Eduardo and Antonio Miura, born for the sector and the bull | The bull, by the horns | Culture | EUROtoday

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Eduardo (82 years outdated) and Antonio (73) Miura are absolutely satisfied that they have been born to be ranchers from the cradle. They each reply in unison, which has all the time been instilled in them. The countryside, Zahariche's Sevillian property, has been his residence and faculty trip spot, and the bull and the horse have been his toys.

Ask. But, maybe, you had one other vocation…

And they each reply once more on the identical time.

“We have never considered it. It has never occurred to us to think that the countryside was not our thing; “We, in the countryside, with the horses and the bulls, are happy.”

Eduardo and Antonio studied Agricultural Expertise, though they’ve used all their information on the household farm. At the course of their dad and mom, they made a quick and compulsory foray into work exterior of livestock farming.

“I worked for ten months in a water company,” says Eduardo, “but only for a change of scenery, because before the year I was already back in Zahariche.”

“And I, because my mother insisted,” says Antonio, “I spent six months in a drilling company, but what we liked was the countryside.”

Eduardo has a son of the identical title, 35 years outdated, who has studied Business Administration and Management, works in livestock farming and has by no means supplied his companies exterior of it. He is the assure of the longer term for the household enterprise.

“Well, more or less,” the daddy muses. “Initially, yes,” his brother Antonio responds, “although I hope that will take a while to arrive.” “I say what I say,” explains Eduardo, “because with age I already see everything in black and white.”

“They say that I greeted the minister very seriously at the presentation of the Medal of Fine Arts; I'm not going to smile at him if he wants to take my food away” (Eduardo Miura).

The two brothers and Eduardo Jr. are custodians of a legend and handle a livestock farm that at this time has about 700 head of cattle, amongst which there are 220 cows. In addition to the bull, they plant cereals on irrigated land and lift a number of pronghorn cows on colorao which they use for their very own oxen or on the market, however 80% of the enterprise is the bull.

Ask. But is Miura's livestock farming worthwhile?

Answer. We defend ourselves. He feeds us, and with that we’ve got greater than sufficient. We will not be wealthy nor will we take pleasure in a yacht, however we do what we like.

Miura was born in 1842, and it appears miraculous that it stays at this time given the quite a few livestock farms which have disappeared in that lengthy time frame.

“I think it must have been because of the way the whole family acted,” says Eduardo.

“It is a miracle, for sure,” provides Antonio, “with the events that have occurred in this world since the middle of the 19th century and the political, economic and social changes that Spain has experienced, the two Republics, the Spanish flu, the Civil War… it is miraculous that we are still here.”

'Escandaloso', weighing 637 kilos, a Miura bull fought in sixth place on the 19th in the Plaza de Las Ventas.
'Escandaloso', weighing 637 kilos, a Miura bull fought in sixth place on the nineteenth within the Plaza de Las Ventas.Alfredo Arévalo (Image supplied by Plaza 1)

P. And do you assume there’s a future?

R. As lengthy as individuals go to the bullrings, I feel so, says Antonio, and I see many younger individuals within the bullfights, in order that, even when the politicians don't wish to, it gained't be simple to place an finish to the social gathering.

“I think there is a future,” Eduardo says, “even if the Minister of Culture does not agree.”

P. But you might be already acquaintances of the minister. On April 3, they have been seen greeting him on the event of the presentation of the Fine Arts medals awarded to them by the ministry.

R. Yes, says Eduardo, however he made it clear publicly that the prize had been awarded by the earlier minister and never him.

P. But you, Eduardo, greeted Ernest Urtasun with a really critical gesture.

R. I'm not going to smile at him after he tries to take my meals away…

“I didn't give him a bad face, to be honest,” Antonio feedback, “but you, yes; Come on, you looked at him as if you were a miuraand and…”

And both of them, in a joking tone, comment on the pride it is for the family that the Royal Spanish Academy includes the word miura in the dictionary and, in addition to alluding to the famous iron bull, a second meaning refers to “a wicked person, of bad intentions”.

“But let me say something,” Antonio intervenes. “The night before the medal was awarded, a dinner was held, and we both went with the fly behind our ears, convinced that all the attendees would be against the bulls, and we were surprised that they were not It was like this: 'This doesn't have to end,' was the general comment I heard.”

P. The truth is that Miura's bull is different. Today we look for the comfortable bull, and yours requires a bullfighter and not an artistic bullfighter.

R. I'm not sure,” Eduardo intervenes. Pepe Luis Vázquez Sr. fought the Miura bullfight in Seville every April Fair, and the year my father debuted in La Maestranza the poster was Pepe Bienvenida, Manolete and Pepe Luis. It is true, however, that Pepe Luis was a point and apart. He had the best head to see the bulls. Conclusion: that Miura's bull can also be fought by an artistic bullfighter.

“Those at the top of the ladder don't want to advertise with our bulls,” provides Antonio, “but neither do those at the bottom; This bull is complicated and if the bullfighter lacks skill he can have a bad time.”

“To be before a miura“, he continues, “you have to have, first, position, really put the muleta forward, temperance – not violence – and not to like it because this bull doesn't admit it. This is like a hornet's nest; If you don't bother them, they won't bite you, but if you smack them, you have to run away.

“We defend ourselves; Livestock feeds us and with that we have enough” (Antonio Miura).

P. Perhaps that discomfort is the key to permanence over time.

R. It's possible. Miura's bull learns and is aware of what is happening around him. And if he can eat you, he eats you. He has unpredictable reactions. Because? You would have to ask them. It's in your genes.

P. Despite everything, Miura maintains its prestige…

“That's how it is,” says Antonio, “and that's lucky; We are very grateful to the Seville company and the public; We have fought uninterruptedly since 1941 and it is repeated year after year regardless of triumph or failure. But you have to be careful: livestock farming is day to day, you can have a bad season, but not two or three, because it shows in the places in which you can deal.

For this year, Miura has sold six bullfights: Seville, already fought; Madrid, Pamplona, ​​Algeciras, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Zaragoza. The two brothers waited for the Las Ventas event with the excitement and tension inherent in the case, but the bullfight was not up to the expectations. The bulls attracted attention for their appearance, but disappointed with their behavior.

Eduardo's son, the young man of the same name, also present in the conversation, trusts in the future of the bullfight, but draws attention to the bureaucratic complications to which the livestock farms are subject in terms of health, the obstacles policies and the increase in prices of the products necessary for raising the bull which, in his opinion, have not had an impact on the bullfighting price.

“We endured,” his uncle Antonio concludes. “We make numbers and we maintain on. The ups and downs scare us, however we've been like this for a few years…

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https://elpais.com/cultura/el-toro-por-los-cuernos/2024-05-24/eduardo-y-antonio-miura-nacidos-para-el-campo-y-el-toro.html