Por Redaccion The jury has unanimously agreed to award this prize for its historical roots, dating back to the Late Middle Ages, making it one of the oldest bullfighting ranches in Spain and a faithful and vivid reflection of the oldest bullfighting tradition in Castilla y León.
March 28, 2025
Castilla y León | Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports
The ‘El Raso de Portillo’ Livestock has been recognized with the Castilla y León Bullfighting Award for the 2024 edition. The jury has unanimously decided to grant this award «for its historical roots, dating back to the Late Middle Ages, making it one of the oldest bullfighting ranches in Spain. ‘El Raso de Portillo’ is a faithful and vivid reflection of the oldest bullfighting tradition in Castilla y León.»
The jury has highlighted «the characteristic breed and bravery of its livestock, which shines every year in renowned bullrings, with a notable presence in France.»
Furthermore, it is valued for «its contribution to the promotion of bullfighting culture, particularly in fostering knowledge of the livestock in its natural environment, and the interest in bullfighting through initiatives such as its annual bullfighting competition for young promising bullfighters and its activity programs for fan associations, bullfighting clubs, and individuals, both Spanish and foreign.»
Lastly, its significant role in preserving the protected area of Salgüeros de Aldeamayor, consisting of wetlands and pine forests around the Duero and Cega rivers, has been acknowledged. Thanks to this livestock farm, the Valladolid towns of Boecillo, Aldeamayor de San Martín, and La Pedraja de Portillo, within whose territories the ‘El Raso de Portillo’ estate extends, are recognized throughout Spain.
The jury, appointed by the Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, was composed of Pedro Gutiérrez Moya, ‘El Niño de la Capea’, a bullfighter and rancher who received the award in 2022; Marta Pérez López, a bullfighting surgeon and recipient of this award in 2023; Laura Vicente Torréns, mayor of the Fuentes de Oñoro City Council (Salamanca); Fernando Fernández Román, a bullfighting critic; Encarnación Martín López, professor of Historical Sciences and Techniques at the University of León, and Jesús Ignacio Sanz, who served as the secretary.
The Castilla y León Bullfighting Award aims to distinguish the professional trajectory, merits, or activities of individuals, entities, or institutions that have contributed to the promotion of the cultural, touristic, or economic values of bullfighting in Castilla y León.
It was in 2022 when this bullfighting award was introduced as a new category of the Castilla y León Awards. Before that, from 2015, the Castilla y León Bullfighting Award was annually granted. The recipients since that year have been: Santiago Martín Sánchez, ‘El Viti’, in 2015; Víctor Barrio, posthumously, in 2016; the Montalvo Livestock of Salamanca, in 2017; the Cuéllar Bull Runs, in 2018; the Bullfighting School of the Provincial Council of Salamanca, in 2019; Andrés Mazariegos Vázquez, ‘Andres Vázquez’, in 2020; the Bullfighting Competition of Ciudad Rodrigo, in 2021; Pedro Gutiérrez Moya, ‘El Niño de la Capea’, in 2022; and Marta Pérez López, in 2023.
The Castilla y León Awards, convened annually since 1984, aim to recognize the work of individuals, groups, or entities that contribute to the exaltation of the values of the Castilian and Leonese Community, or that, carried out by Castilian and Leonese people, within or outside the territorial scope of the Community, represents a significant contribution to universal knowledge. These Awards include six other categories besides bullfighting: Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, Literature, Arts, Human and Social Values, Social Sciences and Humanities, and Sports.