Cockfighting

*Warning: The following pictures show an aspect that of Domincan culture that it not easy to see, especially for animal lovers.

When I originally heard about cockfighting I thought I never wanted to see such a thing.  But, as time went by, I became more and more curious about this Dominican pastime.  I finally decided that watching a cockfight was like seeing a bull fight in Spain; it’s hard to watch but a part of culture I needed to see to understand.  The cockfight consisted of two cocks, their perspective owners, a judge/announcer, and the audience.  The owners attach additional spurs to the cock’s legs.  The roosters are released in the ring and immediately begin fighting.  Eventually, one is clearly the winner and the owners come to claim their rooster.  During the fight there is lots of cheering from the crowd for their favorite cock.

You pay a fee to watch all the fights for the evening.  Although sometimes my blonde hair and blue eyes makes me stand out more than I want, it paid off in this instance.  The money collector offered for me to come in and watch the cock fight for free (probably knowing I wouldn’t be staying the entire evening).  Initially I got as many stares as the roosters, but once the fighting started all eyes and cheers were focused on the cocks.  The winner of the fight wanted me to take a picture of him and his prized rooster.

outside of the ring

getting ready to start the fight

the winner

winning owner and his cock