Rat-Baiting
Dogs
Rat-Baiting
Bull Terrier | Fox Terrier | Jack Russell Terrier | Manchester Terrier | Rat Terrier | Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Rat Baiting PitRat-baiting is a
bloodsport involving the
baiting
of rats in a pit.
History
In 1835, the
Parliament of the United Kingdom implemented an
Act called the
Humane Act, which prohibited the baiting of some animals such as the
bull,
bear and other
large animals. However, rat baiting was not enforced and ratting competitions
came to the forefront as a
gambling
sport.
Atmosphere
Wentworth Day a follower of the sport of rat baiting, described his
experience and atmosphere at one of the last old rat pits in
London during
those times.
- "This was a rather dirty, small place, in the middle of the
Cambridge Circus, London. You went down a rotten wooden stair and
entered a large, underground cellar, which was created by combining the
cellars of two houses. The cellar was full of smoke, stench of rats, dogs
and dirty human beings as well. The stale smell of flat beer was almost
overpowering. Gas lights illuminated the centre of the cellar, a ring
enclosed by wood barriers, similar to a small
Roman
circus arena and wooden bleachers, arranged one over the other, rose
stepwise above it nearly to the ceiling. This was the pit for
dog
fights,
cock
fights and rat killing. A hundred rats were put in it, large wagers went
back and forth on whose dog could kill the most rats within a minute. The
dogs worked in exemplary fashion, a grip, a toss and it was all over for the
rat. With especially skilful dogs, two dead rats flew through the air at the
same time..."
Rules
Rat Baiting Competition
The officials included a
referee and
timekeeper.
The pit was either covered above with wire mesh or additional security devices
were installed on the walls to prevent the rats from escaping.
There was a weight handicap for each dog. The competing dog had to kill as
many rats as the number of pounds the dog weighed, within a specific preset
time. The prescribed number of rats was released and the dog was put in the
ring. The clock started the moment the dog touched the ground. When the dog
seized the last rat, his owner grabbed it and the clock stopped.
Rats that were thought still to be alive were laid out on the table in a
circle before the referee. The referee then struck the animals three times on
the tail with a stick. If a rat managed to crawl out of the circle, it was
considered to be alive. The dog had to go back in the ring with these rats and
kill them. The new time was added to the original time.
A combination of the quickest time, the number of rats and the dog's weight
decided the victory. A rate of five seconds per rat killed was considered quite
satisfactory; fifteen rats in a minute was an excellent result.
Consider catching, lifting, biting-to-death and dropping a rat within four
seconds and seizing the next one while the first is falling to the ground. In
addition, the cornered rats will attack and can deliver a very painful bite. It
was not uncommon to see a ratter left with only one eye in its retirement.
Rat-catcher
Before the contest could begin there was a requirement for the capture of
potentially thousands of rats. The
rat-catcher, would be called upon to fulfill this requirement. A famous
rat-catcher from
Victorian
England was
Jack Black.
Technique
Rat killing is a very specialized art. For this purpose you needed not only a
brave dog, which did not shy away from rat bites, but one of especially great
speed. The true rat killer bites once, drops the rat, bites again, drops again
and so on.
Some dogs shake the caught rat to prevent it from biting. A dog that wastes
its time with shaking has absolutely no chance of winning a rat killing contest,
which is decided chiefly on time. The successful rat killer seizes the rat
between head and shoulder, which prevents the rat from biting and kills the rat
immediately with a sharp bite.
Breeds
The ratting dogs were typically
Terrier
breeds, which included, but not limited too, the
Bull and Terrier,
Bull
Terrier,
Fox
Terrier,
Jack Russell Terrier,
Rat
Terrier,
Manchester Terrier and
Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The degree of care used in breeding these
ratters is clear in their
pedigree with good breeding leading to increased business opportunities.
Successful breeders were highly regarded and famous in those times.
Billy
Billy, the celebrated Rat Killing Dog, London, Circa 1823
A celebrated
Bull and Terrier named "Billy" weighing approximately 26 pounds, had a proud
fighting history and the pedigree reflects the build-up over a period of years.
The dog was owned by Charles Dew and was bred by the famous breeder
James Yardington. On the paternal side is "Old Billy" from the kennel of
John Tattersal from Woollen under Edge,
Gloucestershire and was descended from the best line of all
Old English Bulldogs. On the maternal side, is "Yardington's Sal" descended
from the Curley line. The pedigree of all these dogs can be traced back more
than forty years and there are numerous old accounts about them.
The October 1822, edition of
The Sporting Magazine provided descriptions of two rat pit matches with
Billy, quoted as follows:
- "Thursday night, Oct. 24, at a quarter before eight o'clock, the
lovers of rat-killing enjoyed a feast of delight in a prodigious raticide at
the Cockpit,
Westminster. The place was crowded. The famous dog Billy, of rat-killing
notoriety, 26 lbs. weight, was wagered, for twenty sovereigns, to kill one
hundred rats in twelve minutes. The rats were turned out loose at once in a
12-feet square, and the floor whitened, so that the rats might be visible to
all. The set-to began, and Billy exerted himself to the utmost. At four
minutes and three quarters, as the hero's head was covered with gore, he was
removed from the pit, and his chaps being washed, he lapped some water to
cool his throat. Again he entered the arena, and in vain did the unfortunate
victims labour to obtain security by climbing against the sides of the pit,
or by crouching beneath the hero. By twos and threes they were caught, and
soon their mangled corpses proved the valour of the victor. Some of the
flying enemy, more valiant than the rest, endeavoured by seizing this
Quinhus Flestrum of heroic dogs by the ears, to procure a respite, or to
sell their life as dearly as possible; but his grand paw soon swept off the
buzzers, and consigned them to their fate. At seven minutes and a quarter,
or according to another watch, for there were two umpires and two watches,
at seven minutes and seventeen seconds, the victor relinquished the glorious
pursuit, for all his foes lay slaughtered on the ensanguined plain. Billy
was then caressed and fondled by many; the dog is estimated by amateurs as a
most dextrous animal; he is, unfortunately, what the French Monsieurs call
borg-ne, that is, blind of an eye.-This precious organ was lost to him some
time since by the intrepidity of an inimical rat, which as he had not seized
it in a proper place, turned round on its murderer, and reprived him by one
bite of the privilege of seeing with two eyes in future. The dog BILLY, of
rat-killing notoriety, on the evening of the 13th instant, again exhibited
his surprising dexterity; he was wagered to kill one hundred rats within
twelve minutes; but six minutes and twenty five seconds only elapsed, when
every rat lay stretched on the gory plain, without the least symptom of life
appearing.' Billy was decorated with a silver collar, and a number of
ribband bows, and was led off amidst the applauses of the persons
assembled."
Billy's best competition results are as follows:
Date |
Rats Killed |
Time |
Time per Rat |
1820-??-?? |
20 |
1 minute, 11 seconds |
4.6 seconds |
1822-09-03 |
100 |
8 minutes, 45 seconds |
5.2 seconds |
1822-10-24 |
100 |
7 minutes, 17 seconds |
4.4 seconds |
1822-11-13 |
100 |
6 minutes, 25 seconds |
3.4 seconds |
1823-04-22 |
100 |
5 minutes, 30 seconds |
3.3 seconds |
* Record |
1823-08-05 |
120 |
8 minutes, 20 seconds |
4.1 seconds |
Billy's career was crowned on
April 22,
1823, when a world
record was set with a hundred rats killed in five-and-a-half minutes. This
record stood until 1862
when it was claimed by another ratter named "Jacko". Billy continued in the rat
pit until old age reportedly with only one eye and two teeth remaining.
Jacko
According to the
Sporting Chronicle Annual, the world record in rat killing is held by a
black and tan
Bull
Terrier named "Jacko" weighing about thirteen pounds and owned by
Jemmy Shaw.
Jacko had the following contest results:
Date |
Rats Killed |
Time |
Time per Rat |
1861-08-08 |
25 |
1 minute, 28 seconds |
3.5 seconds |
1862-07-29 |
60 |
2 minutes, 42 seconds |
2.7 seconds |
* Record |
1862-05-01 |
100 |
5 minutes, 28 seconds |
3.3 seconds |
* Record |
1862-06-10 |
200 |
14 minutes, 37 seconds |
4.4 seconds |
1862-05-01 |
1000 |
in less than 100 minutes |
6.0 seconds |
Jacko set two world records, the first on
July 29,
1862, with a
killing time of 2.7 seconds per rat and the second on
May 1,
1862, with his
fight against one hundred rats, where Jacko worked two seconds faster than the
previous world record holder "Billy". The feat of killing 1,000 rats took place
over a ten-week period, with one hundred rats being killed each week ending on
May 1,
1862.
Decline
The last public competition took place in
Leicester
in 1912. The owner
was prosecuted, fined and had to give a promise to the court that he would never
again promote such entertainment. Toward the latter half of
Queen Victoria's reign, a more humane attitude to the canine race gradually
emerged, with her Majesty's love of animals setting the example. Baiting sports
diminished in popularity and the exhibition of dogs slowly replaced the
attractions of the dog pit.
See also
Further reading
- Fleig, D. (1996). History of Fighting Dogs. T.F.H. Publications.
ISBN 0793804981
- Homan, M. (2000). A Complete History of Fighting Dogs. Howell
Book House Inc.
ISBN 1582451281
- Mayhew, H. (1851).
London Labour and the London Poor, Volumne 3, Pg. 5. London: Griffen,
Bohn and Company, Stationer's Hall Court.
External links
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