King Felipe concluded a busy weekend of official engagements by attending the Press Association’s corrida, a traditional event in the capital every year.
On Sunday, 4 June, His Majesty arrived at Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, where most corridas are held in Madrid, where he was greeted by authorities, including the acting Minister of Culture and Sports, the Mayor of Madrid, and the President of the Press Association.
The King then took his place in the ninth sector of the stands and watched as toreros Paco Ureña and Emilio de Justo performed their routines.
Both of them won their respective turns and “offered” their bulls to the King; it is a symbolic act in which the torero tosses his head garment (called a montera) to the President of the event – in this case, the King.
2023 marked the second year of this event returning, following two years of stopping due to health safety restrictions preventing large gatherings.
It was also a good occasion to celebrate the centenary of the Oreja de Oro, the trophy assigned by the Press Association to the winner of the corrida.
However, the Press Association Corrida is much older – the first one was held on 12 June 1900 near Puerta de Alcalá. The Press Association was founded only five years prior, in 1895.
The time of the year in which this corrida has been held has changed throughout the years, and in 1938, 1963 and 1985, there were even two corridas held in the same year.
Nowadays, the event is always held between the end of May and the beginning of June – a date selected to coincide with the celebration of the San Isidro Feria (Fair), a month of events connected with the world of bullfighting.
King Felipe has just returned from Granada, where he attended events in connection with Armed Forces Day. He has a busy week ahead, including a trip to Barcelona to attend a logistics prize ceremony.
