found this on Sabong Press. all cockers will love this one......i sure did.. !!!!!!REAL GOOD READN!!!!!! !!!!!!!!ENJOY!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!MY!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!FRIENDS!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE SHARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The colonialization of the New World was responsible for the introduction of cockfighting to the Americas. Descendants of the original Spanish fowl, distinctly different than their western European counterparts, are still found in their purity in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other locations. The English and Irish colonists were as devoted to the sport as their countrymen in Europe. Cockfighting and horse-racing were among the main diversions of the time, with advertisements and accounts of the more significant matches published in newspapers. From the web site of the Delaware Historical Society [hsd.org/Delaware%20Facts/DEFacts_.htm] Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson, and Henry Clay are a few of the more prominent early Americans who are reported to have enjoyed the sport. There are numerous references to Gamecocks during the 18th century. A famous bloodline of fowl known as Delaware Blue Hens also became the nickname for the 1st Delaware Regiment of the Continental Army, as the men displayed extreme courage in battle. To honor the soldiers that fought to achieve independence from England, the State of Delaware declared the Blue Hen as the state bird. In South Carolina, General Thomas Sumter earned the nicknameUniversity of South Carolina logo Gamecock as his troops were one of the major forces that drove the British out of South Carolina. Today, the mascot for the University of South Carolina is the Fighting Gamecocks. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, gamefowl journals appeared on the scene complete with articles on breeding and conditioning techniques, reports of various tournaments, mains and derbies, and advertisements for fowl and supplies. Three of the earliest magazines devoted to the sport continue to be published - The Gamecock, Grit and Steel, and the Feathered Warrior. Often featured in the journals were the prestigious annual tournaments in Orlando, Tallahassee, and St. Augustine, Florida, where members of high society, including U.S. Senators and other government officials were seen in attendance. Advertisements of hotels and restaurants were published in the months preceding the tournaments. In the November, 1951 issue of the Gamecock, the editor writes of efforts to revive the St. Augustine Tournament for the 1952 season, as the owner of the club and organizer of the event had passed away. About the trip, the editor writes It is definitely worth mention that in working with the St. Augustine businessmen, citizens, and officials, that we did not find even ONE individual who did not want the Tournament and who was not ready to do all in his power to make cockers welcome when they visit the City. On at least one occasion, the St. Augustine Chamber of Commerce published an advertisement in the magazine welcoming the participants and spectators to the city. continued... American Duke Hulsey in the Philippines With the advent of air travel, international cockfighting events began to take place. Organizers in the Philippines sponsored many such events after World War II and the best cockers from the USA were invited. Other major derbies were hosted in Mexico, Central America, and Puerto Rico. These cross-cultural exchanges resulted in the sharing of breeding and conditioning methods and valuable gamefowl strains. Duke Hulsey, considered by many to be one of the best cockers in the USA in the 1960s, Ted Driskell, Jr. represented Waco, Texas in several derbies in Mexico in the 1970s.with a feathered friend in the Philippines Source: The Gamecock (July, 1964) American cockers continue to regularly compete in Mexico Source: The Gamecock (December, 1973) Today, major international cockfights continue to attract top cockers who compete for the honor and prestige of the world championships. The most prestigious arena of them all is the Araneta Coliseum in Metro Manila, Philippines, home of the World Slasher Cup International 8-cock Derby. Gamefowl Chicks; Drawing by Harrison Weir, circa 1850 As the United States shifted from a rural population base to a largely urban population, the changing values associated with this transition did not accomodate the sport once so popular among the founders of the country. Although the Constitution of the United States guarantees its citizens the rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, cockfighting became the target of various humane organizations, who ultimately were able to drive the sport underground in most areas. Ironically, the solution now embraced by the animal protection groups and law enforcement agencies involves the confiscation and destruction of entire flocks of cocks, hens and chicks. Although increasingly under attack, cockfighting remains popular in the United States. Today, all 50 states have laws against cockfighting, although the degree of enforcement of the laws may vary. Local authorities are often reluctant to become involved because the sports strong cultural roots and the adverse economic impact enforcing the laws would have on gamefowl breeders - the same people they see every Sunday in church and at the local diner. Immigrants from countries where cockfighting is a time-honored cultural practice struggle to understand the laws against cocking in the USA, and continue to attempt to practice the sport. Conflict between the narrowing legal definition of what is culturally acceptable and the widely divergent cultural needs and traditions of immigrants to the USA is becoming commonplace. The conflict between relatively recent definitions of socially acceptable behaviors and traditional/cultural practices is not limited to immigrants nor cockfighting. For example, hunting, fishing, rodeos, aquariams, animal agriculture and even pet ownership are targets of main-stream animal rights organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States. It appears unlikely that the sport is in danger of being eliminated entirely, as it transcends a hobby for most cockers and becomes a way of life - a connection to their historical roots - and many cannot envision life without their fowl. In fact, considering the relationship has existed for over 3,000 years, mans intense fascination with the Gamecock appears to be as strong as ever. there was pictures of pits and cockers from all over the world, but they would not copy and paste...
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 21:14:22 +0000
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