Alicante and Andy Cartagena: The Affair Continues

She attended her first bullfighting event in Alicante in 2019. Her artistic soul was moved by what she witnessed. The rhythm and poetry of that afternoon fascinated her. She felt compelled to express all the sensations she received through her hands and art.

She let her imagination soar, allowing inspiration to flow, born in the arena of Alicante's Plaza de España. She poured her soul into capturing the echoes left in her spirit by various arena artists. As if dressed in lights to take the alternative, she had a truly luxurious sponsor for her presentation: the bullfighter and Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts, Luis Francisco Esplá.

She has been "Embroidering Courage" in recent months at the Alicante Municipal Bullfighting Museum, where she has shaped the faces of 18 bullfighters with hand-embroidered pearls, a technique of her own. She is Yuliia Tkachenko, and she was seen at this San Juan and San Pedro Fair in a barrier at the Alicante bullring, caressing a Ukrainian flag, her country.

Alicante and Andy Cartagena continue their affair. The horseman based in Finestrat has left the Alicante bullring on the shoulders through the Puerta Grande at the end of the seventh subscription event of the San Juan and San Pedro Fair. He did so after cutting two ears from Zurrón, from Fermín Bohórquez. Diego Ventura and Lea Vicens could have joined him in triumph but repeatedly failed with the rejones de muerte.

Temperate charges from Noblecito, who receives a rejón de castigo. Andy Cartagena takes risks in banderillas, offering the terrain of tablas riding Cartago and Licor. Spectacular Cartagena in the gallop on two tracks, and placing the short ones al violín on Apalosa. The rejón de muerte falls very far back. Ovation and greetings.

Dull charges from Bohórquez's, punished with a rejón by Diego Ventura. Manzanares, Nómada, and Brillante bring excitement to the stands. The banderillas al quiebro, the gallop on two tracks enticing Ultramarino, and the pirouettes in the face of the bull follow one another. It culminates with the placement of three roses. Puncture and rejón to cut the first ear of the afternoon.

More reserved. Lea Vicens places two rejones de castigo riding Guitarra. She exposes in banderillas on Bético and Diluvio against a stopped and waiting bull. The horsewoman has to do everything in the face of short charges. Two short banderillas on Fermín do reach the stands, as does a posada on this grey. Riding Espontáneo, she places a rear rejón for Bohórquez's to double.

Good exercise of dressage by Cartagena to stop Zurrón. Spectacular banderillas third, in Andy's line. Duende, Baena, and Bandolero bring excitement to the stands with pirouettes in the face of the 'bohórquez', a risky sway with Baena entablado and the elevated of Bandolero. All before Pintas appeared and Cartagena adorned himself by placing his hat on the bull's forehead. Zurrón has felt the fight and did not collaborate in the last third. Rear rejón. Two ears.

Two rejones de castigo to Tumbado, a bull with short and complex charges that received two rejones de castigo. Ventura exposes in the second third. Spectacularity and risk arrive riding Quitasueños, in a risky short distance, or in the short ones al violín and the roses riding Brillante. He gets stuck with the rejón de muerte. Four punctures.

Two rejones de castigo to Rumbero, a bull with many feet that demands a lot from Lea in the first third. She places two banderillas riding Joker and it is with Diluvio, galloping sideways, where she reaches the spectators the most. She continues with short banderillas riding Greco. When everything seemed to predict Vicens' success, she adds four punctures and a descabello riding this same horse. There ends the afternoon for her and the San Juan and San Pedro 2015 Bullfighting Fair.