British matador (67) defies medical advice to make Granada bullfighting return
1 July 2009
Briton Frank Evans - who has had a triple heart by-pass and walks with the aid of a false knee - was cheered by more than 1,000 spectators in Granada as he fought and killed a two-year-old bull.
After the display, Salford-born Frank pledged to carry on, "until I drop dead, possibly in the ring".
He added: "That'd be a good way to go. People say I'm too old to carry on bullfighting and it's too dangerous at my age, but you're only as old as you feel."
The fight was a charity event at Almaha de Granada, where Frank, known as "El Ingles" joined three other bullfighters - including Christina Hernandez, who was making her debut.
Each fighter fought one animal and Frank said: "It was a good fight. I killed my bull first time and was awarded two ears."
But it wasn't so good for Christina and Frank added: "She got a real awkward bull. It kept going for her instead of the cape.
"It ran right into her at one point. I'm amazed she survived that one. Then it whacked her on the arm and she had to go off injured.
"I, as the senior matador, had to come out and kill the bull for her, which I did."
In 2003, Frank rose to number 63 in the world rankings, an astonishing achievement considering there are more than 10,000 bullfighters worldwide.
His life story, about to be told in a book called The Last British Bullfighter, which is due out in August, charts his remarkable journey from his father's butchers shop in Salford to the bullrings of Spain, Mexico and Venezuela. The book is attracting the attention of major Hollywood filmmakers.
"Nearly 50 years ago, I had a dream of becoming a bullfighter," says Frank. "I'm still living it. I'm not going to let go of it now."