I’m asking señor Malverde for luck. Thanks.

My rooster El Dorado came out from a fight badly injured and couldn’t heal. I prayed Saint Anthony the Great to make a miracle of healing my rooster, and few days after it was recovered. My rooster became even stronger than ever and the week after won over El Pinto, which was a very fierce rooster. Now my roster is the best in the region, and I dedicate this retablo for that, with devotion.

Macario Trujillo ~ Guanajuato, Mexico

One night appeared a ghost of a rooster and gave me an egg. It brought me very good luck. Thanks.

Some gentlemen from Jalapa had to come to buy my fighting roosters. But suddenly a crocodile that was hiding in the river came out and was about to eat my roosters. I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe because I was able to drove him back to the river with my broom and it didn’t eat my animals.

My husband loved his fighting rooster very much. One day he rooster got sick and it greatly saddened my husband. I wasn’t particularly fond of the cock because y husband spent all his time with him giving him a lot of attention. But when I saw how deeply my husband cared for the rooster’s health, I went to the witch doctor. She gave me a potion. We gave it to the rooster, and he recovered quickly after that. I thank the Virgin of Guadalupe because my husband was so grateful for saving his rooster he treats me with gifts every day.

The Day of the Dead, some skeletons came out their graves, got drunk and went to my farm which is near the cemetery. They made a real mess and scared the animals—my poor chicken and pigs. I prayed the Virgin of Guadalupe for protection, and she made a miracle. The rooster sang much earlier before the dawn, and the skeletons ran to their graves leaving us in peace.

As testimony of my eternal gratitude I thank Saint Michael the Archangel with the present retablo for keeping my rooster Valiente (Valiant) in good health. He made me win a lot of money fighting in the cockpits. And I have a special feeling for him since it was my father’s gift to me.

Venustiano Jimenez
Aguascalientes, Mexico

Virgin of San Juan, thank for your favors. A cockfight was going on, and it seemed that my cock was going to win. I cheered him but then suddenly the other cock owner stab me in my eye. My eye fell off and I almost lost it. I thank the Virgin for enlightening the surgeon who worked on me.

Ambrosio Ibarra
Leon, Guanajuato, 1961

I became a widower shortly after my wedding. I didn’t want to marry again after that. I forget about my loneliness in the company of my cocks. When they see me in sad mood, they come to me and peck my legs showing me that I’m not alone. I thank the Virgin for that.

Carlos Romero used to bread fighting roosters. One day a rooster didn’t recognize its master, attacked him, crabbed his face and tore one eye. Carlos thanks the Virgin of Guadalupe for recovering. He offers her this retablo and promise to keep himself away from this job.

I stopped putting my rooster in fights because we both became old. But I suddenly found myself with a lot of debt and had no opportunities to pay them off. So I asked my rooster if he could fight for the last time during the big feast in Palenque and try to win the grand prize. The rooster agreed to do so. During the fight the enormous enemy-rooster tried to kill my rooster. I prayed the Virgin of Guadalupe. Thanks to her my rooster won. He got some wounds but he survived. We have payed the debts and there are enough money left for living the rest of our lives.

The Teodoro brothers and Lucio Garcia thanks Saint James the Apostle because they rooster El Giro won over the White Cock which had never lost a fight before. With the money they won they payed off their debts.

Aguascalientes, 1949

My friend had no money to keep so many roosters, so he accepted it and gave me one. I thank Saint Martin the Cavalryman because the rooster turned out to be very good in fighting and he won a lot of money for me. My rooster the Valiant and I, we both became quite famous in the state.

Fausto Dominguez, Guanajuato