Haiti's Bull Fighting Culture Brings Fortune to Some

An obscure practice promises great fortune to lucky locals.

Risky Business - You’ve likely heard of cock fights and dog fights. But what about bull fights? This obscure practice of fighting muscular bovines with sharpened horns has existed in rural hamlets across the Caribbean country for at least a century, some say. Keep reading to learn more about the risky pastime.—Patrice Peck with reporting from AP(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Risky Business - You’ve likely heard of cock fights and dog fights. But what about bull fights? This obscure practice of fighting muscular bovines with sharpened horns has existed in rural hamlets across the Caribbean country for at least a century, some say. Keep reading to learn more about the risky pastime.—Patrice Peck with reporting from AP(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

Leogane, Haiti - The coastal town of Leogane is one of the Haitian rural hamlets home to bull fighting.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Leogane, Haiti - The coastal town of Leogane is one of the Haitian rural hamlets home to bull fighting.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

Clash of the Bovines - Typically weighing 1,700 pounds, two bulls are released to charge into one another once the owners have approved of all bets, AP reports. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Clash of the Bovines - Typically weighing 1,700 pounds, two bulls are released to charge into one another once the owners have approved of all bets, AP reports. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

A Lively Scene - Hundreds of men surround the animals, animating the brutal scene with their shouts and waving money. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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A Lively Scene - Hundreds of men surround the animals, animating the brutal scene with their shouts and waving money. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

Field of Dreams - The choosing of bulls often involves dreamlike visions, bettors told AP. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Field of Dreams - The choosing of bulls often involves dreamlike visions, bettors told AP. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Occasional Gore - The fights finish only several minutes after they begin, whenever one of the bulls backs down from the other. Bloodshed reportedly occurs on occasion.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Occasional Gore - The fights finish only several minutes after they begin, whenever one of the bulls backs down from the other. Bloodshed reportedly occurs on occasion.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

Strong and Ready - "The happiness is in betting on an animal you know is strong and ready,” Jean Andrea Martineau, a 72-year-old bull fighting aficionado, told AP.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Strong and Ready - "The happiness is in betting on an animal you know is strong and ready,” Jean Andrea Martineau, a 72-year-old bull fighting aficionado, told AP.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

In the Family - According to Martineau, his great-grandfather was a famous bull trainer. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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In the Family - According to Martineau, his great-grandfather was a famous bull trainer. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

Payday - The training seems to have rubbed off on Martineau (not pictured), who purchased a back Jeep largely due to the winnings from his four fighting bulls.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Payday - The training seems to have rubbed off on Martineau (not pictured), who purchased a back Jeep largely due to the winnings from his four fighting bulls.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

A Dollar and a Dream - AP reports that the chance of lucking into a large payday through bullfighting appeals to a number of Haitians, most of whom live on less than $2 a day. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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A Dollar and a Dream - AP reports that the chance of lucking into a large payday through bullfighting appeals to a number of Haitians, most of whom live on less than $2 a day. (Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Big Pots - Pots can reportedly grow to the equivalent of $775.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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Big Pots - Pots can reportedly grow to the equivalent of $775.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

The Pay Off - Some of the gamblers see these fights as way to cover their children’s school tuitions or, like Martineau, buy a car, while many rural participants deem the practice a casual pastime.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

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The Pay Off - Some of the gamblers see these fights as way to cover their children’s school tuitions or, like Martineau, buy a car, while many rural participants deem the practice a casual pastime.(Photo: AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)