Photos

On a tour of the La Altagracia region of the Dominican Republic we were taken to watch a mock cockfight (real gamecocks, no spurs). Animal blood sports are not my kind of thing at all, but this tour was trying to show us Dominican culture and the participants were having a lot of fun with it (including naming the combatants "Hillary Clinton" and "Monica Lewinsky" and urging us to cheer them on). It was short, there was a winner, no rooster died or got hurt - all fine with me. This picture shows the winning gamecock in the hands of his owner-trainer and a fan (from one of our tour buses) asking questions.

From Wikipedia:
A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters, held in a ring called a cockpit. Cockfighting is now illegal throughout the United States and in most of Europe.

The combatants, known as gamecocks, are specially bred birds, conditioned for increased stamina and strength. The comb and wattle are cut off in order to meet show standards of the American Gamefowl Society and the Old English Game Club and to prevent freezing in colder climates. Cocks possess congenital aggression toward all males of the same species. Cocks are given the best of care until near the age of two years old. They are conditioned, much like professional athletes prior to events or shows. Wagers are often made on the outcome of the match. While not all fights are to the death, the cocks do endure physical trauma that may result in death. Cockfighting was at one time considered to be an accepted, traditional sporting event in the United States. In many other areas around the world, cockfighting is still practiced as a mainstream event; in some countries it is government controlled.

Cockfighting is considered a heinous blood sport by animal welfare activists and others, due in some part to the physical trauma the cocks inflict on each other. Advocates of the sport often list cultural and religious relevance as reasons for perpetuation of cockfighting as a sport; however, there has been little evidence that those involved in it (in the USA) participate in it for religious or cultural purposes. Cock Fighting is now outlawed in the United States in America.