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The Colmenar road, with huge views of the Cuerda Larga, the skyline of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, crosses an idyllic landscape of meadow in which the brave bull is raised. They are private farms, but more than one invites the visitor to meet this majestic animal in its natural habitat.

You don't have to be a bullfighter to enjoy it. Much less in these days when spring begins to explode. In fact, a recent morning in which VIAJES has accompanied the visitors, we have barely found a single fan. Nor is it that the livestock El Retamar, in Becerril de la Sierra, raises its horns to beat in the most regal squares.

It is small, about 350 heads, but it has the uniqueness that in that beautiful farm called Las Tejoneras the fighting bull coexists with the Iberian pig in freedom. The visit is also very well designed. For the experience, an old open-top military truck awaits us and the company of the mayoral, Matías, who knows better than anyone the handling of these "athletes who when they go out into the ring have to give everything in 20 minutes".

Matías, the foreman of the estate.

In these 60 hectares of holm oaks and junipers, as in all fighting bull farms, the animals are divided by age. There are 163 mother cows and their añojos, erales, utreros, with one, two and three years respectively, each in its enclosure. The guarismo, that is, the cattle year marked by fire in the skin, we chiva the year of birth. The farrowing begins in October and ends in the month of May, so these days you see many steers running around six and seven months.

His older brothers, aged one and two, graze on the largest fence. "These are in glory," explains the mayoral. "They enter the corral to eat when they want and sleep under the shelter of these dense oaks, which make them an awning." Suddenly, a brake: a whole herd of pigs appears that passes in front of the truck. The montanera, the fattening or last phase of the breeding of the Iberian pig has already finished, so in the Madrid farm only the little ones remain. It is clear that nature sets the pace of the pasture, but also of the visit.

PYTHONS AND ADRENALINE

The contrast is total when the truck advances towards the utreros, these already in a small fence so that they fatten and "finish off". Not a joke with them. What pythons. And how they look at you... The truck is very safe, of course, but as they start the scare can be terrifying. "They get angry with little," confirms the mayoral. Theirs is a risky job. "You release adrenaline often. I don't need to go to the amusement park to ride the roller coaster." When then two horns begin to fight, there is silence among the group of visitors.

For Matías, however, the riskiest thing is always to push cattle from one place to another on the farm. "You have to use your head and deception, because they are very loving: they carry the doors fatally." On horseback, with the help of the halters and a rod is how he gets them to cross the fences and line up the sleeve, as they call the road that leads to the corrals. "You have to impose yourself. You have the fear, but you can't show it."

The incursion into livestock lasts about an hour and a half on dirt roads, dodging trees and boulders (you can tell that La Pedriza is nearby) and opening and closing fences. There is no better way to know the breeding of this imposing animal and to see how they are gaining vigor until their appointment in front of the laying.

A key moment of the fighting bull is the tempt and that is precisely the finishing touch of the tourist visit. In the tentadero is where all the activity of the farm converges: the corrals and the square. La tienta is the laboratory of bravery, where livestock experts test the virtues of the animal for fighting. "Those who comply stay for mothers," explains Matías. "We have already tempted about twenty. We have half left. The idea is to leave between five and ten mothers. The most select."

For the most amateur, El Retamar offers to attend tempaderos, bullfighting classes and other bullfighting activities. It is not the only livestock in Madrid that does so. In the region there are about 15 fighting bull farms that can be visited. A privileged window to the breeding of this unique animal and the beautiful meadow of Madrid.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. The Retamar. At Finca Las Tejoneras (Becerril de la Sierra). Visits last an hour and a half. Throughout the year. Price: 118 euros (four people). Website: ganaderiaelretamar.es

GASTRO. Azaya Restaurant. Traditional cuisine in Mataelpino with fantastic views of Guadarrama. A classic since 1978. You have to try the stewed oxtail and mountain beef. Website: www.restauranteazaya.com

SLEEP. BoxArt Alpine Hotel. A cabin in the middle of the nature of Navacerrada for a special weekend. From 160 euros. Website: alpino.boxarthotel.com

MORE INFO Leisure and other activities. At the reservation center of www.sierradelguadarrama.com

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