PHOTOGRAPHERS: ARTURO RODRIGUEZ: Stories: Cock fighting

A fighting rooster is locked in combat with another. This specific breed of bird has a predisposition to confrontation because it very territorial. Cock fighting is normally carried out in an Arena or Ring, where the rooster that survives is declared a winner.

In most cases bets are made on the result of the fight. The fighting roosters are bred and trained especially for this intention. The fight are considered a traditional sport by some people, whereas for others its a brutal case of cruelty against the animals. The fights are legal in most of Latin America as well as in Canary Island (in the rest of Europe they are prohibited) and some Asian countries.

The fights originate from Asia. In China, they were already celebrating cock fights 2,500 years ago. It is possible there were fights in India 1,000 years earlier. The practice was taken to America by the Spanish conquistadors.