Cockfight

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"Fighting cocks" redirects here. For other uses, see Fighting cocks (disambiguation).

Cock fight in London, c. 1808

A Cockfight in Lucknow, 1784-1786, by Johann Zoffany.

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A Cockfight in zoo
A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters (cocks), or more accurately gamecocks, held
in a ring called a cockpit. The first documented use of the word gamecock, denoting use of the
cock as to a game, a sport, pastime or entertainment, was recorded in 1646,[1] after the term
cock of the game used by George Wilson, in the earliest known book on the sport of
cockfighting in The Commendation of Cocks and Cock Fighting in 1607. But it was during
Magellan's voyage of discovery of the Philippines in 1521 when modern cockfighting was first
witnessed and documented by Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's chronicler, in the kingdom of
Taytay.
The combatants, referred to 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 (the standard emerged from the older practice of severing the comb, wattles, and
earlobes of the bird in order to remove anatomical vulnerabilities, similar to the practice of
docking a dog's tail and ears).
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.
Cockfighting is a blood sport due in some part to the physical trauma the cocks inflict on each
other, which is sometimes increased for entertainment purposes by attaching metal spurs to the
cocks' natural spurs. While not all fights are to the death, the cocks may endure significant
physical trauma. In some areas around the world, cockfighting is still practiced as a mainstream
event; in some countries it is regulated by law, or forbidden outright. Advocates of the "age old
sport"[2][3] often list cultural and religious relevance as reasons for perpetuation of cockfighting
as a sport.[4]

Contents

1 Process
2 History
3 Regional variations
o 3.1 Americas
o 3.2 Asia
o 3.3 Oceania
4 Other bird species
5 Legal issues
o 5.1 Europe
o 5.2 Americas
o 5.3 Australia
6 In popular culture
o 6.1 In music
o 6.2 In visual arts
o 6.3 In literature
o 6.4 In martial arts
o 6.5 In video games
7 In religion
8 See also
9 References
10 External links

Process
Two owners place their gamecock in the cockpit. The cocks fight until ultimately one of them
dies or is critically injured. Historically, this was in a cockpit, a term which was also used in the

16th century to mean a place of entertainment or frenzied activity. William Shakespeare used the
term in Henry V to specifically mean the area around the stage of a theatre.[5] In Tudor times, the
Palace of Westminster had a permanent cockpit, called the Cockpit-in-Court.

History

In this ancient Roman mosaic, two cocks face off in front of a table displaying the purse for the
winner between a caduceus and a palm of victory (National Archaeological Museum of Naples)
Cock fighting is said to be the world's oldest spectator sport. It goes back 6,000 years in Persia.[6]
According to one author, there is evidence that cockfighting was a pastime in the Indus Valley
Civilization.[7] The Encyclopdia Britannica (2008) holds:[8]
The sport was popular in ancient times in India, China, Persia, and other Eastern countries and
was introduced into Ancient Greece in the time of Themistocles (c. 524460 BC). For a long
time the Romans affected to despise this "Greek diversion", but they ended up adopting it so
enthusiastically that the agricultural writer Columella (1st century AD) complained that its
devotees often spent their whole patrimony in betting at the side of the pit.
The significance of the original name of Mohenjo-daro inferring that the city was "the city of the
cock" takes on great significance if taking into account that it has been claimed that the chicken
was domesticated in India in 6000 BC.[9][10] However, according to a recent study,[11] "it is not
known whether these birds made much contribution to the modern domestic fowl. Chickens from
the Harappan culture of the Indus Valley (2500-2100 BC) may have been the main source of
diffusion throughout the world." "Within the Indus Valley, indications are that chickens were
used for sport and not for food (Zeuner 1963)"[12] and that by 1000 BC they had assumed
"religious significance".[12]

Some additional insight into the pre-history of European and American secular cockfighting may
be taken from the The London Encyclopaedia:
At first cockfighting was partly a religious and partly a political institution at Athens; and was
continued for improving the seeds of valor in the minds of their youth, but was afterwards
perverted both there and in the other parts of Greece to a common pastime, without any political
or religious intention.[13]
The image of a fighting rooster has been found the 6th century BC seal of Jaazaniah, discovered
during the excavation of the biblical city of Mizpah in Benjamin, near Jerusalem.[14] It is one of
the earliest depictions of a fighting rooster ever recovered.[14][15] This depiction is consistent with
the remains of these birds found at other Israelite Iron Age sites, when the rooster was used as a
fighting bird; they are also pictured on other seals from the period as a symbol of ferocity, such
as on the one engraved on a late-7th-century BC red jasper seal inscribed "Jehoahaz, son of the
king",[16][17] which likely belonged to Jehoahaz of Judah "while he was still a prince during his
father's life."[18]
The anthropologist Clifford Geertz wrote the influential essay Deep Play: Notes on the Balinese
Cockfight, on the meaning of the cockfight in Balinese culture.

Regional variations

Spurs taped and tied onto legs

In some regional variations, the birds are equipped with either metal spurs (called gaffs) or
knives, tied to the leg in the area where the bird's natural spur has been partially removed. A
cockspur is a bracelet (often made of leather) with a curved, sharp spike which is attached to the
leg of the bird. The spikes typically range in length from "short spurs" of just over an inch to
"long spurs" almost two and a half inches long. In the highest levels of 17th century English
cockfighting, the spikes were made of silver. Ironically, the sharp spurs have been known to

injure or even kill the bird handlers.[19][20] In the naked heel variation, the bird's natural spurs are
left intact and sharpened: fighting is done without gaffs or taping, particularly in India
(especially in Tamil Nadu). There it is mostly fought naked heel and either three rounds of
twenty minutes with a gap of again twenty minutes or four rounds of fifteen minutes each and a
gap of fifteen minutes between them.[21]
Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Philippines,
Peru, Panama, Puerto Rico, Canary Islands, Saipan, and Guam have arenas with seats or
bleachers for spectators surrounding the ring. In many countries, the spectacle of cockfighting is
as popular as baseball and American football are in the United States.[clarification needed] Among the
competitors who raise fighting cocks, there is great pride in the prowess of their birds and in
winning a championship.

Americas
Cuba
Cockfight is a popular activity in Cuba. It is a seasonal sport, held only during the freshest
months of the year (November to April). Cocks are not ready to fight and their plumage is
molting during the warmest months (May to October).
In Cuba the tradition is to fix detachable natural (non-artificial) spurs to both legs of the fighting
cocks. Before fixing the detachable spurs, the natural spurs should be trimmed, leaving a trunk
not longer than 3 millimeters. The final length of the detached spurs ranks from 22 to 25
millimeters according to the relevance of the match.
Cockfights are held in a round arena commonly called valla, surrounded by a small fence around
which the spectators are accommodated.
Comb and wattles should be previously trimmed but feathers should not be necessarily groomed
as well, although tradition imposes an extensive feather trimming. The feathers of the chest,
hackle and thighs are generally shorn completely off. The reasons for this vary among individual
game fowl enthusiasts (see also Gamecock).
Cocks should have a weight within the rank of 50-69 Castilian ounces (2300-3180 grams) to be
admitted. One Castilian pound of 16 ounces is equivalent to 460,0093 grams.
The combatants are strictly paired up to fight according to their body weight. The allowed
difference in weight between the contenders ranks from half to one ounce (14-29 grams)
according to the body weight.
Fights are limited to a single round of 30 minutes, but statistics show that more than 50% of the
fights end within the first five minutes.
The persons proved to be betting are severely punished with a temporary or definite expulsion
from the tournaments and the prohibition to participate in further meetings.[22]

Mexico

Cockfight in Quertaro, Mexico

Cockfight in Lima, Peru

Two gamecocks fighting, Thailand, 1967

It is believed that cockfighting in Mexico originated from the Philippines during height of
Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. Filipino sailors brought with them their culture such as the
drinking of tuba and cockfighting. In Aguascalientes, a state capital, one of the city's principal
concert halls is the cockfighting arena, the palenque. Palenques are very common throughout the
country, with almost every major city having one, and are closely related to Mexican traditional
music performers, such as Vicente Fernndez, and also being (as mentioned below) the stage for
pop artists as well. During the San Marcos Fair, well known throughout Mexico, cockfights
alternate with important concerts, where the singers or dancers perform from the cockpit. Many
popular singers have performed there, e.g. Latin Grammy winners Alejandro Fernndez and
Alejandra Guzmn.[citation needed].
Peru

In Peru, cockfighting is allowed and it takes place in coliseums with round sand fields. Only a
judge and two managers each carrying a cock are allowed in the field. Judges use tables to
facilitate the refereeing of fights.
Cockfighting championships of Peru are of two kinds, Beak and Spur. The Peruvian Razor
Rooster ('Gallo Navajero Peruano') features in Spur fights. In Spur fights the weight and size of
the rooster varies. There are free weight championships as well.
The most important cockfighting championships take place in the Lima Region at the Coliseums
Sandia, Rosedal, Abraham Wong, The Peruvian Cockfighting Circle's Coliseum and The
Valentino, of the Rooster Breeders' Association of Peru.[23]
Brazil
Cockfighting, known in Brazil as rinha de galos ("baiting the rooster"), was banned in 1934 with
the help of President Getlio Vargas through Brazil's 1934 constitution, passed on 16 July. Based
on the recognition of animals in the Constitution, a Brazilian Supreme Court ruling resulted in
the ban of animal related activities that involve claimed "animal suffering such as cock fighting,
and a tradition practiced in southern Brazil, known as Farra do Boi (the Oxen Festival)",[24]
stating that "animals also have the right to legal protection against mistreatment and
suffering".[25]

Asia
Southeast Asia
Cockfighting is common throughout all of Southeast Asia, where it is implicated in spreading
bird flu.[26][27] Like Islam, Christianity might shun the belief in spirits, but in Southeast Asia, as
in Mexico, indigenous interpretations of the veneration of saints and passion plays dominate. In
the Christian northern Philippines, respect is accorded the veneration of traditional anito (spirits),
shamans number in the thousands and Catholic priests are powerless to stop cockfighting, a
popular form of fertility worship among almost all Southeast Asians.[28] Also in rural northern
Thailand a religious ceremony honoring ancestral spirits takes place known as "faun phii", spirit
dance or ghost dance, and includes offerings for ancestors with spirit mediums sword fighting,
spirit possessed dancing, and "spirit mediums cock fighting",[29] in a spiritual cockfight.
Indonesia
Cockfighting is a very old tradition in Balinese Hinduism, the Batur Bang Inscriptions I (from
the year 933) and the Batuan Inscription (dated 944 on the Balinese Caka calendar) disclose that
the tabuh rah ritual has existed for centuries.[30] In Bali, cockfights, known as tajen, are practiced
in an ancient religious purification ritual to expel evil spirits.[31] This ritual, a form of animal
sacrifice, is called tabuh rah ("pouring blood").[32] The purpose of tabuh rah is to provide an
offering (the blood of the losing chicken) to the evil spirits. Cockfighting is a religious obligation
at every Balinese temple festival or religious ceremony.[33] Cockfights without a religious

purpose are considered gambling in Indonesia. Women are generally not involved in the tabuh
rah process.
All forms of gambling, including the gambling within secular cockfighting, were made illegal in
1981 by the Indonesian government, while the religious aspects of cockfighting within Balinese
Hinduism remain protected.
The American anthropologist Clifford Geertz published his most famous work, Notes on the
Balinese Cockfight, on the practice of cockfights in Bali. In it, he argued that the cockfight
served as a pastiche or model of wider Balinese society from which judgments about other
aspects of the culture could be drawn.
Japan
Cockfighting is similar to boxing for the younger roosters as they battle for a victory with their
blunt natural spurs or lack thereof and after maturity they battle with their mature natural spurs
which may have become pointed. Despite fighting cocks allowed to be used in cockfighting, "the
state has designated them a protected species".[34]
Southern India

Cockfight in Tamil Nadu, India

Cockfight on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan

Cockfight in Hilongos, Philippines

Cockfighting (Vetrukkaal seval porr in Tamil which means "naked heel cock fight") (Kodi
Pandem in Telugu) (Kori katta in Tulu) is a favourite sport of people living in the coastal region
of Andhra Pradesh, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts of Tulu Nadu region of Karnataka,
and the state of Tamil nadu India. Three- or four-inch blades (Bal in Tulu) are attached to the
cocks' legs. Knockout fights to the death are widely practised in Andhra Pradesh. In Tamil Nadu,
the winner is decided after three or four rounds. People watch with intense interest surrounding
the cocks. The sport has gradually become a gambling sport.
In Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Tanjore, Trichy and Salem Districts, only naked heel sport is
performed. In Erode, Thiruppur, Karur and Coimbatore districts only bloody blade fights are
conducted. During festival seasons, this is the major game for men. Women normally don't
participate. There are many rare breeds preserved by these cock fighters.[citation needed]
Cockfighting in Tamil Nadu is mentioned in ancient literature like Manu Needhi Sastiram, Kattu
Seval Sastiram, and other sangam-age literature, 2,000 years old. It is referred to as the favourite
pastime for the warriors of Tamil Country. It is acknowledged as one of the 64 "arts" widely
spoken by the scholars and mastered by the ancestors/scholars of this part of the world. In earlier
days they were fighting with the jungle fowl and its variants later, due to the naval expeditions to
Java and Malay by the Pandian Rulers the local poultry of that land might have found its way to
Tamil Nadu and a new strain/breed started its development in here which later spread to many
places such as India. The newer breeds which are known now are The "Reja" (which is a short
Variety), "Sonatol", "Calcutta Asil", "Madras Asil", "Kalkatiya" (Also known as "Kadhar"
synonymous to Black Asils), The Reds (Also known locally as "Yakuth"), The Yellow Variants
(Also known as The "Peela" Asil), The Grey is known locally as "Java" and its variants reddish
grey as "Dummer". Also they have a "henny" variety cock known locally as "Pettai Madhiri" the
literal meaning is "it looks like a hen", though this variety is said to have come from "Singala
Island", or Sri Lanka.In Tamil Nadu instead of rings line is drawn and if the cock comes out of
the line or falls or dies it means the cock has lost there are several Tamil films based on cock.the
most rare and aggressive variety is called galva,such lineage possess a mustache like hair found
grown beneath its lower beak.spot fight and agreement fights are usually conducted in the district
of Tamil Nadu.agreement fights are conducted by showing the roosters 21 days advance by both
the parties and a date is fixed agreeing upon terms.21 days is fixed because a hen takes 21 days
to hatch its eggs.in these 21days preparation procedures such as medication and stamina boosters
are given orally by experts, exercise and swimming is given at regular intervals,the nail or mullu
is sharpened one day before the actual day of fight.a man named gowriaar is the person who

popularised the game in Tamil Nadu and southern kerala,preparation and training experts keep
their technique secret.coimbatore arumugan is one of the best traditional trainer and cockfighting
preparation expert at present in Tamil Nadu and palakkad kunjan in southern kerala.
The cockfight, or more accurately expressed the secular cockfight, is an intense sport, recreation,
or pastime to some, while to others, the cockfight remains an ancient religious ritual, a sacred
ceremony(i.e. a religious and spiritual cockfight) associated with the daivasthanams (temples)
and held at the temples precincts.[35] In January 2012 at India's 'Sun God' Festival the Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) district committee, demanded that police not interfere in the cockfighting
known as kozhi kettu as it is a part of the temple rituals, while the police replied they would not
interfere if the cockfight is held at a temple.[36]
Iraq
Cockfighting is illegal but widespread in Iraq. The attendees come to gamble or just for the
entertainment. A rooster can cost up to $8,000. The most-prized birds are called Harati, which
means that they are of Turkish or Indian origin, and have muscular legs and necks.[37]
Pakistan
Cockfighting is a popular sport in rural Pakistan; however, "betting is illegal under the
Prevention of Gambling Act 1977".[38] Betting is illegal, but police often turn a blind eye towards
it.[citation needed] In Sindh (one of 4 major provinces), people are fond of keeping fighting cock
breed, known as Sindhi aseel in Pakistan. These cocks are noted being tall, heavy and good at
fighting. Another popular breed is called Asil chicken|Mianwali Aseel.
Philippines

Cockfight in Davao City.

Sabong is a popular pastime in the Philippines where both illegal and legal cockfights occur.
Legal cockfights are held in cockpits every week, whilst Illegal ones called tupada or tigbakay,
are held in secluded cockpits where authorities cannot raid them. In both types, knives or gaffs
are used. There are two kinds of knives used in Philippine cockfighting. The single edge blade
(use in derbies) and double edged blades, lengths of knives also vary. All knives are attached on
the left leg of the bird, but depending on agreement between owners, blades can be attached on
the right or even on both legs. Sabong and illegal tupada, are judged by a referee called
sentensyador or koyme, whose verdict is final and not subject to any appeal.[39] Bets are usually

taken by the kristo, so named because of his outstretched hands when calling out wagers from
the audience and skillfully doing so purely from memory.

World Gamefowl Expo 2014, World Trade Center Metro Manila

.
The country has hosted several World Slasher Cup derbies, held biannually at Araneta Coliseum,
Quezon City, where the world's leading game fowl breeders gather. The World Gamefowl Expo
2014 was held in the World Trade Center Metro Manila.
Contrary to popular belief, sabong was not introduced to the islands by the Spanish.
Cockfighting was already flourishing in pre-colonial Philippines, as recorded by Antonio
Pigafetta, the Italian diarist aboard Ferdinand Magellans 1521 expedition.[citation needed] The
Philippines instead derives the practice from the fact that it shares elements of Indian and other
Southeast Asian cultures, where the jungle fowl (bankivoid) and Oriental type of chicken are
endemic.

Oceania
In the Mariana Islands in Micronesia, the sport of cockfighting has been considered a "cultural
tradition" dating back to Spanish rule. Cockfighting became more popular with an influx of
Filipino immigrants to the islands before and after World War II. Fights are held throughout the
week at a government licensed pit in the village of Dededo, Guam, and in other villages during
fiestas, where a patron saint of the village is celebrated. Imported roosters and hens from the U.S.
mainland fetch heavy prices that can reach as much as a thousand dollars each.[citation needed] On
the island of Saipan, north of Guam, legal cockfighting takes place several times a week in an
arena called the Dome in the village of Gualo Rai.

Other bird species

In 2009, authorities caught and shut down an illegal songbird-fighting ring in Shelton,
Connecticut that had been using saffron finches and canaries.[40] The American Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals commented that such songbird fighting is extremely rare. The
ancient Greeks used to practice quail fighting, using the common quail Coturnix coturnix.[41]
Also in south east Asia and ancient China were used to practice "quail fighting", but using the
female buttonquails.

Legal issues

Cockfight in Vietnam.

Cockfight in Otavalo, Ecuador

In many places, cockfights and other animal fights have been outlawed, often based on
opposition to gambling or animal cruelty. In the United States cockfighting is against the law. In
some American states it is not illegal to possess, raise, train, advertise, or trade cocks or
accoutrements that could be used for cockfighting. However, actively participating in a cockfight
in any manner is illegal: advertising, transporting participants or spectators, placing wagers,
hosting an event, etc. It is common for law enforcement to confiscate property associated with
any cockfighting activity.[42]

Europe
Spain
Cockfighting is banned in Spain except in the Canary Islands and Andalusia. Organisations such
as the WWF/Adena and some political parties are trying to ban it there too.[43][44][45] The law
allows it but tries to make it disappear "naturally" by blocking its expansion.[46] Contrasting with
the rest of the country (except with Catalonia), bullfighting is instead forbidden in the Canary
Islands, since it is not considered traditional, unlike cockfighting.
Cockfighting is also legal in Andalusia in the cities and villages where it is considered
traditional. With its famous Jerezanos race of fighting cocks, the Cdiz province is the most
popular centre of cockfighting in Andalusia.
United Kingdom

Cockfighting was banned outright in England and Wales and in the British Overseas Territories
with the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835. Sixty years later, in 1895, cockfighting was also banned
in Scotland, where it had been relatively common in the 18th century.[47] A reconstructed cockpit
from Denbigh in North Wales may be found at St Fagans National History Museum in Cardiff[48]
and a reference exists in 1774 to a cockpit at Stanecastle in Scotland.[49]
According to the RSPCA, cockfighting in England and Wales still takes place, but has declined
in recent years.[50]
France
Holding cockfights is a crime in France, but there is an exemption under subparagraph 3 of
article 521-1 of the French penal code for cockfights and bullfights in locales where an
uninterrupted tradition exists for them. Thus, cockfighting is allowed in the Nord-Pas de Calais
region, in Metropolitan France, where it takes place in a small number of towns including
Raimbeaucourt, La Bistade[51] and other villages around Lille.[52] On Runion Island, there are
five officially authorized gallodromes (i.e. cockfighting arenas). The Nord-Pas-de-Calais has a
dozen gallodromes, that also target the Belgian associations of aficionados, who travel to France
to avoid the prohibition of cockfighting in Belgium. The Nord-Pas-de Calais has its own race of
fighting cocks the "Combattant de Nord".
There is currently a flow of British aficionados to cockfights that come from January to June to
the Nord-Pas-de-Calais to participate in the cockfights. Some of them have been arrested at the
British border for transporting cockerels or material for cockfights, which has led to a small
cottage industry of British-owned cockerel farms. Likewise, some caretakers in Nord-Pas-deCalais cater exclusively to British cockfighters who, by law, are not permitted to transport and
care for their birds in the United Kingdom.[citation needed]

Americas
Cuba
Cockfighting was so common during the Cuban colonization by Spain, that there were arenas in
every urban and rural town. The first official known document about cockfighting in Cuba dates
from 1737. It is a royal decree asking, to the governor of the island, a report about the
inconveniences that might cause cockfights "with the people from land and sea" and asking for
information about rentals of the games. The Spaniard es:Miguel Tacn y Rosique, Lieutenant
General and governor of the colony, banned cockfighting by a decree dated on October 20, 1835,
limiting these spectacles only to holidays.
In 1844 a decree dictated by the Captain General of the island, es:Leopoldo O'Donnell, forbade
to non-white people the attendance to these shows. During the second half of the 19th century
many authorizations were conceded for building arenas, until General es:Juan Rius Rivera, then
civilian governor in Havana, prohibited cockfighting by a decree of October 31. 1899 and later
the Cuban governor, General Leonard Wood, dictated the military order No.165 prohibiting
cockfights in the whole country since June 1, 1900.[22]

In the first half of the 20th century, legality of cockfights suffered several ups and downs.[53]
In 1909 the then Cuban president es:Jos Miguel Gmez, with the intention to gain followers,
allowed cockfights once again, and then regulations were agreed for the fights.[54]
Up to beginnings of 1968 cockfights used to be held everywhere in the country, but with the
purpose of stopping the bets, the arenas were closed and the fights forbidden by the authorities.
In 1980 authorities legallized cockfights again and a state business organization was created with
the participation of the private breeders, grouped in territories. Every year the state organization
announces several national tournaments from January to April, makes trade shows and sells
fighting cocks to clients from other Caribbean countries.[22]
United States

Cockfighting club in Puerto Rico, 1937

In the United States, cockfighting is now illegal in all 50 U.S. states and the District of
Columbia. The last state to implement a state law banning cockfighting was Louisiana; the
Louisiana State Legislature voted to approve a Louisiana ban in June 2007.[55] The ban took
effect in August 2008.[56] Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have made
cockfighting a felony. It is illegal in all 50 states to knowingly attend a cockfight and/or bring a
minor to the event. On February 7, 2014 President Obama signed the Farm Bill which contained
the U.S. H.R. 366/S. 666Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act. "The final bill includes a
provision making it a federal crime to attend or bring a child under the age of 16 to an animal
fighting event[.]" [57] "The Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act would make it a federal
offense to knowingly attend an organized animal fight and would impose additional penalties for
bringing children to animal fights. Violators would face up to one year in prison for attending a
fight, and up to three years in prison for bringing a minor to a fight." [58] In the District of
Columbia it is illegal to be a spectator at cockfights. Animal welfare activists continue to lobby
for a ban on the sport. Cockfighting remains legal in the United States territories of Puerto Rico,
the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam, although in 2006, the Virgin
Islands adopted a law banning modifications such as the use of artificial spurs.
The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act, a federal law that made it a federal crime to
transfer cockfighting implements across state or national borders and increasing the penalty for

violations of federal animal fighting laws to three years in prison became law in 2007. It passed
the House of Representatives 368-39 and the Senate by unanimous consent and was signed into
law by President George W. Bush.[59]
The Animal Welfare Act was amended again in 2008 when provisions were included in the 2008
Farm Bill (P.L. 110-246). These provisions tightened prohibitions on dog and other animal
fighting activities, and increase penalties for violation of the act.[60]
On 8 February 2014, law enforcement made New York's largest cockfighting bust where they
seized 3,000 birds and arrested roughly 70 people across three counties. The investigation was
deemed the name "Operation Angry Birds" and they made three raids: a cockfight in Queens, a
pet shop in Brooklyn, and a farm in Plattekill. The raids were performed by the task force, along
with New York State Police, the Homeland Security Department and the Ulster County sheriff's
office. Upon entry of the Queens cockfight, authorities found the birds in small cages with razors
attached to them. The 70 individuals who attended the event were taken into custody. All but 9
of these men were let go. The nine men were given felony arrests and animal-fighting
charges.[61][62][63]
On 16 July, 2014, Princess Irina of Romania, and her husband John Walker, appeared in federal
court in Portland, Oregon in connection with running illegal cockfights they held in Irrigon,
Oregon in 2012 and 2013. The couple was originally charged with 12 counts including operating
an illegal gaming business, conspiracy, and violating the Animal Welfare Act but they agreed to
"sell their ranch and forfeit $200,000 to the government in lieu of incarceration."[64][65]

Australia
Cockfighting, and the possession of cockfighting equipment, is illegal in Australia[66][67]

In popular culture

Sunday Cockfight at Madrid, an 1873 wood engraving

Cockfighting has inspired artists in several fields to create works which depict the activity.
Several organizations, including the University of South Carolina, Jacksonville State University

in Jacksonville, Alabama, and London football team Tottenham Hotspur F.C. have a gamecock
as their mascot.

In music
Cockfighting has also been mentioned in songs such as Kings of Leon's Four Kicks and Bob
Dylan's song "Cry a While" from the album Love and Theft. The story song "El Gallo del Cielo"
by Tom Russell is entirely about cockfighting, and the lyrics utilize detailed imagery of fighting
pits, gamecocks, and gambling on the outcome of the fights.

In visual arts

Greek youngsters watching a cockfight, from Jean-Lon Grme (1846).

Cockfight, from Emile Claus (1882)

Falguire's Victor of the Cockfight, book engraving c. 1900, with added drapery
The painting "Cockfight" (1846) an academic exercise of the French painter Jean-Lon Grme,
Vainqueur au combat de coqs (1864) bronze statue from the French sculptor Alexandre
Falguire and the painting "Cockfight" (1882) from the Flemish painter Emile Claus are samples
of the presence of cockfighting in visual arts.
The Expressionist painter Sir Robin Philipson, of Edinburgh, was well known for his series of
works that included depictions of cockfighting.
The 1930 cartoon Mexico shows Oswald the Lucky Rabbit challenging a bear in a cockfight. The
1938 cartoon Honduras Hurricane features the pirate John Silver forcing Captain Katzenjammer
into a rigged cockfight. Other cartoon depictions portray humanized roosters treating cockfights
like boxing matches; these cartoons include Disney's Cock o' the Walk (1936), MGM's Little
Bantamweight (1938), and Walter Lantz's The Bongo Punch (1958).
Live-action films that include scenes of the sport include the 1964 Mexican film El Gallo De
Oro, the 1965 film The Cincinnati Kid, and the 1974 film Cockfighter, directed by Monte
Hellman (based on the novel of the same name by Charles Willeford).
The 1990 film No Fear, No Die centers around two men who are part of an illegal cockfighting
ring.
Cockfighting is depicted twice in the 2011 film The Rum Diary (film).
The Spike TV show 1000 Ways to Die features a death involving a cockfight, where a man who
bets on a rooster attaches razors to its claws to ensure its winning, but is slashed to death himself.

In the Seinfeld episode "The Little Jerry", Kramer enters his rooster into a cockfight in order to
get one of Jerry's bounced checks removed from a local bodega where the cockfights actually
take place.
In the HBO series Eastbound & Down, Kenny Powers moves to Mexico and is in the
cockfighting business until his cock "Big Red" dies.
The 2011 Tamil film Aadukalam revolves around the practice of cockfighting in Madurai, Tamil
Nadu. In the FX Network's police drama, "The Shield" episode titled "Two Days of Blood"
(season #1, episode #12), Detective Shane Vendrell and Detective Curt Lemansky go undercover
in a cock fighting event to track down an illegal arms smuggler.

In literature
Nathanael West's 1939 novel The Day of the Locust includes a detailed and graphic cockfighting
scene, as does the Alex Haley novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family and the miniseries
based on it. In literature, a description of a bordertown cockfight fiesta can be found in On the
Border: Portraits of America's Southwestern Frontier.[68] Charles Willeford wrote a novel,
Cockfighter, which gives a detailed account of the protagonist's life as a 'cocker'.

In martial arts
The term "human cockfighting" was used by United States senator John McCain to describe
mixed martial arts, which at the time he was campaigning to ban.[69]

In video games
The video game Law and Order: Legacies uses a cockfight as a plot point. With a man having
died because of a rooster with a spur had slashed him, but with a twist that he would have
survived if his wife would have called police.

"Two cocks fighting: striving for Christ and the palm of glory."
Square Enix's video game Sleeping Dogs allows the player character to spectate and bet on
various virtual cockfights based around the game's rendition of the city of Hong Kong.

In religion
Main article: Rooster Religion and spiritual belief systems
Augustine of Hippo once described a cockfight in spiritual terms: "in every motion of these
animals unendowed with reason there was nothing ungraceful since, of course, another higher
reason was guiding everything they did".[70]

See also

Dog fighting
Dubbing (poultry)
Illegal sports
Insect fighting
Shamo (chicken)

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