A Brief History on Cock Fighting

At one time cockfights were actually held in our nations capitol. President Andrew Jackson kept fighting cocks in the white house stables, employing a man named Jack Freer to feed and train them. Such statesmen as Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren, Governor John Floyd of Virginia, and many others met in the committee rooms of congress to match rooster favorites. George Washington and his friend , Lord Fairfax, were ardent cockers and in Washington's personal effects was found literature on the subject. Both were regular subscribers to a cockfighting magazine published in England. At that time cockfighting was America's National Sport and the fighting cock lost out to the American Eagle as the Seal of the United States by only ONE vote after a bitter battle.

As proof against the contention that cockfighting is cruel: Abraham Lincoln, who loved cockfighting, was so tender hearted that he wouldn't hunt, and as a boy was whipped many times for opening traps to free the animals. As a man , Lincoln attended and refereed many cockfights, thus his nickname Honest Abe. Benjamin Franklin also attended and refereed cockfights. Thomas Jefferson was a breeder and fighter of gamecocks. Other Famous men who were ardent cockers were: Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Themistocles, Queen Elizabeth of England, James 1 and his son Prince Henry, Charles 1, Charles 11, Sir Walter Raleigh and the Duke of Essex.

The oldest Known cockpit in the world is Number Ten Downing Street, Official residence of Winston Churchill, whose ancestor, the Duke of Marlborough, was a famous cock fighter. The original pit was erected there by King Henry V111 and was immortalized in a painting by the famous artist Van Dyck. King James 1 was devoted to cock fighting. Cockfighting has been a compulsory course of instruction in some English schools for more that 1000 years.

Cocks are fought in every state in America. Several times a year tournaments are held in the South. Small tournaments, derbies, and concourses are held every month all over the country during the fighting season, which runs from Thanksgiving to July 4th. Cocks are not fought in the summer due to heat and molt.

Information taken from "Johnson's Breeder's and Cocker's Guide", third edition.