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Eastern countries. Cockfighting was introduced to Greece about the time of Themistocles (c.524 to 460 B.C.), and it spread throughout Asia Minor and Sicily. According to some historical accounts, the ancient Romans feigned to despise this Greek diversion for a lengthy period but ended up adopting it so enthusiastically that the agricultural writer Columella (first century A.D.) complained that its devotees often spent their whole inheritance betting at the side of a pit. It is generally agreed that the early Romans were responsible for the first artificial spurs and the introduction of cockfighting to Britain. Much later, despite opposition from the Christian clergy, cockfighting became popular in the Low Countries; Italy; Germany; Spain and its colonies; and throughout England, Wales and Scotland. The most popular methods of staging cockfights included: 1. The Main, in which the matched cocks of two principals fought an odd number of battles with the majority of victories deciding the winner 2. The Battle Royal, in which any number of birds would be pitted at the same time and allowed to kill until only one bird remained 3. The Welsh Main, in which eight pairs of cocks were fought with the eight victors being paired and fought again, then four, and finally the last surviving pair While cockfighting was patronized by all classes, only the wealthiest cockfighters could afford to breed their own strains of cocks in large numbers. Cockfighting remained a favorite pastime of English nobility from the early 16th century until the mid-19th century, when it came under increasing criticism because of the cruelty involved. In 1835, animal baiting contests were made illegal in England with the passage of the Metropolitan Police Act. The law was strengthened and cockfighting was specifically prohibited with the passage of the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1849. 48 The Humane Society of the United States Cockfighting was introduced to the American colonies at an early date but was soon prohibited in the older states. The first state to outlaw cockfighting was Massachusetts in 1836. Although it is hardly germane and would not constitute a defense, cockfighters frequently make the claim that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson were avid cockfighters and that Abraham Lincoln actually earned the moniker “Honest Abe” by refereeing cockfights. With the exception of Andrew Jackson, who was known (and criticized by his contemporaries) for his involvement in the activity, historians have provided documentation to The HSUS that shows such stories to be untrue or grossly exaggerated. At the time of the printing of this manual, cockfighting is specifically outlawed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and a felony crime in 42 states (see humanesociety. org). Unfortunately, many people believe that cockfighting exists in the United States today only as a cultural phenomenon among people of Hispanic or Filipino descent. It is true that cockfighting is practiced with varying degrees of popularity in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia; however, the assumption that someone would be automatically predisposed to this activity just because he or she is a member of a particular ethnic group is prejudicial and erroneous. Although it does exist, cockfighting is generally not recognized as a form of sport by the Latin American countries and it has been prohibited for years in some countries, including Cuba, Paraguay, Costa Rica and Brazil. Who participates in cockfighting? Promoter. This individual usually owns or controls the fight location and is responsible for all arrangements necessary to conduct the meet. Responsibilities include scheduling and Specialized cases


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