STARR COUNTY, Texas — In the heart of the Texas borderlands, an ancient sport lives on with a twist.
The Santa Maria Bullring in Starr County is the one place in Texas where you can still watch a traditional bullfight. It started in 2000 and reopened last year after closing in 2023. Owner Miguel Nuñez says people missed seeing the unique shows.
“People keep coming back because they love it. It’s the tradition of it,” he said.
And every part of the tradition is still alive — almost. Instead of piercing the bull with a sword, the torrero, or bullfighter, must get close enough to the animal to take a flower off its neck.
Cayetano Delgado from Monterrey, Mexico, has fought bulls since he was 6 years old and has traveled to perform in the Santa Maria Bullring since he was a teen. Delgado says the adaptation is done out of respect for the country hosting them and, of course, the animal.
“It’s different here because the bull doesn’t die,” Delgado said. “But for me, the danger is the same.”
Delgado prepares for the fight with mediation and lots of prayer.
“The most intimate moment for a bullfighter is this one, as he’s getting ready to face the animal,” Delgado said. “It can bring a lot of fear. It’s a ritual that requires concentration.”
Once he steps into the ring, though, you would never know he’s scared. Delgado and the other torreros charge toward the bull and spin away, even laying down directly in front of it. It all builds up to the moment he takes the flower off the bull. With every victory, this Spanish and Mexican tradition becomes a little more Texan.