THE ONLY WOMEN BULLFIGHTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 154, 29 June 1907, Page 13

THE ONLY WOMEN BULLFIGHTERS.

HOW THEX STAND UP TO MADDENED BULLS. Women appear to have invaded every known calling of man from steeplejack to deep sea diver, yet it will be news ib most to hear that there is a cuadrilla of lady bull fighters in Barcelona—the only troupe of its kind in the Peninsula. The writer came upon them rehearsing one afternoon in the great silent bull ring at Barcelona, under the superintendence of their business manager, Senor Totti. Totti had undoubtedly struck a gold mine in his cuadrilla de toreras, or group of women bull -fighters. They have now been at work four or five, years, and have performed not only all over Spain, but also in France and South America. In this as in other matters, the work of innovation was difficult. Spain's principal matadors ungallantly sought to drown the lady bull fighters with ridicule, but without success. Even their practice in the empty arena was enough to draw a crowd, and Senorita Lolita, the first of the two matadoras, is as skilful a hand with the deadly short sword as any crack espada, from San Sebastian to Algecixas. HER FACE SCARRED. Lolita was capering about and trying, to plunge the -regulation sword into a dummy made from a large pair of real bull's horns surmounting a wooden face roughly painted with tar, and adorned with two ferocious white eyes. His back was a -wooden plank in which was a square hole two inches across, situated just where the most vulnerable point would be in the real animal, and where a good matador always tries to strike. This imitation bull was mounted on a kind of gocart, and was trundled about rapidly and in as realistic a manner as possible by a youth, while Lolita did her best to drive the bull fighting sword straight into the hole. She was wearing skirts during this practice, but when in the arena Lolita and her comrades in arms put on the regulation dress of the male bull fighter. These women toreadors occasionally meet with serious injury. Lolita's dark face bears a long white scar stretching from mouth to ear. She was terribly gored at Saragossa last year, and nearly lost her life. "It was my fault," she said, "for I let my capa fall just when I needed it most. You may be sure," she said, "I need all my nerve to deal a good clean blow at the end, and my greatest safeguard lies In always keeping as cool as possible." THEY PERFORM MANY FEATS. Both Lolita and Angelita, the other matadora, are from Catalonia, and like most Spanish girls were enthusiastic followers of bull-fighting from earliest childhood. They often sighed that they were not boys and regretted being precluded from taking up the national sport. One of the girls in the cuadrilla comes of a family of toreros. Her brother is a. very expert man in the bull ring, and the girl herself was early initiated into the dangers of the arena. It is a profession which must be taken up young, while the joints are still supple. All the men who are good at it show what they are made of before they are 20. Lolita began at 16, and her sister principal at 17. At present these women bull fighters content themselves with killing two-year-old bulls, and so far their manager has deemed it imprudent to allow his charges to tackle the bulls of six or seven years. At the same time, the women perform many feats not attempted by the men. There is. for instance, the business of jumping over the bull's back by means of a pole, and both

"leading ladies'* tackle the bull on horseback with a long lance. Senor Totti himself superintends the practice in the empty arena, placing the girls in strategic positions, while the young man with the wheeled dummy runs hither and thither, first at one and then at another. If one of the cuadrilla is inattentive to the performance the master of ceremonies rebukes her severely. PAID MISERABLY. After this practice has gone on for half an hour or so an exhibition of pole jumping is given, and this concludes the day's exercise. Next day, it may be, the lady bull fighters, give a real exhibition, and attract the whole town. Thousands turn out who would not in the ordinary way attend a bull fight, and bets are made as to the ability of the respective matadoras. In nearly all respects the corrida of these women bull fighters is the same as that of the men, and the time-honoured state entry, strategic distribution of forces over the arena, entry of the bull, and miscellaneous play thereafter are all closely followed. Naturally now and then one of the girls grqws timid before an unusually determined charge, and takes to her heels with a stifled scream. The audience roars with laughter, even though her lif e tnay be in serious danger. Truth to tell, however, these young bulls, known as novil'.os have little of the true fighting spirit! The pay of the women i: very small as compared with that of the first-rate male bull fighter. Lolita herself seldom receives more than £6 for killing six young bulls, while the rest of the troupe account themselves lucky if they get.fl for their share of the- entertainment.