Presidents, Kings and Gamecocks: Fact-Checking the Famous "Brief History of Cockfighting"

Tgf Gameyard posted a 2-minute reel reading a famous page from an old American book, Johnson's Breeders and Cockers Guide (3rd edition). You've probably seen this list shared in our groups: Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Henry VIII, Churchill... all supposedly sabungeros. It's a fun list, and some of it is true. But some of it is pure kuwentong sabungero. In an earlier post I covered 3,000 years of gamecock history. This time, let's go claim by claim and sort the facts from the legends, so you don't get laughed at when you share it. What the Reel Says Andrew Jackson kept fighting cocks in the White House stables, with a man named Jack Freer to feed them. Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, Martin Van Buren and Gov. John Floyd matched roosters in the committee rooms of Congress. George Washington and Lord Fairfax subscribed to an English cockfighting magazine. The gamecock lost to the eagle as the US national symbol by one vote. Lincoln refereed cockfights, "thus his nickname Honest Abe." Franklin refereed, and Jefferson bred gamecocks. No. 10 Downing Street is the oldest cockpit in the world, built by Henry VIII. Some English schools taught cockfighting for 1,000 years. "Cocks are fought in every state in America." The Fact Check ✅ True (or close to it) Henry VIII built a royal cockpit at Whitehall Palace. It was built after he took over Cardinal Wolsey's York Place in 1529. The Churchill link is real, but the story is a bit different. The cockpit building later became the home of John and Sarah Churchill, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, Winston Churchill's ancestors. Queen Anne gave it to them. King James I was a well-known lover of cockfighting. English schoolboys really did have a cockfighting tradition. On Shrove Tuesday, boys brought cocks to school to fight. "Compulsory for 1,000 years" is a stretch, though. ⚠️ Partly true The cockpit is not No. 10 Downing Street. It stood at what is now 70 Whitehall (the Cabinet Office), a few steps away. It stopped hosting cockfights in Jacobean times and became a theatre. "Honest Abe." Lincoln got the nickname as a store clerk in New Salem who walked miles to return a few cents to a customer. Because people trusted him, they asked him to judge contests and fights. So the honesty came first and the refereeing came after, not the other way around. The presidents. Jackson, Washington and Jefferson are often listed as cockers. There are old stories behind them, but the details (the White House stables, Jack Freer, the committee rooms) come from cocking books, not from presidential records. ❌ Myth or outdated "Lost to the eagle by one vote." There is no record of such a vote. It's a well-loved legend. The Van Dyck painting. I couldn't find any painting of the Whitehall cockpit by Van Dyck. "Cocks are fought in every state in America." This is badly outdated. Cockfighting is now illegal in all 50 US states (Louisiana was the last, in 2008), and it is a federal crime. Since 2019, the federal ban also covers US territories, including Puerto Rico and Guam. Why This Matters to Us The Philippines is one of the few places where sabong is still legal and regulated. Many of our best bloodlines come from the American South, from breeders who now have to breed and sell rather than fight at home. That's why so many US breeders now look to Filipino buyers, and why American "named lines" are so heavily marketed to us. My Takeaways for Pinoy Breeders Check before you share. Posting a myth as fact hurts your credibility as a breeder and seller. Your name is your brand. Use history the right way. A true story, like Henry VIII's cockpit, makes great content for your farm page. Just add the source. Know the US situation when buying imports. Fighting is banned in the US, so a "proven" American line is proven in breeding records, not recent pit records. Ask for those records. Protect our own legal status. Sabong survives here because it is regulated. Follow cockpit rules and permits, and keep it clean. Old books are great, but they are dated. Read Johnson's and Narragansett for the wisdom, and fact-check the facts. Like Tsismis at the Barbershop This list is like a story that goes around the barberya in the barrio. It starts with something true: "Mang Ben sold his carabao." By the fifth customer, Mang Ben sold three carabaos, a jeepney and his house to a senator. There's always a real story at the center. A wise listener keeps the true part and laughs at the rest, and never repeats it as gospel without asking Mang Ben first. — Sabungero