Bone-crunching moment 1,700lb bulls with sharpened horns are pitched head-to-head in rural Haiti... as weekend entertainment
- Haitians gather outside the coastal town of Leogane each Sunday to gamble on matches
- Fights can last a few minutes or continue for up to a quarter of an hour
- Gamblers win enough cash to pay their children's school fees or buy cars
- Prize money can grow to £450 per fight in a country where workers can earn as little as £1-a-day
From idyllic beaches to spectacular scenery, there isn’t much that Haiti doesn’t offer tourists.
But this is one activity that isn't on most visitors’ itineraries.
Bullfighting is a huge pastime for Haitians, with locals often gathering each Sunday to gamble on the outcome of matches.
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![A casual pastime for some rural men, it's a serious business for others looking to pay their children's school fees or even buy a car](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340D51F00000578-2839511-A_casual_pastime_for_some_rural_men_it_s_a_serious_business_for_-4_1416332606418.jpg)
A casual pastime for some rural men, it's a serious business for others looking to pay their children's school fees or even buy a car
![In the coastal town of Leogane, locals often gather each Sunday to gamble on the outcome bullfights](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340D33300000578-2839511-Bull_fighting_is_a_huge_past_time_for_Haitians_with_locals_often-1_1416332606391.jpg)
In the coastal town of Leogane, locals often gather each Sunday to gamble on the outcome bullfights
The coastal town of Leogane holds regular events, and the obscure Haitian practice has been likened to cockfighting or dog-fighting.
A casual pastime for some rural men, it's a serious business for others looking to pay their children's school fees or even buy a car.
The animals’ horns are often sharpened by knives and machetes ahead of each fight in a bid to give the bulls an advantage over their rivals.
The bulls' trainers then stomp through crowds of onlookers as they look to drum up bets among the spectators, while the animals dig holes in the dirt as they wait to be let loose from their ropes.
![Locals say most fights end when one of the bulls retreats, but some have ended with one of the animals - or spectators - being gored](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340D54000000578-2839511-While_locals_reveal_that_fights_mostly_ends_when_one_of_the_bull-5_1416332606426.jpg)
Locals say most fights end when one of the bulls retreats, but some have ended with one of the animals - or spectators - being gored
![The animals’ horns are often sharpened by knives and machetes ahead of each fight in a bid to give the bulls an advantage](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340D54A00000578-2839511-The_animals_horns_are_often_sharpened_by_knives_and_machetes_ahe-2_1416332606400.jpg)
The animals’ horns are often sharpened by knives and machetes ahead of each fight in a bid to give the bulls an advantage
When owners are satisfied with the bets, two bulls are released to charge into a bone-rattling collision.
Lunging at one another and digging their hooves into the soil, the 1,700lb animals battle while hundreds of spectators shout and wave money.
While some fights last a matter of minutes, other can continue for a quarter of an hour.
![Locals gather to watch a bullfight that they organized on a banana farm in Leogane, Haiti](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340E63000000578-2839511-Locals_gather_to_watch_a_fight_between_bulls_that_they_organized-3_1416332606408.jpg)
Locals gather to watch a bullfight that they organized on a banana farm in Leogane, Haiti
![For people living on as little as £1 a day, the chance of landing a big payday is appealing](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340D51300000578-2839511-For_people_living_on_less_than_2_dollars_a_day_the_chance_of_lan-6_1416332606435.jpg)
For people living on as little as £1 a day, the chance of landing a big payday is appealing
![Bettors say their decision to pick a specific bull to win a fight can often involves dreamlike visions](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340D34200000578-2839511-Bettors_say_choosing_bulls_to_win_fights_can_often_involves_drea-7_1416332606445.jpg)
Bettors say their decision to pick a specific bull to win a fight can often involves dreamlike visions
The fight ends when one of the bulls retreats.
While locals reveal that this is the most likely ending to a fight, some have ended with one of the animals - or spectators - being gored.
Local Jean Andre Martineau says he has managed to buy a large Jeep with the winnings he has collected from his four fighting bulls.
‘The happiness is in betting on an animal you know is strong and ready,’ he said outside Leogane, an hour's drive from Port-au-Prince.
The 72-year-old said his great-grandfather was a well-known bull trainer and the practice has existed in several rural hamlets for at least a century.
![Men congratulate a bull that won a fight in the coastal town of Leogane. The sport has been likened to cockfighting and dog-fighting](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340D25700000578-2839511-Men_congratulate_a_bull_that_won_a_fight_in_the_coastal_town_of_-8_1416332606453.jpg)
Men congratulate a bull that won a fight in the coastal town of Leogane. The sport has been likened to cockfighting and dog-fighting
![A man sprays water on his bull after it was entered in a fight in Leogane, Haiti](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340B75300000578-2839511-A_man_sprays_water_on_his_bull_after_he_entered_his_bull_in_a_fi-9_1416332606460.jpg)
A man sprays water on his bull after it was entered in a fight in Leogane, Haiti
![Those with less money gather around rough-hewn roulette tables. Winners get cans of condensed milk](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340D31600000578-2839511-Those_with_less_money_gather_around_rough_hewn_roulette_tables_t-10_1416332606468.jpg)
Those with less money gather around rough-hewn roulette tables. Winners get cans of condensed milk
![A man pulls his bull by a rope before entering him in a fight in Leogane, Haiti](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/18/2340B6B500000578-2839511-A_man_pulls_his_bull_by_a_rope_before_entering_him_in_a_fight_ag-11_1416332606477.jpg)
A man pulls his bull by a rope before entering him in a fight in Leogane, Haiti
For people living on as little as £1 a day, the chance of landing a big payday is often appealing.
In bull fights, pots can grow to 36,000 Haitian gourdes (£450). Bettors say choosing bulls often involves dreamlike visions.
On the field in Leogane, fighting bulls are just one game of chance.
Those with less money gather around rough-hewn roulette tables, the winning numbers on wobbling wheels pinpointed by metal spokes. Winners get cans of condensed milk.
It fits into a gambling culture in Haiti that includes cock fights and ‘borlettes’ - gaudily-painted outlets that sell lottery tickets.
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