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Since I was made
an Honorary Member of the New York City Club Taurino in September 2006, when I
made a bullfighting presentation at the Alger Mansion in New
York, I regularly receive e-mails announcing its monthly 
programs and providing
information related to the club. The programs for the meetings often includes
the regular activities of the same type all the clubs have, such as business
meetings, recounting what some members have experienced in some taurine ferias.
These meetings also give the members the chance to socialize with
other aficionados and to share taurine experiences while enjoying some tapas
and drinks. Nevertheless, since I started receiving these programs I have been
amazed by how often Spanish bullfighting professionals, especially invited for
the occasion, have comes to New York to be principal guests of the NYCCT meetings.
To illustrate how often these 
meetings are
highlighted by the presence of Spanish taurinos I will mention the names of
persons who made presentations at the club this year. Often the presentations
take place at the the Manhattan Penthouse
or the Alger
Mansion , owned by club President Lore Monnig and her husband. Usually the presentation is preceded by a reception and
followed by a dinner where the members and their guests have the chance to meet
and interact with the presenters:
-May 15. The
journalist and poet Juan Belmonte, grandson of the famous old matador of the
same name, presented “Pregón Taurino
of New York”;
-October 23. Juan
Carlos Navas, President of the Plaza de Toros of Avila,
Spain, gave a conference on Encastes del Toro de Lidia” (Different
Breeds of Brave Bulls);
-October 30. Reception with the famous matador de
toros “El Fandi”, who was in New York
presenting and promoting the documentary MATADOR;
-November 13. An evening with taurine journalist José Enrique Moreno, from Seville, who gave a conference entitled El Toro, la Clave (The Bull, the Key).
Furthermore,
in previous years, as I recall, matadors Vicente Barrera and Luis Francisco
Espla, the critics Jose Ignacio Cossío, José Antonio del Moral and José Enrique Moreno were
in New York City to participate in NYCCT programs. It seems that the trend of inviting
toreros and other taurinos to come to New York to promote bullfighting will
continue next year, since the dynastic novillero Alejandro Esplá is
already scheduled to appear at the club on January 6, 2009.
The
NYCCT is to
be commended because, by bringing bullfighting professionals to participates in its activities, it enables its
members to learn about the fiesta brava from people who really know the
subject. Furthermore, the visitors, after becoming aware of the enthusiasm of
the American aficion, they spread the word of the existence of this good
aficion in Spain, at the some time that the Spanish press reports the activities of
these taurinos in New York.
