Roblegal Pelea de Gallos (cock fight)

                As it turns out, Thomas, the head of the family I visited for Christmas in Roblegal, tends the entrance of the pelea de gallos. The pelea enclosure, a pretty affair, I think, having seen half a dozen of them, is built under a large tree and enclosed by a very good fence. I hadn’t attended a cock fight and didn’t really want to. I’m not squeamish, particularly, and don’t quite understand my reservations to do so. I’d go to a bull fight, why not a cock fight? And it’s a cultural event. And the girls urged me to go. I’d been there on numerous Friday evenings by then and was familiar with the noise coming from that enclosure just a short way from the cabin I use when I’m there. So, that afternoon, just before Christmas, I went.

                By then I’d seen the cocks fighting in the yard. They do this on their own, the difference being that a natural cock fight seems a rather harmless affair as neither cock is armed with the blades attached to their spurs.

                I, to my surprise, was given a pass (got in for free, a gift, I think, of Thomas’s) into the enclosure where I watched 3 fights. None were what I’d call exciting, though the energy was high in the enclosure. The excitement seemed to be more about the betting than any particular aspect of the fighting. The last fight ended when the rooster being beaten got smart and ran for and escaped through a small hole on the door through which contestants entered with their birds. What became obvious fairly quickly is that the bird that flies up and attacks with its feet out is the one likely to win. One bird fought and won all three fights that afternoon. It just tended to kick out with its feet and its bladed spurs cut occasionally into the other bird.

This beautiful pelea is like something out of Lord of the Rings. The pelea is entirely beneath the acacia tree.

Best seats in the house...unless you're betting.

Addidasss!

Gotta see!

Toda miran, everybody looks