Domingo Uriarte Arteagabeitia ¨Rebonzanito¨
Domingo Uriarte Arteagabeitia was born in a farmhouse in the Rebonza area of Sestao in 1895. That’s where the nickname “Rebonzanito” came from.
At the age of 10, he first set foot in Bilbao and he witnessed the August Fair bullfight that would change his life.
Employed at Altos Hornos, he met Diego Marquiaran
Torrontegi “Fortuna”, and they started organising amateur “bullfights” that featured dogs from outlying farms.
Hell-bent on becoming a bullfighter, at the age of 16 he sneaked on board the “Cabo tres forcas” which was docked in the port of Santurtzi and eventually reached Seville as a stowaway.
He started out as an apprentice bullfighter in Seville and in the bull ring in Salamanca, as he was watching a bullfight, he spontaneously jumped over the barrier and faced the bull. Unamuno gave him a gift of a rosary for the deed of bravura.
He then set off for Caracas in search of his fortune. He met the priest Santa Cruz there. Santa Cruz was fond of the Basque-speaking bullfighter’s company.
He also took part in rodeos in the USA. He spent a year in New York and was a regular drinking companion of theactor Rudolf Valentino and the boxer Jack Dempsey.
He retired in 1924. He started writing and painting and became successful with his naïf artwork. He died in 1971 in Madrid.
At the age of 10, he first set foot in Bilbao and he witnessed the August Fair bullfight that would change his life.
Employed at Altos Hornos, he met Diego Marquiaran
Torrontegi “Fortuna”, and they started organising amateur “bullfights” that featured dogs from outlying farms.
Hell-bent on becoming a bullfighter, at the age of 16 he sneaked on board the “Cabo tres forcas” which was docked in the port of Santurtzi and eventually reached Seville as a stowaway.
He started out as an apprentice bullfighter in Seville and in the bull ring in Salamanca, as he was watching a bullfight, he spontaneously jumped over the barrier and faced the bull. Unamuno gave him a gift of a rosary for the deed of bravura.
He then set off for Caracas in search of his fortune. He met the priest Santa Cruz there. Santa Cruz was fond of the Basque-speaking bullfighter’s company.
He also took part in rodeos in the USA. He spent a year in New York and was a regular drinking companion of theactor Rudolf Valentino and the boxer Jack Dempsey.
He retired in 1924. He started writing and painting and became successful with his naïf artwork. He died in 1971 in Madrid.
