The Del Rio community is about 42 miles east of Knoxville, on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Following the French Broad River, the winding road leading to Del Rio is surrounded by lush mountains, rocky cliffs and remnants of a bygone era dilapidated buildings and trailers that once served as truck stops and restaurants.
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Many are given their first fighting cock as soon as they're able to handle them, at ages 8 to 10, and see the bird as a symbol of their emerging manhood.
"I got my first chicken when I was 7 years old, and I'm 46 now," said Pat Martin, a Cocke County native. "They're more than pets and you really take it to heart when you lose one of them. Just about everyone in the county has done it sometime or another."
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Many breeders say they take better care of their birds than they do themselves.
Metal spurs called gaffs or knives are placed on the birds' natural spurs. While many breeders oppose the use of knives, most insist that even without the metal gaffs, the losers would die of infection from their injuries.
A fight can last seconds or hours and is overseen by a referee who enforces a detailed rule book, called Wortham's Rules, which is revised annually.
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Dedicated rooster breeders in the county pass on their top birds to their children and view the roosters as symbols of their family's heritage and pride.
Many are given their first fighting cock as soon as they're able to handle them, at ages 8 to 10, and see the bird as a symbol of their emerging manhood.
"I got my first chicken when I was 7 years old, and I'm 46 now," said Pat Martin, a Cocke County native. "They're more than pets and you really take it to heart when you lose one of them. Just about everyone in the county has done it sometime or another."
Students at Cocke County High School take great pride in their football team and mascot, the Fighting Cocks. For many students, the name symbolizes strength and courage, not cruelty. (The county is named after William Cocke, an early Tennessee statesman.)
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"It's part of our life and part of our culture," said Jessica Turner of Newport, who will be a senior at the high school this year. "When a chicken wins, it's treated like a king."
Cockfighting enthusiasts view a rooster match as a test of gameness, or the willingness to keep fighting even when the birds are near death.
Many game fowl breeders and cockfighters in the area say roosters have a fundamental right to express their "gameness" in battle, and people have a basic right to allow the birds to test their strength in battle.
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"It brings a lot of money into the county, especially for the hotels and restaurants. It's really going to hurt the county if it goes away."
Just amazing in all its backwoods white trash glory.. I am speechless for once.
