting in Spain remains relevant and attracts wide interest, especially during major festivals. Recently, at the Las Ventas arena in Madrid, Fernando Adrián also distinguished himself, receiving an ear after a tense performance, while one of the participants continued the tournament despite an injury — you can read more about this in the article about the events at San Isidro 2026.
The Feria del Caballo in Jerez traditionally gathers not only bullfighting fans but also tourists from across the country. The city is known for its celebrations, and the arena itself is considered one of the most significant in Andalusia. In recent years, tickets for the main bullfights have sold out well in advance, confirming the sustained interest in the tradition. A major feature of this season was the return of several stars after injuries, which added intrigue and tension to the Feria del Caballo program.
