Michelito Lagravere Peniche

Jairo, an apprentice bullfighter who is following in the footsteps of his father, knows the danger better than most. A Spaniard who began his professional career in Mexico at 12, Jairo was gored so seriously on April 15 in Aguascalientes that he was near death. The bull, named Hidrocalido and weighing in excess of 900 pounds, pierced his left lung, coming within an inch of his heart.

The first bullfight of the season in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula was rained out, which is why two of Mexico’s youngest bullfighters, disappointed to not be confronting real bulls, found themselves playing in the middle of the Plaza of Mérida after most of the spectators had gone.

 
They are not allowed to fight professionally in Spain, but baby-faced bullfighters are the rage throughout Mexico. Even though some of the school-age children appearing at the country’s scores of bullrings are not much taller than the bulls they confront, these mini-matadors have begun getting top billing from promoters, who view them as a new way to bring people to the arena.

 
It is difficult to know exactly how many of them are fighting across the country, and no Mexican law limits their age. Regional and national bullfighting groups consider the bullfighters’ experience when matching them with the bulls, with the youngest and least experienced starting with year-old bulls.

 
Still, the children confront very real danger in the ring, and their fights still end with the traditional killing of the bull. As their appearances have grown more frequent, so, too, has criticism from those who say they should find a safer extracurricular activity.