Juan Belmonte, Antonio Ordonez and El Cordobes are names of great matadors. A matador, dressed ornately in a gold embroidered silk jacket, faces the bull in the ring, on foot, with no weapon but his cape. The more risks that are taken by the matador, the happier the crowd.

A horseback bullfighter is a PICADOR. The mounted picadors, in less ornate costumes than the great matadors, ride into the ring with lances to jab and enrage the bull for the matador. Matadors are paid much more highly than picadors but can expect to suffer at least one goring a season.

Originally the horse had no protection and was often disembowelled by the raging bull.

The word picador comes from Spanish picar ‘to prick’.