Bullfighter Saul Jimenez Fortes has won the Estoque de Plata ‘Antonio Ordoñez’ for a fifth time following his ‘standout’ performance during this year’s Feria de Malaga.
The Diputacion de Malaga awarded Fortes the prestigious prize for his fight on Friday, August 21, when he faced a bull from the renowned Victorino Martin breeding ranch.
The bull, named Borracho, weighed more than half a tonne at 587kg.
News of the award has already garnered backlash on social media, with one local branding it ‘a shame for Malaga’.
The bloodsport is continuing to grow in Andalucia, including recently returning to Marbella after a 10-year hiatus.
It comes despite polls repeatedly showing that support among the population is dwindling.
Fortes’s performance was itself recognised with a lap of honour around the ring, before he was carried out through the main gates on the shoulders of supporters for the second consecutive day.
Five ears were awarded during the bullfight, which also featured matadors Emilio de Justo and Manuel Escribano.
The jury for the 34th edition of the Estoque de Plata selected Fortes following what organisers described as an exceptionally successful 2026 Feria de Malaga, both in terms of the bullfighting and attendance.
‘Historic’ year for La Malagueta
The award comes during a particularly significant year for Malaga’s iconic La Malagueta bullring, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary.
The Diputacion president Francisco Salado described the 2026 bullfighting feria as ‘historic’, saying it had lived up to the significance of the anniversary.
La Malagueta, which is officially protected as a Bien de Interes Cultural, opened in 1876.
‘This year’s feria has not only been a great success with the public, but it has also been the one that has opened the most main gates and in which the bulls have charged the most and best,’ Salado said.
A programme of events has been organised throughout the year to commemorate the landmark anniversary.
Salado said he was pleased to see increasing numbers of fans participating in the celebrations and enjoying what he described as the bullfighting culture of Malaga province.
Fortes will formally receive his Estoque de Plata during the Gala Provincial de la Tauromaquia, scheduled to take place at Malaga’s Teatro Cervantes in October.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
