The Hermanos Margalef Sanjuan fighting bull ranch is the oldest in all of Catalonia. Its beginnings date back to 1883, with the purchase of 25 cows, a bull, a stallion, and a young bull from Nazario Carriquirri, growing to 150 head of cattle. In 1936, with the Spanish Civil War, the ranch dropped to 35 head, recovering on the "Illa de Gracia" in the Ebro Delta. In 1952, it joined the prestigious AGL (Association of Fighting Bull Ranches).
Until the 1970s, bullfights were held in Castellón, Tarragona, Gerona, Benasal, Vinaroz, Alcañiz, and the Balearic Islands (Inca and Felanix), when it was decided to focus the direction of the livestock industry on popular festivals, so traditional in these lands.
In this century, the foundation of the herd has been the Santa Coloma and Villamarta strains, with a Navarra caste root. In 2006, after a vacancy in the corral, the herd was refreshed with animals from the Rebomba "J. María Arnillas" (Nicasio Casas route), Jose Luís Cuartero and Hnos. Mailyn (Nogué caste), the three Aragonese, and Manolo Beltran (Sonia Gonzalez route) from Cabanes Castellón.
In 2006 and 2009, the ranch won the award for the best afternoon at the Amposta bullfighting week, and best cow with "Mejicana" both years. In 2010, it won the award for the best ranch at the Vila de Puzol bullfighting week and the winning ranch at the Segorbe bullfighting week. The cow "Loca" won the award for the best cow at the Vila de Puzol bullfighting week. At the Segorbe bullfighting week, and at the Catí bullfighting week, the bull "Cerrajero" won the award for the best bull at the Vila de Puzol bullfighting week. In 2011, it won the award for the best ranch in Vila de Puzol with "Loca", "Llavero", and "Artillero" as the best cow, bull, and steer, respectively. The only ranch to win two consecutive years, it was also the winning ranch at Villavieja Bullfighting Week in 2011 and 2012, with the "Mejicana" cow being the best of the week. In 2012, the "Loca" cow won the award for best cow at the Easter Bullfighting competition in Onda.
The ranch has designed the "Lo Racó de Séneca" estate with the aim of introducing tourists to this ancient Catalan business. The estate features corrals, a bullfighting ring, and a dining hall. It also perfectly blends the breeding of fighting bulls with the cultivation of olive groves that provide us with our world-renowned extra virgin olive oil.
Since 2017, roundtable discussions have been held in Amposta every December to focus on the bull from an environmental perspective, promoting cultural, tourism, and food products derived from extensive breeding of fighting bulls. The first was a solo event, and subsequent ones have been organized through the "L'Associació de Breadors de Brau de les Terres de l'Ebre" (The Association of Bull Breeders of Terres de l'Ebre) in conjunction with other local ranchers. This is an innovative project that, by rethinking the bull and its world, seeks new ways to enhance the value of fighting bull breeding in Terres de l'Ebre.
Since March 2019, the farm has been managing the “Illa dels Bous” located in Vinallop.
