P.O. Box 192, Escalon, California 95320
Phone: Home: 209-886-5757 (New #)
Cell:    209-531-3494
Gustine, California. March 12th, 2004
Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza, Dennis Borba, Fernando Ochoa.
Historic Corrrida with
PABLO HERMOSO DE
MENDO
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Grand Triumph of Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza and Dennis Borba
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The second and fifth animals of the night were fought on horseback by the
maestro of rejoneo, Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza. Mendoza's first animal, #317,
was cardeno, bragado, liston. #317 was muy noble, con son, and Mendoza
earned great applause from the public with his consistently agile
horsemanship. After the forcados from Tulare made a clean grab, Mendoza
took a vuelta and received great appreciation from the public, many of whom
had never seen him perform before. His second animal, the 5th of the night,
was #338, negro and con clase and perhaps the largest animal of the night.
Mendoza again demonstrated brilliant rejoneo with each of his horses. He
placed rejones and banderillas (including banderillas cortas) with variety and
honesty. After a more difficult grab from the team of forcados from Escalon,
Mendoza was given another vuelta to great public applause with the forcado,
though the forcado was visibly injured from difficulties encountered with the
pega.

Fernando Ochoa was able to show the public his classic style and control
throughout the evening and was well appreciated. Ochoa's first animal, #346,
was the 3rd of the evening, and was bravo, con clase. Ochoa's toreo has a
classic style and performed to great applause by the crowd. His second
animal of the evening was a castaño with no number. It was a noble animal,
but not as brave as the rest of the encierro. Ochoa drew out passes with the
animal and cultivated a faena of long, smooth passes.
After the corrida, the toreros all agreed to participate in a tertulia and at the
Ramada in nearby Santa Nella. The tertulia was hosted by peña taurina
Sol-y-Sombra from San Francisco. Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza continued his
debut tour of California with two performances over the weekend at the plaza
in Pico Rivera near Los Angeles and then finally on Monday night in the largest
plaza in the Central Valley in Stevenson, CA.


Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza (Spain) made his historic debut performance
in California at the Bella Vista Plaza de Toros in Gustine, California.
Performing with the world's top figura rejonero were two matadors de
toros: Dennis Borba (U.S.A.) and Fernando Ochoa (Mexico). The three
toreros faced 6 brave bulls from the ganaderia of F.V. Borba & Sons. The
evening was presided by Juez de Plaza Ed Cohn. The forcados of Escalon
and Tulare caught Mendoza's two animals.


Gustine's oval ring and the necessity of running the animals without
picadors were extra challenges that the Spanish Maestro, the American
matador de toros, and the rising star from Mexico faced easily. The near
capacity crowd received them all well, especially Pablo Hermoso de
Mendoza and Dennis Borba who both presented triumphant performances.

The evening began with a beautiful paseo and a moment of carefully
observed silence for the memory of F.V. Borba and for the recent tragedy in
Madrid. Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza wore a black ribbon on his arm in
respect for the victims of the bombing. The evening began on this serious
note, and the performances were displays of toreo profundo with some
challenges and excitement.

The first animal of the evening, #349, a cardeno claro, was for matador
Dennis Borba. Muy bravo, #349 was given a phenomenal series of opening
lances, including chiculinas that demonstrated masterful control of an
unpicced toro. Matador Borba was strongly applauded for his faena and
given a richly deserved vuelta. Borba’s second animal, # 315, a cardeno
oscuro, bragado, was the 4th animal of the night. #315 was the most
difficult animal of the encierro. Dennis Borba faced the challenge and
managed to pull passes out of the dangerous bull to much applause from
the public.