Cockfight

A combination of boxing, illegal mixed martial arts competitions and weekend picnics is what cockfighting is about. Entertainments in Cuba, especially in the provinces, are few: 3 public access channels, domino play or evening dances in Casa de la Música. Thus, what else can an average Cuban farmer do in search of fun but gather in the blazing Cuban sun and wait hours for the fight to begin. This lack of entertainments is one, but not the only one, reason of cockfights’ great popularity. As Cuban people claim, the tradition of cockfighting is as old as the island itself and illegal bets excite everyone without exception. Some bet for fun, others for money, as really high stakes are sometimes put on a given cock player. However, everybody, irrespective of the purpose of betting, is deeply and seriously engaged in the game. Hence, both a victory and a failure stir strong emotions in its participants and spectators alike. Nevertheless, let’s us not be deceived by appearances. Cockfighting is a brutal and bloody pastime. It is a life and death struggle where only one player can and do survive. Rules are quite easy. First cockers are weighted. Then referees check if their plumage is not cover with any poisonous substances. Finally, they have their legs equipped with special talons and the competition starts. Frantic crowd of people surrounds a round arena, where only cockers and their trainers are left to meet their fate. An average fight lasts from 7 seconds to half an hour and usually does not result in a draw. Only when both trainers agree to stop the fight or when a minute passes and neither of the fighting cockers strikes a blow does the competition end in a tie. Not every rooster is cut out to be a warrior. At 2 or 3 months roosters undergo a preliminary selection, then a yearlong training and they are ready to fight. The best cockers can survive 3 or 4 years on the ring. After this period they become a breeding stock and their names are remembered and kept in a special record, which constitutes a kind of pedigree for their descendants. This, just like the Cuban tradition of cockfighting, is passed down from generation to generation.

Trinidad, Cuba 2006