[5][6] Born in a small town in Burgos, he had no family background in bullfighting, but has nonetheless become a well known matador in his own country and abroad.
In the end, however, his family clearly did not stand in his way, and under maestro Regino Ortés's and aficionado Lorenzo's kindly tutelage, Jesús learnt his first lessons in bullfighting.
[7] Morenito donned the suit of lights for the first time and had his début without picadores on 30 May 1999 at Tudela de Duero in the province of Valladolid.
[10] On 6 June 2004, Morenito presented himself at Las Ventas, the main bullring in Madrid, at the Feria de San Isidro ("Saint Isidore's Fair" — a yearly event at Las Ventas), fighting a yearling bull named Cervato ("Young Fawn") from the El Ventorrillo ranch, alternating with Miguel Ángel Perera and Ismael López.
Standing as "godfather" was Salvador Vega, while José María Manzanares bore witness to this important occasion in the young bullfighter's professional life.
[12][13] On 17 September 2006, Morenito was performing on home ground, at the Aranda de Duero bullring, reaping four ears from bulls that had been supplied by the Victoriano del Río ranch.
On 27 December, he saw his alternativa confirmed once again, this time at the Monumental bullring in Mexico City, fighting a bull named Setenta Años ("Seventy Years") from the San Miguel ranch.
Standing as "godfather" this time was Humberto Flores, and bearing witness was Pedro Gutiérrez Lorenzo "El Capea".
[20][7] A week later, on 3 January 2010, he once again appeared at a Mexican engagement and reaped one ear from a bull raised at the Santa María de Xalpa ranch.
[29][30] On 2 May 2015, in the traditional corrida goyesca, Morenito saw the great gate open for him (leading to a triumphant trip out through it on a fellow bullfighter's shoulders) after he had left an extraordinary bull from the Montealto ranch earless.
In a very rare event, on 29 August at the Iniesta bullring (in the province of Cuenca), he spared a bull from the French Aimé Gallon et fils ranch in a process known as an indulto.
Rare as this is, though, Morenito granted another bull, from the Victoriano del Río ranch, an indulto less than a month later, on 19 September in the bullfighter's hometown, Aranda de Duero.
The lucky bull was Murga from the Victorino Martín ranch, from whom the bullfighter was awarded both ears and the tail — albeit in symbolic form.
The first was on 19 July at the Ávila bullring before bulls from the Adolfo Martín Andrés ranch, and the other was at the Estepona bullring in the province of Málaga as part of the Gira de Reconstrucción (a programme aimed at supporting bullfighting at the height of the pandemic), where he shared billing with Emilio de Justo and fought bulls from the La Quinta ranch.