José Vázquez, Fighting bull breeding ranch in Colmenar Viejo, Spain.
José Vázquez is a fighting bull breeding operation in Colmenar Viejo that maintains two distinct genetic lines across multiple farm locations, including Navalahuesa-El Tomillar and Balcón de Madrid. The animals are raised through specialized breeding practices designed to develop and maintain particular traits across generations.
The operation was established in 1783 by Manuel Aleas using Jijona bloodlines and passed to José Vázquez Fernández in 1983, who expanded it by introducing females from the Martínez Flamarique line. This transfer marked the beginning of a new phase in the ranch's development and genetic expansion.
This breeding operation plays a role in Spanish bullfighting tradition by maintaining specific physical and behavioral traits through selective breeding practices. The animals produced here carry forward these genetic lines as part of a long-standing cultural practice.
Each animal from the operation is marked with distinctive identification features, including an earring in the right ear and a blunted ear on the left side. These visible marks allow specialists to quickly recognize the breeding line and individual animal identity.
In 1993, the operation incorporated approximately 30 cows from the Zalduendo lineage, opening new genetic directions for the breeding program. This addition fundamentally altered the genetic composition and characteristics of animals produced at the ranch.
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