Francisco Montes Reina
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Francisco Montes Reina (January 13, 1804 - April 4, 1851), nicknamed Paquiro, was a famous matador who was born in Chiclana, Cádiz, Spain. He would have become a surgeon, but a certain marquis retracted his patronage, leaving Francisco's father in financial difficulties, hence the son became "Paquiro", since he was not satisfied just being a mason. Flinging himself headlong into bullfighting, he relied on courage until he found art. He finally occupied so great a position in bullfighting that around 1840 he was paid in Madrid 6,000 Spanish reals for killing five bulls. Two years later, he earned 2,000 per bull. Until 1848, when he retired, he was by far the most important bullfighter in Spain. He attempted to return to the ring after retirement, but was not the same as before. If the bull "Rumbón" on his last afternoon, on July 21, 1850, in Madrid, did not kill "Paquiro", he inflicted on him the most serious blow of his career. A shadow of himself, without ever again turning the flannel with his wrist, he died at forty-six years in his home town.
[edit] Quotes about him
- (TEN MASTERS by Bernardo V. Carande, Los Toros by Ed. Indice, page 117)
