Dodge City Bullfights Collection

It is relevant to note that 2 types of bullfighting occurred in Dodge City during the 1980’s. The type of bullfighting this writing covers is the Portuguese-style of bullfighting that was brought to Dodge City from 1984 through 1987. These events were a recreation of the well-known 07/04/1884 bullfights that occurred here during the frontier period. The other type of bullfighting that happened in Dodge City during the 1980’s and early 1990s was rodeo-style bullfighting. In this event professional rodeo clowns taunt rodeo bucking bulls into a reaction, and are judged on how aggressive the bull is and how daring the rodeo clown can be. Scores are given and a winner is declared. These types of bullfights were a part of the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo for a number of years and in fact were quite well received by fans of the rodeo.

The bullfights of the 1980’s were a throwback to the famous (or infamous) event of 1884. At that time Dodge City was settling down from its wildest days and was becoming a respectable community of law-abiding cattlemen, farmers, and businessmen. The city fathers, notably Mayor A. B. Webster, wanted to stir up a little excitement to keep Dodge City in the public’s mind both regionally and nationally, and to create a little commerce for the town itself. Genuine Spanish/Mexican bullfighting had been outlawed by that time by both state and federal governments; some controversy and desired publicity resulted, and the whole episode is well documented.

Sometime during 1983, members of Roundup, Inc. put forth the idea of recreating the 1884 bullfight. Roundup, Inc. is the local rodeo committee, a non-profit corporation whose sole purpose is to produce the Dodge City Roundup Rodeo held every summer as the main event of Dodge City Days. The two main Roundup members promoting the idea were Bob Lewis and Bill Austen, two longtime volunteers who were respected members of the larger community. Their motives behind the effort were to create a significant entertainment event for the Independence Day holiday, bring some business to town, and make some money to be used to defray expenses incurred by Roundup Inc. in producing the annual rodeo. The idea was discussed and voted on, and Roundup Inc. sponsored the centennial bullfight of 1984.

Contact was made with Frontier Productions, a company based in Austin, TX, and headed by a man named Jack Woodson. Woodson was exploring the idea of producing Portuguese-style (bloodless) bullfights across the nation as a business venture. The Dodge City bullfight was to be used as a test market for the idea. Woodson had contacts in Mexico who could provide genuine fighting-bred bulls and refer prospective matadors as well. Roundup Inc. shared the cost of producing the event with Woodson.

Commitments were obtained with 4 bullfighters, all with experience in Mexico. Roundup Inc. purchased a small group of fighting bulls. The bulls were expected to arrive 06-28-1984, after a quarantine period required by federal law upon crossing the Mexican border and entering the United States. The first matador, actually a matadora, arrived in Dodge the same day. Her name was Raquel Martinez. She had been born in Tiajuana, Mexico. Martinez had homes both in San Diego and Mexico City, to be closer to the bullfighting scene there. She was said to be the only top-level professional female bullfighter in the world. She had performed in some of the most prominent bull rings in Mexico and Central and South America. In an interview printed in the 06-29-1984 Hutchinson News, she stated that she had faced 56 bulls thus far and had yet to be gored. She joked that if she could sport some scars thus obtained, she would gain more credibility in the sport and become “one of the guys”. Three more matadors arrived in town soon after. It turned out that Raquel Martinez would be the only bullfighter to appear in all the modern-day Dodge City bullfights.

The 1984 event was well attended. The main grandstand at Roundup Arena (at that time the only grandstand) was filled to capacity. Preceding the event, the human participants in the bullfights travelled from the Civic Center to the Roundup Arena. At the arena, Hispanic dancers performed to music provided by a mariachi band. The first bull was released into the ring after Mayor Louis Sanchez signaled with his hat to begin. The bulls were lively, the matadors daring. At one point a bull took away the cape of his adversary and ran around the arena a bit with the cape on his head. A trophy was awarded to matador Paco “Bombita” Olivara based on the volume of applause from the crowd. Afterwards, a fireworks display completed the evening’s activities. The centennial bullfight was a complete success.

The bullfights were held again in 1985 and 1987, following the same successful formula. 1986 was skipped for unknown reasons. Roundup Inc. sponsored the 1987 edition. Over the years in which they were held, the Dodge City bullfights made the newspapers in Denver and Chicago. The attendance figures for the later bullfights were strong.

Apparently, public interest waned. No more bullfights have been produced in Dodge City since that time. Jack Woodson produced at least a handful of other bullfighting events across the nation.