Cockfighting has a history which traces back to times before Christ. However, before it even became a sport, the bird was regarded as an admirable animal, drawing respect from men. The fighting cock was a subject of religious worship. The ancient Syrians worshipped the fighting-cock as a deity. The ancient Greeks and Romans associated the fighting-cock with the gods Apollo, Mercury and Mars. Magellan claimed that in Borneo, the bird was so sacred that no one could eat its flesh. In South Canara, the bird claimed to ward off evil demons. In Sumatra, the gamecock was worshipped -- a temple built to it, and rituals performed to honor the deity.

Cockfighting occurred in the temples and the dead bird which lost the battle was prepared to be presented to the deities. The bird would be placed in a gold cauldron, soaked in gums and spices. Then its body was burned on an altar and its ashes were placed in a golden pot or urn.

In the times before Christ, approximately 3,000 years ago during the times of the phoenicians, Hebrews, and Canaanites, cockfighting was popular. Breeding gamecocks for fighting in a pit was considered an art and trading these birds was profitable. In Egypt, in the time of Moses, cockfighting was a favorite pasttime. During the height of Greek civilization, Themistocles -- a general who was preparing to drive away the invading persians -- decided to hold a cockfight the night before the battle to inspire his men by showing the courageous nature of the fighting cock. Persian traders loved to gamble by pitting their fighing birds against each other. They would often carry their birds with them and pit a fight in the marketplaces and trading centers.

In the first century after Christ, Julius Caesar led Rome into enjoying the sport of cockfighting. He was the first citizen of rome to be an enthusiast of the sport. Caesar ultimately introduced cockfighting into England. In the 16th century, cockfighting was flourishing in England. During the time of King Henry VIII, cockfights were held at whitehall palace. The game became a national sport at one point, and exclusive schools were required to teach students the points of cockfighting, such as breeding, walking, and conditioning of the gamecock. At its very height of popularity, even the clergy encouraged the sport. Church yards and inside of the churches were used as an arena for cockfighting. The sport declined in england during the reign of Queen Victoria in the 17th century, when she banned cockfighting with a royal decree. Today, cockfighting is almost nonexistent. However, in the British Isles, there still esixts a breed of gamecocks known as the pyles strain of Charles II that is a highly sought after bird by cockers and breeders.

In spain, cockfighting has existed for the longest period of time. How it arrived is uncertain. Theories point to travelling phoenicians or the conquering moors. Today, cockfighting is a popular sport in Bilbao, Oviedo, Madrid, Barcelon, and Valencia. Many Filipino breeders travel to Spain to obtain ideal birds for breeding. Many gamecocks in the Philippines have a blood strain of Spanish game cocks.

In the United States, famous presidents who were lovers of the game were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln. It was socially acceptable and encouraged for a gentleman to have a flock of gamecocks and to be an expert on the sport. At one point, the U.S. Became a center for cockfighting activities and events. Cockfights were even held in the committee rooms of the president. It is said that the fighting-cock almost became the national emblem. It lost by one vote to the american eagle. Cockfighting declined when the Civil War started.

Information for this report came from this website.

Greyhound Racing Maintains High Integrity

    ABILENE, Kan., May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials of the American Greyhound
Council (AGC) are confident that industry and regulatory policies of zero
tolerance for drug use are protecting the welfare of racing greyhounds and the
integrity of the sport, according to AGC President Kathleen Collins.
    Responding to a recent article by Alan Snel in the Tampa Tribune about
illicit drug use at a Florida track, Collins said, "The fact is that 99.9
percent of racing greyhounds tested show no exposure whatever to cocaine.
We're very proud of that record."
    To set the record straight, Collins noted some key facts:
     -- State regulators in Florida aggressively enforce policies of zero-
        tolerance for drugs in greyhound racing -- a policy that state and
        national greyhound racing organizations strongly support.
     -- The vast majority of positive drug tests are attributable to the
        improper use of legal medications such as anti-inflammatories and
        analgesics.
     -- Less than 1/10th of one percent of all greyhounds tested show
        positive results for cocaine, and most of those show only miniscule
        amounts of the drug, nowhere near enough to influence the outcome of
        a single race, let alone the overall integrity of the sport.
     -- Positive findings for illegal substances such as cocaine are
        immediately investigated by the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel
        Wagering, which is empowered to levy fines, suspend or revoke racing
        licenses, and redistribute purses.
     -- Drug-related enforcement actions by the Division of Pari-Mutuel
        Wagering are a matter of public record, and fully accessible to any
        law enforcement agency authorized to investigate illegal drug use.

    Collins said radical animal rights organizations such as Grey2K may have
contributed some of the false information portrayed as "research" in the Tampa
Tribune story.  She noted that animal rights groups typically promote
misinformation in their political campaigns against greyhound racing and other
animal enterprises.
    Collins concluded, "Most reporters understand the importance of checking
their facts and making sure they understand the statistics they're reporting.
That didn't happen in this case.  As a result, a lot of hard-working,
law-abiding people in greyhound racing ended up with a black eye."

Source: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/05-24-2004/0002180555&EDATE=