Álvaro Serrano speaks after serious goring at Las Ventas: ‘I will dare to do it again and again’

Young bullfighter Álvaro Serrano has shared his first public statement after being seriously gored at Las Ventas bullring in Madrid last Sunday. The incident occurred during the third young bull of a solo performance in which he had set out to face an entire string of bulls alone, in what was one of the most important afternoons of his career.

Writing from hospital, the young torero has expressed his feelings following an incident that prevented him from completing his challenge but has done nothing to diminish his enthusiasm or dedication to bullfighting.

In an emotional letter, he reflects on his experience in Madrid, thanks the fans, his home town of Navas del Rey and his family for their support, and reaffirms his determination to continue pursuing his career in the bullring.

His words convey the intensity of an afternoon that will remain a defining moment in his career, the pain of his injury and the resolve of a young man determined to follow his dream.

Álvaro Serrano's full letter

‘Glory belongs to those who dare. And I will dare to do it again and again.’

There are afternoons you dream of experiencing your entire life, and when they finally arrive, they leave a mark that can never be erased. Yesterday, I experienced one of them. It was not how I had hoped it would be, and I was unable to finish what I had started, but I gave everything I had until the very last moment. Today, as I deal with the pain of the goring and the sadness of not having been able to complete that afternoon, I also feel proud to have given everything in the ring at Las Ventas.

Yesterday, I lost a battle, but I gained something that words cannot explain. As painful as this injury is, it is also the price that sometimes has to be paid for pursuing something you believe in. Far from taking away my enthusiasm, it has strengthened my belief in the path I have chosen.

When I close my eyes, I can still hear the applause of so many people. I think of my home town, Navas del Rey, of everyone who came together to support me, and of every person who made my dream their own. Knowing that a dream which began as mine now belongs to so many people is something I can never thank them enough for.

What I experienced yesterday was unforgettable. Even with the goring. It has made me realise that I am on the right path, that I am happy following it and that, above all, I feel like a bullfighter. And being a bullfighter is a privilege. Because being able to feel so deeply is a privilege.

Perhaps the only thing that truly made me doubt myself was waking up in hospital and seeing the worried faces of my parents and the people I love most. Knowing that they suffer too is the hardest part. But I want them to understand that, for me, it is worth it. I have found a path that makes me happy and a way of expressing what I carry inside me. I know it sometimes causes fear and uncertainty, but I also know that, deep down, they understand.

Last night, as I thought back over everything that had happened, tears came to my eyes. Tears of sadness because I had been unable to finish, but also tears of emotion and pride in everything I had felt. Because yesterday, even through the pain, I experienced something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Thank you to Madrid, to my home town, to my family and to everyone who stood by me and helped turn this dream into something so much bigger.

Today, I have a wound, but I also have the certainty that I want to continue along this path.

Because glory belongs to those who dare. And I will dare to do it again and again.

Álvaro Serrano