Cockfighting

[Suze01]

I wasn't sure whether to put this into 'Wildlife' or 'Sport' so I plumped for the Postbag instead.

There's an article in the Times today regarding this so-called 'sport'.  Although illegal in France (two year jail sentence imposable)  there are a few villages in Pas de Calais that are still permitted to hold fights as they can prove a long tradition of cockfighting.  The article says that there are Brits flocking over on day trips to see the fights. The cocks are equiped with spurs and so it is particularly brutal with innevitable deaths of the birds:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2003836_1,00.html

[The Riff-Raff Element]

[quote user="Suze"]I wasn't sure whether to put this into 'Wildlife' or 'Sport' so I plumped for the Postbag instead.

There's

an article in the Times today regarding this so-called 'sport'. 

Although illegal in France (two year jail sentence imposable) 

there are a few villages in Pas de Calais that are still permitted to

hold fights as they can prove a long tradition of cockfighting. 

The article says that there are Brits flocking over on day trips to see

the fights. The cocks are equiped with spurs and so it is particularly

brutal with innevitable deaths of the birds:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2003836_1,00.html

[/quote]

Fighting cocks were always equipped with spurs and the fights were

almost always to the death. Although I know that it does go on in the

Pays de Calais (there is even a specific breed of bird used for

fighting - the Combatant du Nord), I think that the Times / RSPCA may

be talking this up rather: even where legal this activity is conducted

with some discretion lest it be banned outright, and I cannot for the

life of me imagine hoards of British enthusiasts being welcomed with

open arms. The odd one or two, maybe. Illeagal fights are far more

common - both here and in the UK.

And, no, I do not think that it is good thing. I have a great fondness

for chickens and think that they get a pretty crap deal one way and

another.

[Will]

I think jond has answered very well - this happens, despite it being 'illegal'. I too doubt very much that outsiders would be encouraged into such gatherings but I'm sure that if you are an 'enthusiast' for this sort of thing, and you know a French counterpart, you can get involved (if you must).

Trouble is, the average rural Frenchman (at least in packs) has little regard for the law when he disagrees with it. And although he is by no means an uncaring person where animals are concerned, his idea of what is cruel is very much different from that of the average British person. Rather like rural England of 50 years or so back, where hunting with hounds was normal, and even hare coursing, badger-baiting, etc were still widely accepted. This is by no means an endorsement of cruel sports, just an acknowledgement of part of that la difference that we often want to vive.

[Alcazar]

Trouble is, the average rural Frenchman (at least in packs) has little regard for the law when he disagrees with it.

I'd go as far as to say that MOST of the French I've EVER met agree wholeheartedly with laws........they think the laws should apply to, and be enforced on, .....................everyone except themselves[:D]

Isn't that the French government's "take" on European law too?

Alcazar

[Loiseau]

Here's a long piece on this gruesome "sport" , in French.
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060111/CPACTUEL/601110473/1063/CPACTUEL

I had heard that it's only allowed to continue in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais in places where it had never died out. The article seems to say "where there are existing cockpits" - though I expect that is much the same thing.  From the article, it doesn't sound as if the younger generation is going to be keen to carry it on.

And it does sound as if it would be pretty difficult to gain admission to a fight, so one doesn't imagine coachloads of British fans being too welcome.

One nicety I noticed:
"Le coq mort est, quant à lui, vidé de son sang, débarrassé de ses lames métalliques fixées aux pattes et offert au public. «Je ne mange jamais mes coqs. On n'est pas des barbares», indique un coqueleux [trainer of fighting cocks]..."
So that's all right, then... [+o(]

Angela