toreros

Toreros are professional bullfighters who perform in the sport of bullfighting, primarily in Spain and various Latin American countries. The term can refer to the whole cadre of participants in a corrida, including the matador, the novillero (a novice), and other specialists, though matador is the best-known figure in many contexts. They perform in the arena before spectators.

A typical corrida is organized in three stages, or tercios. In the first tercio, the torero uses a large cape, the capote, to test the bull’s responses and to display control and style. In the second tercio, a team with the horse-mounted picadores works with lances to weaken the bull. In the final tercio, the matador or torero performs with the muleta, a smaller cape, and seeks to finish the animal with the estocada, a thrust of the sword.

Attire is distinctive: the traje de luces, or suit of lights, is a tightly tailored, embroidered outfit, worn with a montera hat, tights, and slippers. Training often begins in youth and continues for many years in regional academies or under mentors. Novillero candidates participate in novilladas as stepping stones to major events.

Regional context: Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle in Spain and parts of Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Portugal, but it is controversial and restricted or banned in some areas on animal welfare grounds. Proponents view it as cultural heritage and a test of skill, while opponents condemn it as cruelty.