Francisco Rivera Pérez (Spanish: [fɾanˈθisko riˈβeɾa ˈpeɾeθ]; 5 March 1948 – 26 September 1984), better known as Paquirri (Spanish: [paˈkiri]), was a Spanish bullfighter. He died after being gored by a bull named Avispado at the Pozoblanco bullring. During his career, he was six times borne shoulder-high out through the Great Gate at Las Ventas.
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Early life
Rivera was born to Agustina Pérez Núñez (Tarifa, 1922–1977) and the novillero (novice bullfighter who fights yearlings) Antonio Rivera Alvarado (born in Barbate, 17 February 1920; died in Cádiz, 10 November 2009), who was in charge of Barbate's municipal slaughterhouse, where Rivera and his brother José Rivera "Riverita", who also became a bullfighter, began their bullfighting. He grew up in Barbate within bullfighting milieux.
Those from whom he drew the most influence were Rafael Gómez Ortega "El Gallo" and Miguel Mateo Salcedo "Miguelín".
Novillero
Rivera made his début as a novillero on 16 August 1962 in Barbate with livestock laid on by Núñez Polavieja.
On 28 June 1964, he made his début in a novillada with horses at the Cádiz bullring. He alternated with José González Copano and Rafael Jiménez Márquez, facing an encierro (set of bulls for a corrida, usually six) of beasts from the Marqués de Villamarta's herd.
In Seville on 1 May 1966, he cut three ears in one novillada, while sharing billing with Pepe Luis Segura and Manolo Sanlúcar. He was also borne shoulder-high out through the Prince's Gate at the Maestranza.
Matador
Rivera took his alternativa as matador de toros at the Plaza Monumental in Barcelona on 17 July 1966. Standing as "godfather" for this occasion was Antonio Bienvenida, while Andrés Vázquez bore witness. Bulls were supplied by the Juan Pedro Domecq ranch. The alternativa was not fulfilled, however, as the newly minted bullfighter was seriously gored in the right thigh during the bullfight.
The long awaited alternativa came on 11 August of the same year, after Rivera had healed somewhat, at the same bullring, but with Paco Camino yielding to Rivera the sword and muleta (as "godfather"), as Santiago Martín "El Viti" looked on (as witness). The bulls in the pens this time bore the Carlos Urquijo de Federico ranch's brand, and the bull that Rivera fought for his alternativa was Zambullido, weighing 513 kg. Rivera faced one other bull at this corrida, and although this beast presented the bullfighter with some difficulty by making it necessary for Rivera to take two passes before he managed the estocada (the sword thrust meant to kill the bull), he got applause from the crowd for his efforts that afternoon.
Only three days later, the very same bullring would be the scene of another of Rivera's appearances, this time with fellow matadors Antonio Borrero Morano "Chamaco" and Luis Segura, along with the rejoneador Ángel Peralta Pineda, with livestock furnished by María Lourdes Pérez Tabernero and Mercedes Pérez Tabernero.
Rivera had 19 further bullfighting engagements that season, but possibly the most important one for Rivera's career in the short term was the date at the Maestranza in Seville on 1 October 1966, at which he alternated with Jaime Ostos and "El Cordobés", for not only did he present himself as a matador at one of Spain's foremost bullrings, but the corrida also resulted in his cutting three "appendages" (meaning ears and/or tails) from bulls laid on by the Urquijo and Bohórquez ranches, a feat considered a resounding success in the bullfighting world.
On 18 May 1967, Rivera saw his alternativa confirmed at Las Ventas in Madrid. Standing once again as "godfather" was Paco Camino, and bearing witness this time was José Fuentes. The bull supplier for this occasion was once again the Juan Pedro Domecq ranch, and the bull that Rivera fought for his confirmation was Alelado, a red beast weighing 518 kg.
Deathblow at Pozoblanco
In 1984, Rivera had at first decided to end the bullfighting season after his engagement at the Dax bullring in the south of France, but most fatefully, he agreed to appear at two further corridas, one at Logroño and the other at Pozoblanco.
For the corrida at Pozoblanco, Córdoba, according to what Rivera's widow Isabel Pantoja has said, the bullfighter several times changed the date, the bull ranch and the bulls that he would have to fight at the Pozoblanco bullring. It was thus fate that led to what happened there on 26 September 1984, when, sharing billing with José Cubero Sánchez ("el Yiyo") and Vicente Ruiz Soro ("El Soro"), the afternoon's fourth bull, named Avispado (whose name meant "sly" or "clever"), weighing 420 kg, from the Sayalero y Bandrés ranch, badly gored him, the goring from the thin-horned bull taking two paths through his flesh, piercing the external iliac vein, the great saphenous vein, and the femoral artery. A video, shot by cameraman Antonio Salmoral, shows the incident and scenes of the bullfighter speaking at the bullring's infirmary. Rivera, still conscious, and notably calm given the circumstances, was explaining to the doctor Eliseo Morán the size and path of his wound:
Doctor, I want to speak to you or I shall not remain calm. The goring is strong. It has at least two paths, one through here and another through there. Open all that you must open, the rest is in your hands. And calm, doctor.
The bullfighter could not have received the best attention owing to the infirmary's limitations. Without being able to contain the haemorrhage, Doctor Morán gave him emergency treatment and, given the extreme seriousness of the bullfighter's condition, had him transferred at once to the Hospital Reina Sofía in Córdoba; Doctors Ruiz and Fumes rode along with the stricken Rivera in the ambulance. On the way to Córdoba, he suffered a cardiac arrest, and in a desperate attempt to save the bullfighter's life, they decided to turn into the Military Hospital instead of their originally intended destination, as it was much nearer. However, Rivera died there.
Even though, according to the doctor who treated Rivera, the goring was not in itself deadly, the bullfighter's death owed itself to a fatal set of circumstances: the sanitary services on which the bullring relied were very limited; he was transferred in a conventional ambulance; and the roadway that joined both localities was in poor condition. The prominence that his death had in the press contributed to changing legislation governing bullfighting spectacles, requiring that bullrings of all categories have mobile intensive care units, and that those of the first and second categories have properly equipped operating theatres.
Personal life
Rivera's first marriage was to Carmen Ordóñez, bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez Araujo's daughter, on 16 February 1973 at the Royal Basilica of Saint Francis the Great in Madrid. Two sons were born of this union, who in time both became bullfighters: Francisco Rivera Ordóñez and Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez. Rivera and Carmen legally separated on 16 February 1979.
After the separation, Rivera had a relationship with Bárbara Rey, and then later with the singer Lolita Flores.
On 30 April 1983, Rivera wed for the second time, with the singer Isabel Pantoja as the bride. The matrimonial ceremony was performed at the Basílica de Jesús del Gran Poder in Seville and was an event dubbed the wedding of the year, reportedly costing ₧ 1,500,000. Rivera and Pantoja had one child together, Francisco José Rivera Pantoja, known as "Paquirrín".