New Mexico becomes one of cockfighting's last havens

[Animal 0]

By Vange Perryman
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:36 a.m. March 31, 2005

HOBBS, N.M. – Jack Cairnes moved 2,100 miles for one reason – legal cockfighting.

"I simply refuse to participate in anything illegal," said Cairnes, who migrated to Hobbs from Washington state.


Cockfighting is legal only in Louisiana and some New Mexico counties.

Many animal-rights organizations and individuals oppose cockfighting, calling it cruelty for the sake of entertainment.

"I don't care about the impact it would have on my business," said Darlene Barr, owner of D-Barr Grooming and Kennels, which sells cock feed. "I think it is cruel."

But those in the cockfighting industry contend it is a booming business in some communities – one that contributes to economic development.

"More people are moving here so they can fight their birds," said Tommy Booth, who operates Tommy's Place nine miles north of Hobbs. "They buy homes so they can keep their birds on their property, so they pay all the taxes. That brings money here."

As cockfighting has become illegal in other states, the draw to New Mexico has increased. Booth said he knows of at least 45 cockfighters who have moved here.

Game fowl breeders contribute more than $18.7 million in state and federal taxes, according to estimates provided by the New Mexico Game Fowl Breeders Association based on a survey sample of its 2,500 members.

The smell of burgers on the grill meets people at the entrance of Tommy's Place. A full concession with juicy cheeseburgers, nachos, Frito pie and a few booths serve as a walkway to get into the pit area that seats about 635 people.

Before the event, activity centers around banding each bird's leg with a numbered tag, then weighing them. Birds are paired by weight, but the numbers are drawn blind so "there's no hanky-panky," according to Booth.

In the center of the dirt floor, three chain-link squares serve as fighting rings for the event. Children, teens, middle-aged men and women as well as elders can be seen gathering throughout the building.

Roosters crow as contestants get their birds ready for the ring. No alcohol is sold at Tommy's Place and "no gambling" signs are posted and spray-painted on walls.

The birds are fitted with a small knife, or gaff, around one leg. With handlers close by, the birds are set down in the dirt-floor ring to "do what they are naturally bred to do," Booth said.

The fowl fight to the death or until one can no longer fight. The birds fight only once per event.

"We spend 99.99 percent of our time making sure they don't fight, because if one ever gets out of his pen, they will just rip each other to death," Cairnes said.

"This (ring fighting) is actually more humane," Booth said.

On March 4, Tommy's Place recorded 47 people paying entry fees. They are allowed to fight several roosters per entry fee. The event, which begins with matches at about 8:30 p.m., can last until early morning.

Cairnes, a former Republican Washington state representative, and his family made Hobbs their home about 15 months ago solely because of the cockfighting community. He and his wife set out to tour states where cockfighting is still legal. While in New Mexico, Cairnes came across an advertisement for Tommy's Place in an industry magazine.

"I gave him a call and we talked for a bit," Cairnes said. "We came out the next day and he had several places lined up for us to look at. I bought the first one we saw."

Now Cairnes spends part of the year in Hobbs.

"Today I bought feed from a local feed store," Cairnes said. "We work, have families and pay our taxes. We're just looking for a fair shake."

Don Bible from Brownwood, Texas, and several family members were at Tommy's Place in early March. They attend cockfights in towns throughout the state, according to Bible.

"I probably spend about $10,000-$12,000 a year in this state because of cockfighting," Bible said.

Many of the "cockers" spend their Friday nights in Hobbs at Tommy's Place, then load up on Saturday and head to Jal or Clovis for another round of fights, or derbies. The derbies are weekly events, usually with a $100 entry fee, but major tournaments are scheduled throughout the year with $1,000 entry fees and can draw crowds of a thousand people.

Tommy's Place regularly packs in more than 120 people on Friday nights, with hundreds more gathering for the larger derby tournaments, Booth said. While many of those turning out are from New Mexico, license plates on vehicles outside Tommy's Place were also from Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Louisiana.

"Cockfighters contribute more than $52 million to the New Mexico economy," Booth said, quoting the NMGFA survey.

Ray Westall, president of Westall Oil & Gas LLC in Loco Hills, breeds roosters and has about 500-600 at any given time. He feeds each bird 3 to 4 ounces per day, vaccinates his stock, provides fresh water daily and has each rooster in a private pin spaced approximately three feet apart.

"My feed bill is about $20,000 a year. Plus, I employ a couple of hands to help take care of everything," said Westall, who buys his feed in Carlsbad. "I probably spend a total of $70,000-$80,000 a year on my stock."

Shawn Salas, 40, has been a cockfighting referee for 10 years in Hobbs. As a referee, Salas gets a percentage of the total entry fees per derby. But he also breeds from a bloodline his father brought back to the United States after World War II.

"I spend about $400 in feed a month," Salas said. "And I only sell my top roosters to people I know. Some of them sell for $1,000, but this is what I do. This is what I am educated in. This is how I feed my birds and myself."