Julián López Escobar (born October 3, 1982) commonly known as ''El Juli'', is a Spanish
bullfighter
A bullfighter (or matador) is a performer in the activity of bullfighting. ''Torero'' () or ''toureiro'' (), both from Latin ''taurarius'', are the Spanish and Portuguese words for bullfighter and describe all the performers in the activity ...
.
Biography
Julián López Escobar caped his first bull at the young age of nine and his family enrolled him in the Madrid Academy of Tauromachy. After years of studying, he moved to Mexico to perform in
bullfights
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
, as Spain required ''novilleros'' (junior matador) to be of at least 16 years of age. On March 16, 1997, at the age of 14, López Escobar made his bullfighting debut in
Texcoco,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. He finished with a standing ovation and received two bulls' ears. Approximately one year later, on September 18, 1998, López Escobar received his ''alternativa'' in
Nîmes,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. At age 15, he became the youngest professional bullfighter in the history of the sport.
By the age of 17, Julián had become the highest-paid bullfighter in history. Julián often placed his own ''banderillas'' (spiked banners), which is typically the job of the
''banderillero''. Additionally, in three out of his 134 performances in 1999, he was the lone matador. During the
San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain in 2010, he was injured and had to be hospitalized after a bull gored him in the thigh, stomach and scrotum.
Personal life
He married Rosario Domecq Márquez, daughter of Pedro Domecq de la Riva and Rosario Márquez Amilibia, on October 20, 2007, in the chapel of the Convent of Santa Catalina in Santo Domingo de Jerez de la Frontera. On 6 September 2011, they became the parents of twins, a girl named Rosario and a boy named Fernando. On 26 March 2014, they had a daughter, Isabel.
See also
*
List of bullfighters
The following is a list of notable male bullfighters which include includes bullfighters by country. The list of female bullfighters catalogues the spread of women in the sport.
Colombia
* Luis Bolívar (born 1985).
* Pepe Cáceres (1935–198 ...
References
Living people
1982 births
Spanish bullfighters
People from Madrid
{{spain-bullfighting-bio-stub