Miura bull
Encyclopedia
A Miura bull is a Spanish fighting bull bred from the lineage of the Miura Cattle Ranch , located in the province of Seville
, Spain. The ranch originally belonged to Don Eduardo Miura Fernández, and is known for producing large and difficult fighting bulls. A Miura bull first debuted in Madrid on April 30, 1849.
The Miura line traces its roots to five historic Spanish bull breeds, namely the Gallardo, Cabrera, Navarra, Veragua, and Vistahermosa-Parladé.
The Miura ranch is located at the Zahariche estate, a few miles from the village of Lora del Río
, in the province of Seville
. The estate, which has been occupied by the Miuras since 1842, encompasses over 600 hectares, and several hundred bulls, oxen, cows and calves live on its lands. The stud farm employs twelve people, including eight Andalusian vaquero
s. The ranch is presently presided over by Eduardo and Antonio Miura, sons of the late Don Eduardo. According to Eduardo Miura, the ranch aims to "breed for quality, not quantity."
The Miura breed was created in 1842 by Juan Miura, using 220 Gil de Herrera cows, and 200 José Luis Alvareda cows and studs, all coming from the Gallardo family of El Puerto de Santa María
. In 1850, the Cabrera line was added using cows from Jerónima Núñez de Prado, and two Vistahermosa studs were brought in in 1860. The bullfighter Rafael Molina Sánchez
donated a Navarro bull, and the Duke of Veragua
contributed a castaño ojinegro. Also known to have been involved are a bull from Conde de la Corte, and the bull named "Bandillero", a Parladé belonging to the Marquess of Tamarón
.
, Ernest Hemingway
wrote:
Bulls from the Miura lineage have a reputation for being large, fierce, and cunning. It is said to be especially dangerous for a matador to turn his back on a Miura. Miura bulls have been referred to as individualists, each bull seemingly possessing a strong personal character.
The name Miura is best known outside the world of bullfighting thanks to Ferruccio Lamborghini
's sports car maker, Lamborghini
, and its classic Miura
sports car. A number of Lamborghini cars have been named for Miura bulls and the world of bullfighting in general; it was a visit to the Miura ranch that inspired Ferruccio Lamborghini, a Taurus
himself, to make a bull the symbol of his industrial empire.
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Seville (province)
Seville is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by the provinces of Málaga, Cádiz, Huelva, Badajoz, and Córdoba.Its area is 14,042 km²...
, Spain. The ranch originally belonged to Don Eduardo Miura Fernández, and is known for producing large and difficult fighting bulls. A Miura bull first debuted in Madrid on April 30, 1849.
The Miura line traces its roots to five historic Spanish bull breeds, namely the Gallardo, Cabrera, Navarra, Veragua, and Vistahermosa-Parladé.
The Miura ranch is located at the Zahariche estate, a few miles from the village of Lora del Río
Lora del Río
Lora del Río is a city located in the province of Seville, Spain. According to the 2006 census by INE, it has a population of 19,077 inhabitants.-Geography:...
, in the province of Seville
Seville (province)
Seville is a province of southern Spain, in the western part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. It is bordered by the provinces of Málaga, Cádiz, Huelva, Badajoz, and Córdoba.Its area is 14,042 km²...
. The estate, which has been occupied by the Miuras since 1842, encompasses over 600 hectares, and several hundred bulls, oxen, cows and calves live on its lands. The stud farm employs twelve people, including eight Andalusian vaquero
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
s. The ranch is presently presided over by Eduardo and Antonio Miura, sons of the late Don Eduardo. According to Eduardo Miura, the ranch aims to "breed for quality, not quantity."
The Miura breed was created in 1842 by Juan Miura, using 220 Gil de Herrera cows, and 200 José Luis Alvareda cows and studs, all coming from the Gallardo family of El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María
El Puerto de Santa María is a municipality located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. , the city has a population of c...
. In 1850, the Cabrera line was added using cows from Jerónima Núñez de Prado, and two Vistahermosa studs were brought in in 1860. The bullfighter Rafael Molina Sánchez
Rafael Molina Sánchez
Rafael Molina Sánchez "Lagartijo", the son of "Niño de Dios", and nephew of "Poleo", was born in Cordoba on November 27, 1841. He fought in his home town on September 8, 1851 when he was nine years old. On September 29, 1865, he became a full bullfighter at Ubeda...
donated a Navarro bull, and the Duke of Veragua
Duchy of Veragua
The Duchy of Veragua was a Spanish hereditary domain created in 1537 in the reign of King Charles I in a small section of the territory of Veragua...
contributed a castaño ojinegro. Also known to have been involved are a bull from Conde de la Corte, and the bull named "Bandillero", a Parladé belonging to the Marquess of Tamarón
Tamarón
Tamarón is a municipality located in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 46.-External links:...
.
Reputation
In his book Death in the AfternoonDeath in the Afternoon
Death in the Afternoon is a non-fiction book by Ernest Hemingway about the ceremony and traditions of Spanish bullfighting. It was originally published in 1932. The book provides a look at the history and what Hemingway considers the magnificence of bullfighting...
, Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
wrote:
Bulls from the Miura lineage have a reputation for being large, fierce, and cunning. It is said to be especially dangerous for a matador to turn his back on a Miura. Miura bulls have been referred to as individualists, each bull seemingly possessing a strong personal character.
The name Miura is best known outside the world of bullfighting thanks to Ferruccio Lamborghini
Ferruccio Lamborghini
Ferruccio Elio Arturo Lamborghini was an Italian industrialist. Born to grape farmers from the comune of Renazzo di Cento in the Emilia-Romagna region, his mechanical know-how led him to enter the business of tractor manufacturing in 1948, when he founded Lamborghini Trattori, which quickly became...
's sports car maker, Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
, and its classic Miura
Lamborghini Miura
The Lamborghini Miura was a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1972. The car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars...
sports car. A number of Lamborghini cars have been named for Miura bulls and the world of bullfighting in general; it was a visit to the Miura ranch that inspired Ferruccio Lamborghini, a Taurus
Taurus (astrology)
Taurus is the second astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the 30th and 59th degree of celestial longitude. Generally, the Sun transits this area of the zodiac between April 21 to May 21 each year...
himself, to make a bull the symbol of his industrial empire.
Famous bulls
- MurciélagoMurciélagoMurciélago was a Navarra fighting bull known for having survived 28 sword strokes in an October 5, 1879 fight against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, Spain. Its name means bat in Spanish....
survived 24 jabs with the lance from the picadorPicadorA picador is one of the pair of horsemen in a Spanish bullfight that jab the bull with a lance. They perform in the tercio de varas which is the first of the three stages in a Spanish bullfight.The picador has three main functions:...
in a fight October 5, 1879 against Rafael "El Lagartijo" Molina Sanchez, at the Coso de los califas bullring in Córdoba, SpainCórdoba, Spain-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
. Murciélago fought with such passion and spirit that the crowd called for his life to be spared, an honor which the matador bestowed. The bull, which came from Joaquin del Val di Navarra's farm, was later presented as a gift to Don Antonio Miura, Don Eduardo's brother. The Miuras proceeded to sire him into the Miura line. The Lamborghini MurcielagoLamborghini MurciélagoThe Lamborghini Murciélago is a two-door, two-seat sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 2001 and 2010. Successor to the Diablo and flagship of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The automaker's first new design in eleven years, the car...
is named in his honor. - Reventón, who was raised by Don Heriberto Rodríguez, killed bullfighter Félix Guzmán in Mexico in 1943. In 2007 Lamborghini released a super limited edition hyper car in his honor - the Lamborghini ReventonLamborghini ReventónThe Lamborghini Reventón is a mid-engine sports car that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the most expensive Lamborghini road car to date, costing one million euros . Its top recorded speed was recorded in Dubai, UAE at...
. - IsleroIsleroIslero was a Miura bull known for having killed famed bullfighter Manolete on August 28, 1947. Bulls from the Miura ranch, located near Seville, Spain, are known for being large and ferocious.Islero had poor eyesight and tended to chop with his right horn...
gored and killed famed bullfighter ManoleteManoleteManuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez , better known as Manolete, was a Spanish bullfighter.He rose to prominence shortly after the Spanish Civil War and is considered by some to be the greatest bullfighter of all time. His style was sober and serious, with few concessions to the gallery, and he...
on August 28, 1947. Islero had poor eyesight and tended to chop with his right horn. He was the 5th bull of the afternoon, and the 2nd for Manolete, at a bullfight in the town of Linares in the province of JaénJaén, SpainJaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, AndalusiaAndalusiaAndalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Spain. The bull's manager begged Manolete to finish him off quickly; as the matador reached over the bull's horns, thrusting his sword deep up to its hilt, Islero thrust his right horn, goring Manolete in the groin, severing his femoral arteryFemoral arteryThe femoral artery is a general term comprising a few large arteries in the thigh. They begin at the inguinal ligament and end just above the knee at adductor canal or Hunter's canal traversing the extent of the femur bone....
. The bullfighter was rushed to the hospital, but he died on the operating table later that evening. Lamborghini named their IsleroLamborghini IsleroThe Lamborghini Islero is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1968 and 1969. It was the replacement for the 400GT and featured the Lamborghini V12 engine...
2+2 grand tourer after him.
Temporary list of references
- Time: Death of Manolete http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,804164,00.html
- history 1842—1879: http://www.mundotoro.com/temas/tema.aspx?value=292
- recent news: http://www.sanfermin.com/index.php/en/sf09/noticias/miura-peligro-bullruning-encierro-2009
- Genealogy: http://www.mundotoro.com/temas/tema.aspx?value=180
- Miura bulls grazing at the Zahariche ranch in Andalucia
- http://mundotoro.com/mundotoro/Temas/Visualizacion.asp?TituloLink=null&IDPadre=null&ID=296
- http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/6701/toros/miura.html&date=2009-10-25+06:21:01
- Time: Miura bulls in Pamplona running, etc. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,743975-1,00.html
- The National geographic magazine, Volume 99, 1951
- Hemingway's Death in the afternoon: the complete annotations
- http://www.santxotxim.com/Ganaderias/Miura.htm
- http://sevillatoro.com/biografias_detalle.asp?id_biografias=13
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