Matador Cristina Sanchez: how the bullfighting master's star rose and set

In our minds, a matador is a brave, flexible man in a bright suit who risks his life at every bullfight. It's hard to imagine that a woman would choose this dangerous and brutal job. In fact, there are very few female matadors in the world. But among them there are stars, such as the Spanish Cristina Sanchez. She was the only one who managed to reach the heights of excellence and for a long time was considered unsurpassed in Spain and throughout Europe.

Cristina Sanchez was born on February 20, 1972 in Madrid. Her father was a picador, so from an early age Christina watched the bloody and mesmerizing spectacle of a duel between a man and a bull. But at the same time, when she told her father that she wanted to follow in his footsteps, it came as a surprise to him.

The girl entered the Madrid School of Tauromachy. To pay for her studies, Christina had to work hard. First, she mastered hairdressing and got a job in a beauty salon, and later found a position as a manager in a trading company. Sanchez devoted all her free time to understanding the art of bullfighting.

Christina had her first fight in the arena in 1986. It was a type of bullfighting called "becerrada". The girl's rivals were young bulls under 2 years of age. In 1992, Cristina Sanchez performed as a picador in the capital of Ecuador, Quito. By this point, she was a well-known figure in her home country of Spain, and was considered something of a phenomenon in the world of bullfighting.

The most successful year in Sanchez’s career was 1995. The brave female picador fought 30 successful fights and was even carried in her arms through the main gate of the Las Ventas Monumental Arena. In her profession, this ceremony is considered the highest recognition of excellence. It was a triumph for Sanchez - her childhood dream, which once seemed impossible, had finally come true.

After stunning success, Christina did not think about stopping. She decided to do the unprecedented - to become the best among the matadors. But it was not so simple and it’s not even about the bulls. Bullfighting fans are quite conservative people, and if a woman became a matador, she was supposed to be in the shadow of men. In May 1995, Cristina Sanchez performed for the first time in a bullfight as a matador. This happened in the French city of Nimes.

The fight was successful, and Sanchez thought everything was going well for her. But this was not so - the brave woman faced a new obstacle, which was incredibly difficult to overcome. Torrero men flatly refused to enter the arena with a woman. The public recognized Christina, but she was very far from recognition in professional circles.

In 1996, Sanchez had 66 fights, in 1997 - 60 fights and in 1998 - 30 fights. She has become the favorite bullfighter of millions, but women are not allowed to participate in the most prestigious bullfights. Such discrimination greatly affected Christina's self-confidence. Moreover, she knew her weak point well. This was the last blow with the sword, taking the life of the bull.

With each fight, her hand gripping the hilt began to tremble more and more, and everyone noticed it. This is not surprising, because a woman by nature should give life, but not take it away. In 1999, Cristina Sanchez had 22 fights and announced her retirement. In 2000, she married Portuguese picador José Alejandro da Silva. Now the couple lives in a cozy house in the suburbs of Madrid and has two children. Thus, due to envy and discrimination, the career of the best female matador in the history of bullfighting ended.

After her departure, Cristina Sanchez entered the arena only once. This happened in 2016. The 44-year-old bullfighting star then put on a spectacular performance and won another victory. The woman donated the money raised that day to a fund for children with cancer.