Valdefresno, a flagship ganaderia of the 2000s neglected by French ferias

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The bulls of Valdefresno for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The bulls of Valdefresno for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The bulls of Valdefresno for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The bulls of Valdefresno for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The bulls of Valdefresno for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

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The bulls of Valdefresno for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The Valdefresno toros for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

The bulls of Valdefresno for 2025 in their finca south of Salamanca. Midi Libre – Stéphan Guin

An essential breeding of the 2000s in France, the Salamanca iron has been absent from the major French ferias for a decade. Midi Libre has rediscovered this ganaderia which wrote several beautiful pages in the history of the Béziers arenas in 2006 and 2007.

Caraalegre and Nicolas Fraile left an unforgettable memory in the arenas of Béziers. In the midst of the blue tongue epidemic, French companies were forced to abandon Andalusian breeding and the Valdefresno came to replace the traditional Miura bullfight in Béziers. The result was beyond expectations because the brave men of Campo Charro wrote one of the four most beautiful pages in the history of the Béziers arenas of the last half-century with the Sepulveda of 1981, the Miura of 1983, and the Margé of 2023.

The first indulto in Béziers in 2006

Indeed, on August 16, 2006, Ivan Garcia pardoned Caraalegre, a first in the Béziers bullring in an exceptional bullfight of presentation, bravery and class. The following year, the Valdefresno iron fought a new high-level bullfight and, since then, they have been intermittently present in French bullrings. However, a beautiful story unites Béziers with this Salamanca breeding since Sébastien Castella had opened the first of his six large gates in Madrid by cutting two ears of “Lironcito” on May 18, 2007.

In 2014, the owner Nicolas Fraile died at the age of 77 and his two heirs separated in 2021 to share the breeding. Jesus Enrique kept the historic finca “Valdefresno” in Tabera de Abayo (with the iron of Fraile de Valdefresno), 30 kilometers south of Salamanca, and Nicolas Jr. kept the family iron and took up residence at the finca Telesancho a few cables from the historic pastures.

15 years later, the bulls convey the same seriousness with their massive size and imposing armor inherited from their crossing of the horseshoes of the Region of Atanasio Fernandez and Lisardo Sanchez. Since then, the Fraile have refreshed their blood with bulls from Javier Tabernero and burracos (black and white bulls) complete the panoply of essentially black and mulatas.

A bullfight in France in 2025 ?

Met in his finca this Tuesday, Nicolas Fraile wants to be a philosopher. “Bullfighting responds to cycles and fashions and we have not been very present in France for several years even if we are in contact with an arena for the next temporada. Returning to your ferias is an ambition because we have experienced great moments in your country.”

The breeder is satisfied with his 2024 vintage: “we started the temporada with an ear bull in Castellon for Borja Jimenez. Then, I liked the bullfight in Madrid and the three bullfighters would have cut ears if it weren't for the failures with the sword. Borja Jimenez has also opened the great door of Calatayud and Tarazona de Aragon to our bulls”.

With a herd of 160 cows and nine breeding stock, Valdefresno is preparing two novilladas and four bullfights for 2025. “We have fourteen bulls reserved for Madrid and three other bullfights for second-category bullrings. The eight bulls that will not go out to Las Ventas will also be able to fight in a first-category bullring at the end of 2025”, explains the breeder.