Thai Bullfighting — Fight Day
Bull owner hopeful he has raised a prize winning animal
Owner and bull walking through trees
Relaxing couples staying near their fighting bull
Stable hand affectionate with fighting bull
Small boy with a young fighting bull
Adding horn-lengtheners to bull to increase his chances in the fighting ring
Administering water to a bull in training
Gathering a basket of forage to feed a fighting bull
Bull at feed trough
Bulls in early morning with smudge pots to ward off mosquitoes
Entering an open field for regular exercise
Common exercise area for local fighting bull owners
Traveling across field for exercise with fighting bull
Walking along road for exercise with fighting bull
Heading to small local fighting ring for controlled training
A small local training ring
Local training ring with children playing on unoccupied bleachers as fighting bulls arrive
Owner offloading his animal for controlled sparring
Bull anxious to put his horns to use
Animal thrusting horn into soft ground
Local men watching and discussing the bulls brought by their neighbors for trial fights
Men watching controlled fights between local area bulls
Controlled sparring between two local bulls in test for aggression
Local men and boys watching a controlled match to select the superior village bull
Regional gathering of men and animals selected for most aggression and fighting skill
A matchmaker will pair bulls of similar size and experience to return and meet in the ring during fight day
Fight day: The large regional ring has filled with spectators from local villages
An animal aggressively digs its horns into the dirt before his competitor enters the ring
Concerned face before the animals meet
Bull is prepared at edge of ring just before he engages his competitor
Wiping down the horns prior to the fight
Animals engaged and judging respective strength in center ring
First blows are struck with owners' crews still crowding about the attacking animals
Animal lifted by a strong well-leveraged charge
Heads to the ground in a corner of the ring
Animals engaging a-1
Animals engaging a-2
Animals engaging a-3
Animals engaging a-4
Animals engaging a-5
Animals engaging a-6
Animals engaging a-7
Animals engaging a-8
Worried looks and placing a bet on an evolving fight
Bowled over and pinned down b-1
Bowled over and pinned down b-2
Bowled over and pinned down b-3
Placing a bet on a fight with two animals reluctant to engage
Struggling for dominance c-1
Struggling for dominance c-2
Struggling for dominance c-3
Struggling for dominance c-4
Struggling for dominance c-5
Struggling for dominance c-6
Struggling for dominance c-7
Struggling for dominance c-8
Struggling for dominance c-9
Struggling for dominance c-10
Struggling for dominance c-11
Woman with eyes closed supporting small child
Head to head d-1
Head to head d-2
Head to head d-3
Team owners cheering on their animal
Victor clearing the ring e-1
Victor clearing the ring e-2
Victor clearing the ring e-3
Victor clearing the ring e-4
Victor clearing the ring e-5
Victor clearing the ring e-6
Victor clearing the ring e-7
Victor clearing the ring e-8
Victor clearing the ring e-9
Victor clearing the ring e-10
Winning team jubilant over their bull's victory
After fight wash down and first aid
Winning team returning to stable with their victorious bull
Respected owner and trainer with head of a past prize fighting bull