A former bullfighter has died after being gored by a bull while helping to prepare a traditional Easter weekend bullfight in Málaga (Andalusia), organisers said.
Ricardo Ortiz, 51, was unloading animals in the corrals of the La Malagueta bullring (main image) on Friday evening when the incident occurred. According to the event organiser, Lances del Futuro, ‘one of the bulls gored him forcefully causing his death’.
The attack happened at around 7.40pm as Ortiz was assisting with the arrival of bulls from the El Pilar and Puerto de San Lorenzo ranches for the annual Corrida Picassiana, a Holy Saturday event inspired by Malaga-born artist Pablo Picasso, and in which costumes and staging are partly inspired by Picasso’s work. One of the animals, reportedly being treated for an injury, suddenly charged, leaving Ortiz unable to avoid the impact.
Emergency services were unable to save him.
Authorities have opened an investigation into the death as a workplace accident. Spain’s National Police, including officers from the Homicide Brigade, are examining the circumstances.
Ortiz, who was born in Malaga, came from a family deeply rooted in bullfighting. His father, Manolo Ortiz, was a bullfighter and banderillero, and he followed the same path, beginning his career in the late 1980s.
Although his career did not reach the top tier of the profession, he remained closely linked to the industry. After retiring more than two decades ago, he continued working with bulls at Malaga’s main arena, which has a capacity of around 9,000 spectators.
Lances del Futuro expressed ‘deep sorrow’ over the death, extending condolences to Ortiz’s family, friends and colleagues. The company described him as ‘a much-loved and respected figure in the bullfighting world’.
Spain hosts around 1,500 bullfights each year, although participation has declined in recent years. The tradition remains deeply divisive, with supporters defending it as a cultural art form and critics condemning it as cruel. ALSO READ: Spain advances legal reform to ban minors from attending or taking part in bullfighting.
The last professional matador to be killed in the ring in Spain was Víctor Barrio in 2016 in Teruel. ALSO READ: Opinion: why bullfights should stay cancelled after Covid-19.
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⬛El fallecido al ser embestido por un toro en La Malagueta es el extorero malagueño Ricardo Ortiz, de 51 años de edad. Pertenecía a una famosa dinastía de toreros malagueños, trabajaba como corralero en La Malagueta.
La empresa Lances de Futuro ha publicado un comunicado en el… pic.twitter.com/GA2LfRtSpD
— 101TV Málaga (@101tvMalaga) April 3, 2026
Muere el torero retirado Ricardo Ortiz de una cornada en los corrales de la plaza de La Malagueta https://t.co/9OEZKZLGH2
— EL PAÍS (@el_pais) April 4, 2026
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