Patricia McCormick was so good at bullfighting, an elite
Mexican bullfighter once said that had she been a man, she probably would have
been a top bullfighter of her time. She wasn’t the first woman to fight bulls,
there is no record of who was the very first, but she was the first American
woman to do so in Mexico.
Ms. McCormick was only seven years old when she saw her
first bullfight and became fascinated with the sport. She took lessons from a
retired matador, debuting in 1951 in Juárez. It wasn’t an easy fight: the bull
trampled and tossed her around before she killed him.
It’s interesting to note that while many male matadors
complimented her on her bravery and talent, none were willing to sponsor her so
she could become a full-fledged matador, not just an apprentice fighter. But
that didn’t stop thousands of fans from attending her fights, where she refused
to fight bulls on horseback. She wanted to stand before them at their level.
Ms. McCormick suffered a number of goring injuries,
including a horn into her stomach and a life-threatening wound to her leg. The
stomach injury was so severe, the doctor was ready to give up on her and give
last rites, but she survived.
Patricia continued to fight bulls until 1962, where she
retired in California to a
sedentary life of artistry and secretarial work. Life didn’t treat her all that
well, and she continually had money troubles. Ms. McCormick never married, and
never had any children. She died at the age of 83 in a nursing home.
While bullfighting has never been of interest to me (I’ve always thought it was cruel), the fact that Ms. McCormick pursued something she wanted to do despite the odds, is what is important in this overview of her life.
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