My rooster from the market

This is a short story that I want to share. I absolutely agree that in order to win in today’s competition, one should have a good, solid bloodline and good feeding and conditioning. I just want to highlight something else that helps a rooster win, Love. I want to believe that the love and affection we give our warriors give them enough motivation to return to us after the fight. Let me give an example of this.

Maybe around 15 – 18 years ago, my father and I were walking in the market to buy what we needed for the month. I then spotted a very dirty white cock who had both his legs bound, as if he was being sold to be cooked. It was apparent that this was a fighting cock and not a rooster bound for the cooking pot. Granted that it was extremely obvious by the way he looked that he had questionable bloodline. I then approached his owner, a coal vendor, this explains why the rooster was so dirty. I then asked him if I could purchase the rooster, he looked at me from head to toe and seeing that I was just a boy, he gave me quite a high price for a rooster of that caliber. I then reached in my pocket and gave him all the money I had. I carried the rooster and showed him to my father. He then said that he didn’t like the cock and that it would just take up space, but I still decided to take him home.

I trained him like all the other roosters we had, gave him the same feeds that were given to our other warriors and treated him like all the others we had who were of good blood. But since he was special to me, he got more attention. I would get him in the morning and mid day and wet his face to cool him down and he was the one I would normally hold in my hand when I have nothing to do during the weekends. And he was the first one I would pick up when I got back from school. During that time we had lemons, hulseys, kelsos and hatches. Each new rooster that my dad purchased was sparred with my market cock, sometimes one after the other. My dad did this to see if we would turn tail and run, but he never did. After a few months, we decided to finally fight him in a hackfight. Once we entered the ring, the entire cockpit erupted and we were severe underdogs. He was pitted against a very beautiful hatch looking red that belonged to a known breeder in the area. The fight started in a flurry by both combatants and quickly went to the drag. He then outlasted the opponent and to the shock of everyone, we won! My market rooster won! The entire cockpit erupted once more but in cheers for my ugly rooster. That was one of our most memorable fights, my market rooster won twice more ending in 3 wins under his belt. His last fight cost him an eye and a piece of his wing bone.

That rooster showed the will to fight in order to return to us. This is why I believe that together with a solid bloodline and conditioning, we must also show affection to our roosters because in the end, they will give it all back to us.

My dad and I with my market rooster