By Fred Renk
This story is the history of one new Mexican matador that will be performing at the Santa Maria Bullring next month.
Cayetano Delgado, born in 1996 to Mexican matador Enrique Delgado Cayetano, grew up in the bullfight world. The icon matador David Renk ‘El Texano’ was his god father. When Cayetano was about 11 he started training to be a novice bullfighter. He had two great teachers, his father and David Renk. At the age of 13 he began a career in the bullfight world. To even consider doing this you need help with money.
He had that help in the person of Don Jose Candelario, a maquiladora general manager. You have to pay for everything including the bulls you fight. Suits, equipment, travel, hotel, food, and anything you need.
In the case of David Renk it was five long years of paying all his expenses, luckily, I had friends that assisted me in this. It came to almost $400,000 for five years of paying it all. So you can imagine the costs Cayetano had to pay to enter this world of bullfighting.
Cayetano showed promise and after 12 years of being a novice he was ready to come alive as a matador de toros. The photo shows him receiving his bull on his knees at his doctorate fight in the plaza de toros monumental in Monterrey. As the bull enters, he heads straight for the object in the middle of the ring and as he gets to him Cayetano pitches the big cape over his head and shoulders and the bull literally jumps over him. It is extremely dangerous… not just on this set of passes but everything the young man does is against all the defensive training he has ever received.
This had gone on even when he would appear in the Santa Maria ring here in Texas. Finally, it was decided to send him to Spain to a school of bullfighting known as BADAJOZ. The cost is extremely expensive. Not only did he come out quickly but even more dangerously explosive when fighting. So much so that the crowds started paying attention to him more and more. After performing in Spain, he returned to Mexico and continued his style of taking chances with the bulls. He has gained the attention not only of the fans but of the press. He can’t go anywhere that they don’t follow him.
Some press says he’s bound to become one of the top five matadors in the world…. He says, “That’s what I want to do.”
So here you have it, he appears in the Santa Maria bullring twice in January 2023, the 8th and the 22nd.
There is no more that can be said about this six-foot skinny matador like his god father David Renk who must be looking out for him. Come and watch him at the Santa Maria Bullring, home of the World Class Bloodless Bullfights. Also performing will be Karla Santoyo.
Call and make your reservations, pay when you arrive, (956) 481-3300. Bullring opens at 1 p.m., bullfight starts at 4 p.m. There will be food, beverages, music, and extras all afternoon, including singers Alexa Posas and 11-year old Aleena, plus “Mario Ordaz” Horsemen.
The bullring is located at 4877 FM 1017, in La Gloria, ¼ mile east of FM 755 on FM 1017.