THE CLEARING

When bullfights took place in plazas, royal civil servants had to clear the
people from the plazas before letting out the first bull. But nowadays
when a bullfight takes place, in bullrings, clearing out the ring is a mere
formality. In remembrance of this tradition today, two “Alguaciles” on
horseback (persons responsible for opening the bull pen at the beginning of a bullfight) are dressed in the old style clothing from the time of Felipe
IV. Their job is to go around the ring to make sure that it is devoid of
people.
Once the “despejo” is finished, the “Alguaciles” greet the president,
nodding their heads and taking off their hats. Other duties of the “Alguaciles” include picking up the key from the bullpen, conveying and executing orders from the President, and giving out prizes to the bullfighters.