A bull fatally gored a former matador who was helping to prepare a traditional Picasso-themed Easter weekend bullfight, organisers said Saturday.
Ricardo Ortiz, 51, was unloading bulls at the La Malagueta arena on Friday evening when “one of the bulls gored him forcefully causing his death,” event organizer Lances del Futuro said in a statement.
Ortiz, who came from a family with deep ties to bullfighting, retired from the ring more than two decades ago but remained involved in managing bulls at Malaga’s main arena, which seats about 9,000 spectators.
The incident occurred as Ortiz helped prepare a Pablo Picasso-themed bullfight scheduled for Saturday night, known as the “Corrida Picassiana”.
The arena, decorations, and matadors’ costumes for the event are inspired by the works of Picasso, born in Malaga, who maintained a lifelong fascination with bullfighting.
The bullfight is traditionally held on Holy Saturday during the Easter period.
Lances del Futuro expressed “deep sorrow” and extended condolences to Ortiz’s family.
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Spain hosts about 1,500 bullfights each year, often coinciding with religious festivals, though numbers have declined, according to government figures.
Opponents describe the events as barbaric, while fans defend them as a deeply rooted ancient art form.
The last professional matador to die during a fight in Spain was Víctor Barrio in 2016 in Teruel, in the eastern part of the country.
