CARREO by Rolando S. Luzong
Peoples Tonight (March 6, 2010)
HAWAIIAN FLAVOR FOR THE WORLD SLASHERS CUP
In today's world of innovations and new developments, even the World Slasher Cup gets a different twist with the announcement that the second edition of the World Slasher derby for this year will be called the 2010 World Slasher Cup-2 Hawaiian Invitational 8-Cock Derby.
It will not be surprising if the title will raise some eyebrows considering that the World Slashers Cup is an event that is a Filipino sabungero pride. So, how come that the word Hawaiian has been incorporated?
Before cockfighting was banned in practically 99% of the United States, one of the most popular cocking events was the annual Hawaiian Derby which is held in Texoma Game Club in Oklahoma. I was lucky to set foot in the said cockpit just be fore it was closed for good and met its operator or manager, a lady by the name of Judy Hamilton (or is it Collins).
With the continuously growing number of foreigners, particularly the Hawaiians, competing in the World Slasher Cup, a bright idea was hatched with the concurrence of Mr. Jorge “Nene” Araneta which resulted in the 2010 World Slasher Cup-2 Hawaiian Invitational Derby.
According to Araneta's PR Manager Genny Marcial, two plane loads of Hawaiians are expected to arrive here to compete or just watch the Slasher.
The three-day event is set on May 31, June 2 & 4 and will again have Thunderbird as co-presentor and this early, a special promo that will surely thrill those sabungeros that have been wanting to watch the World Slasher Cup.
I don't want to preempt Thunderbird with the details so I will just leave you hanging for now, but I assure you that this promo is something you have never heard of.
MITRA COCKS
The Mitra 56 line of roosters was a “labor of love” for the late Speaker of the House Monching Mitra. It was one of the most ugliest roosters that ever entered the ring, but it’s fighting style is poetry in motion.
Yes, it took him 30 years to prove his point, but it was worth the wait when he won 1987 & 1988 back-to-back championships of the Annual Fiesta Señor 7-Cock Derby in Bacolod City – one of the toughest cocking event for many years.
The breed originated from a broodcock that has a legband number 56 given to Mitra by Father Medrano of Bauan, Batangas who revealed that “only one out 100 is game”. The rooster had short legs, but has long thighs. He was so good in sparring, but would quit after 3 to 4 buckles.
It was in 1957 when Mitra started experimenting and perfecting the Mitra 56. He bred it to several hens and no sons ever quitted.
The infusion of imported bloodline to the Mitra 56 was another rare story. An American by the name of Spec McLaughlin arrived in Manila bringing along twelve roosters. They were greys with white legs.
Pilot Ben Rodriguez bought ten of them for P400 apiece. Two rejects were left. One with eyes of different colors and the other, a nervous runner. Both were just being sold at P200 each. Mitra had only P100 in his pocket, but the American won’t let go of the chickens so Mitra requested that the roosters be reserved for him. When he came back the following day, only the quitter was left.
When Mitra showed the cock to his Bagiuo City-based American cocking buddy Kip Moore, the latter said “I don’t wanna breed that thing”. However, Mitra was insistent.
They bred the McLaughlin cock to Mitra 56 hens and they started producing winners.
From then on, the Mitra 56 strain became Monching’s foundation line. They were crossed with the Parawakan, Hamilton, Boles and other imported breeds and they the offsprings were awesome.
For many years, the weird-looking Mitra cocks dominated the competition and up to the present thousands of breeders are proud of their Mitra breeds.
On March 20 is the tenth death anniversary of Ramon “Monching” V. Mitra, Jr. who is undoubtedly the most nationalistic Filipino cocker that ever lived.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Pareng Lito Nazareta yesterday and to my Chicago-based sister Malou Luzong-de Guzman.
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