Antonio Ordóñez
Antonio Ordóñez Araujo (February 16, 1932 – December 19, 1998) was a Spanish bullfighter. Early life. Antonio Jiménez Ordóñez Araujo was born in Ronda, Spain, on February 16, 1932. His father was Cayetano Ordóñez, called "Niño de la Palma", the prototype for the character of Pedro Romero, the "matador" in Ernest Hemingway’s novel "The Sun Also Rises". Career. He was one of the top bullfighters of his time. As a matador, Ordóñez faced over 3,000 bulls. He retired in 1968, having fought over 60 bullfights in that year alone, but came back until finally retiring in 1988. Social  life. Ordóñez met a number of writers and actors, and he also starred in a few films. Antonio was a long time friend of Ernest Hemingway, whom he called Father Ernesto. Hemingway wrote an account of Ordóñez's rivalry with the matador Luis Miguel Dominguín (also Ordóñez's brother-in-law) titled "The Dangerous Summer". Ordóñez also befriended Hollywood movie star Orson Welles, whose ashes were buried on Ordóñez's estate after Welles's death. Family. Ordóñez was married to Carmen Cristina González. They had two children, Ana Belén Ordóñez and . Carmen married the matador Paquirri (killed by a bull  in 1985). His grandchildren, by daughter Carmen, are bullfighters Francisco Rivera Ordóñez and Cayetano Rivera Ordóñez. Death. Ordóñez died of liver cancer on December 19, 1998. Legacy. He was honored with a monument at the gates of "La Malagueta" bullring in Málaga and his ashes lie beneath the "toril" gate, opened to allow the bull to enter, in the oldest bullring in the world, in his home town of Ronda. His family owned the arena. There is a statue of him outside the arena.