Cockfighting in Haiti

“If you want your eggs hatched, sit on them yourself.” -Hatian Proverb

Two well bred roosters (gamecocks) are placed in a ring called a gague, bets are taken and for several minutes to more than half an hour the birds will fight a bloodsport to the death. The winning handler collects his prize and the losing bird is usually destroyed. A centuries-old ‘sport’, cockfighting dates back some 3,000 years to Asia, it then spread through India, Europe and onto the island colonies after colonists introduced it to the native peoples. In Haiti it is integral part of society and culture, particularly in the slums, where it provides a needed diversion from the constant threat of violence and rampant poverty.