Paco Camino

A bullfighter of the highest order, he dominated tauromachy and was twelve times borne shoulder-high out through the Great Gate at Las Ventas in Madrid, a record bested only by Santiago Martín Sánchez ("El Viti").

[3][4] Camino made his début with picadores on 7 September 1958 at the Zaragoza bullring with bulls supplied by the Francisco Escudero Muriel ranch, sharing billing with the Portuguese bullfighter José Júlio, and with Mariano Tirapo "Chiquito de Aragón".

Standing as "godfather" this time was Julio Aparicio Martínez, and bearing witness was José María Clavel (who was at the bullring that day to fill in for fellow bullfighter Antonio Borrero Morano "Chamaco"[3]).

[6] Camino had nonetheless recovered sufficiently by 24 May 1962 for him to take part in the ceremony to confirm José Martínez Limeño's alternativa; he bore witness while Diego Puerta stood as "godfather".

[3] Camino led the escalafón taurino (bullfighters' rankings) in 1963, the year when he first found himself being borne out through the Great Gate at Las Ventas, and in 1966.

In this latter year, he was represented by the Chopera family and starred in the bullfighting film Fray Torero, directed by José Luis Sáenz de Heredia.

[10] He fought bulls on more than fifty afternoons at Las Ventas in Madrid alone, reaping 48 ears and being borne on his fellow bullfighters' shoulders out through the Great Gate twelve times, on these dates (listed along with the accomplishments that earned Camino these acts of recognition): These twelve trips out through the gate at the bullfighting world's foremost bullring put Camino behind only El Viti in the number of times that this honour has been bestowed, and just ahead of Antonio Bienvenida.

They agreed to live in Spain, but only two years later, they chose to separate, as Norma (described by one writer as being "of volcanic character") was not adapting at all well to life far from her homeland, Mexico.

[6] Camino's next marriage was to the Madrileña María de los Ángeles Sanz, said to be Norma's "polar opposite", whom he met in the late 1960s.

It turned out that Camino had fallen in love with a woman, 17 years younger than himself, from La Mancha, by the name of Isabel Sánchez-Flor, the daughter of a wealthy clothing businessman.

[6][7] The town council in Camino's birthplace, Camas, in the Andalusian province of Seville, observed a minute's silence and declared a day of mourning in memory of an "emblematic figure".

[6] The visitors included Álvaro Domecq Romero (a bull breeder and former rejoneador), Eduardo Dávila Miura, brothers José Antonio and Tomás Campuzano (all matadors), David Domínguez (a banderillero), Lolo de Camas (a picador), and Curro Romero, a former bullfighter who was ninety years old by this time.

[18] Miguel Ángel Yáñez said of Camino "A controversial bullfighter, a highly refined stylist with the cape, magnificent with the muleta, he preferred the left to the right.

"[7] Consuelo Font, writing for El Mundo, offered "His refined style with the cape and the beautiful rhythm that he drew with his wrist in his natural passes earned him the fans' admiration, raising him to the top of the escalafón.