La Reverte

Agustín Rodríguez Tripiana (Senés, Almería, 28 August 1878 – Vilches, Jaén, June 1945), known as La Reverte, was a bullfighter who gained some relevance at the beginning of the 20th century, first by fighting on women's circuit, and then men's, after starting to socially function as a man.

Biography Early life Born in the village of Senés, Almería, in 1878, Rodríguez was assigned female at birth and from a young age stood out for great strength and lack of grace, earning the nickname "La Marimacho" (The Tomboy). Inspired by the exploits of Las Noyas, he decided to dedicate himself to the world of bullfighting as a matador. The parish and municipal archives were destroyed in the Civil War, which is why it has not been possible to verify it exactly, however the chroniclers do agree that as a child Rodríguez worked for his parrents in the mines of La Carolina and Arquillos (province of Jaén).

Women's bullfighting Rodríguez was dazzled seeing the female bullfighter (Guillena, Seville, 1886) perform in the square of his town, deciding then with accelerated learning to begin the novillero career under the orders of a banderillero from Cordoba as a nine year old. added in November 1900: "She is very brave and very dark-skinned, she fights bulls, places banderillas, kills, and jumps the barrier like a man. She has a lot of determination, but nothing more."

Men's bullfighting After more than twelve seasons and more than five hundred fighting bulls killed, the situation of La Reverte changed. In July 1908, conservative minister Juan de la Cierva y Peñafiel established the ban on women bullfighting, inspired especially by La Reverte's fame. A sympathetic doctor signed a note confirming it. Agustin received his first male contract in Madrid in 1909, and continued fighting for several seasons, sometimes being called La Reverte, sometimes El Reverte, and sometimes even Lo Reverte.

In 1962, ABC remembered him as "the most singular and extraordinary character to have ever graced the Spanish bullrings" and published an article through its chronicler Francisco Rodríguez Batllori: "Her caricatured and absurd life had a certain legendary air and has gone down in the history of bullfighting as something extraordinary and unheard of. Her efforts to fight more and better bulls were in vain, since the shortcomings that the public had tolerated in María Salomé were not, however, forgiven in Agustín Rodríguez (...)".