Bull-baiting
Encyclopedia
Bull-baiting is a blood sport
involving the baiting
of bull
s.
, bull-baiting was practiced in London
at Hockley-in-the-Hole
, twice a week – and was reasonably common in the provincial towns. At Stamford and at Tutbury
, a bull was annually hunted through the streets.
The bull was usually placed in a specially constructed ring
for the purpose, and tied to an iron stake so that it could move in an area of about 30 feet. The object of the sport was for the dogs to immobilise the bull.
Before the event started, the bull's nose might have been blown full of pepper
to enrage the animal before the baiting. The bull was often placed in a hole in the ground. A variant of bull-baiting was "pinning the bull", where specially-trained dogs would be set upon the bull one at a time, a successful attack resulting in the dog fastening his teeth strongly in the bull's snout
. The Old English Bulldog
was bred especially for this sport. So was the Boxer, an ancestor of the English bulldog.
A Bill for the suppression of the practice was introduced into the British House of Commons
in 1802, but was defeated by 13 votes, and it was not till the year 1835 that it was finally put down by Act of Parliament, called the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835
, which forbade the keeping of any house, pit, or other place for baiting or fighting any bull, bear, dog, or other animal.
Blood sport
Bloodsport or blood sport is any sport or entertainment that involves violence against animals.Bloodsport includes coursing or beagling, combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, or other activities...
involving the baiting
Bait (dogs)
Baiting or dog baiting most commonly refers to the act of setting game dogs against a chained or confined animal for sport. The dogs bite, and tear to subdue the opposing animal by incapacitating or killing it. Baiting is a blood sport used for entertainment and gambling...
of bull
Bull
Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...
s.
History
In the time of Queen Anne of Great BritainAnne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
, bull-baiting was practiced in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at Hockley-in-the-Hole
Hockley-in-the-Hole
Hockley-in-the-Hole was an area of Clerkenwell in central London where bull-baiting and bear-baiting and similar activities took place in the 17th century and 18th century. It was roughly where the Ray Street Bridge stands today, north of the junction of Clerkenwell Road and Farringdon Road....
, twice a week – and was reasonably common in the provincial towns. At Stamford and at Tutbury
Tutbury
Tutbury is a large village and civil parish of about 3,000 residents in the English county of Staffordshire.It is surrounded by the agricultural countryside of both Staffordshire and Derbyshire. The site has been inhabited for over 3000 years, with Iron Age defensive ditches encircling the main...
, a bull was annually hunted through the streets.
The bull was usually placed in a specially constructed ring
Bullring
A bullring is an arena where bullfighting is performed. Bullrings are often associated with Spain, but they can also be found in neighboring countries and the New World...
for the purpose, and tied to an iron stake so that it could move in an area of about 30 feet. The object of the sport was for the dogs to immobilise the bull.
Before the event started, the bull's nose might have been blown full of pepper
Black pepper
Black pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed...
to enrage the animal before the baiting. The bull was often placed in a hole in the ground. A variant of bull-baiting was "pinning the bull", where specially-trained dogs would be set upon the bull one at a time, a successful attack resulting in the dog fastening his teeth strongly in the bull's snout
Snout
The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw.-Terminology:The term "muzzle", used as a noun, can be ambiguous...
. The Old English Bulldog
Old English Bulldog
The Old English bulldog was a breed of dog.-Appearance:The Old English bulldog was compact, broad and muscular, as reflected in the well-known depiction Crib and Rosa. The average height was approximately 15 inches, and they weighed about 45 pounds...
was bred especially for this sport. So was the Boxer, an ancestor of the English bulldog.
A Bill for the suppression of the practice was introduced into the British House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
in 1802, but was defeated by 13 votes, and it was not till the year 1835 that it was finally put down by Act of Parliament, called the Cruelty to Animals Act 1835
Cruelty to Animals Act 1835
The Cruelty to Animals Act 1835 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , which was intended to protect animals from mistreatment....
, which forbade the keeping of any house, pit, or other place for baiting or fighting any bull, bear, dog, or other animal.
See also
- BullfightingBullfightingBullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
- Baiting (animals)
- BeargardenBeargardenThe Beargarden was the facility for bear-baiting, bull-baiting, and other "animal sports" in the London area during the 16th and 17th centuries, from the Elizabethan era to the English Restoration period.-History:...
- List of dog fighting breeds