Copper State - Sabong, Cockfighting and Gamefowl Posting Pit

RONCOVOICE · September 5th, 2011, 12:43 PM

Good memories is all there's left of the "Home of The Champions"
Drove by there today and had to take a picture of the O'l Game Cock on the entrance Archway.

Would love to hear any stories you want to share

Butch93 · September 5th, 2011, 12:53 PM

ya doyle screwed up when he got busted, gave them bunny hugger the ammo they needed. Good times there
Yfis
Mark

209Albany · September 5th, 2011, 12:57 PM

Wish I could have gone once. My mentor would show there all the time. Said that he seen some of the best roosters in the country there.

butch hawaii · September 5th, 2011, 01:34 PM

The Hawaiian Derby the BIGGEST derby in the USA

RONCOVOICE · September 5th, 2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Butch93

ya doyle screwed up when he got busted, gave them bunny hugger the ammo they needed. Good times there
Yfis
Mark

Amigo I believe that the apathy of many Cockers and pit operator in AZ was what doomed the Fighting Game.
Happy to report that Mr Doyle Thompson has been given as much as a slap on the hand on that conviction, he was on the drag pit for his money fight with out time limit like the old times and darn that man is game!
Ronco

RONCOVOICE · September 5th, 2011, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by butch hawaii

The Hawaiian Derby the BIGGEST derby in the USA

Amigo I remember the Hawaiian derby no doubt a sight to see the beautiful Islanders all over Blythe, Ehrenberg, Cibola, Quartzite and Parker and always happy telling stories caling every one Brawthas hahaha and the post Office was a line going out the door when they were shipping and receiving their birds!
A sight to see, wished we had cell phones or digital cammeras to record those happy times.
Ronco

Butch93 · September 5th, 2011, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RONCOVOICE

Amigo I believe that the apathy of many Cockers and pit operator in AZ was what doomed the Fighting Game.
Happy to report that Mr Doyle Thompson has been given as much as a slap on the hand on that conviction, he was on the drag pit for his money fight with out time limit like the old times and darn that man is game!
Ronco

Lol i have nothing against the man and know alot of people that are friends and family but as far as a slap on the hand? Dont know about that. Last i heard he was still on tye run. His problems had nothing to do with chickens. But hey more power to him i hope they never catch him. He's an old man now so whats the point.
Yfis
Mark

ROUND HEAD MAN · September 5th, 2011, 03:20 PM

Sorry the man lives in snelling. Hes not running hes counting that money. He nevehe people that voted all the libs in. He knew it and started selling all the cock houses and started selling rental spaces for storage. Everything rented out for storage and and he sold every one a week before it was out lawed. "crook" maybe. Smart for seeing the what was really going on. Yes no one at that time would of even thought it would of. Hes not running boys hes counting that cash. Cant blame him. I bought one 13 days beforE it happened thats the game were in. Like the old timer told me gabling money has no home.

Thanks
cipriano.

Butch93 · September 5th, 2011, 03:59 PM

Sorry i guess i heard wrong. I was always told he was on the run for a 10 million dollar pot bust back in the day. My mistake like i said dont make no differance to me. He gave my buddie some nice mugg greys when we were kids and some other friends raise his fowl still. I used to b.s. with old walt faglart back in the day who was the old man who helped him start copper state. Like i said dont make no differance to me and wish him the best.
Yfis
Mark

DesertRat · September 5th, 2011, 05:22 PM

Doyle had his hands full with other thing besides gate tickets to the big shows at Copper State , but thats for another day... Kemper Marley kept the sport alive and well, when he died , so did cockfighting in AZ. Kemper ran the entire state (among other things) from his living room, he filled the seats at the State Capital Building. That man was a true "Boss" , he had many friends in both High and Low places , as well as enemies.

Larry Lingerfel · September 5th, 2011, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesertRat

Doyle had his hands full with other thing besides gate tickets to the big shows at Copper State , but thats for another day... Kemper Marley kept the sport alive and well, when he died , so did cockfighting in AZ. Kemper ran the entire state (among other things) from his living room, he filled the seats at the State Capital Building. That man was a true "Boss" , he had many friends in both High and Low places , as well as enemies.

You are correct DesertRat. My very good friend Buck Greene related a lot of stories to me over the years about Mr. Marley. Buck's dad, Edward Greene, to my understanding built Copper State and ran it for many years. Mr. Marley helped Buck get a job with the Arizona Highway Department where he retired. Buck had nothing but great respect for the man. Buck was a very smart cocker and a cowboy at heart. Buck saved the last remaining artifact from the Copperstate pit before it was destroyed. It is a water coloring of a 'Trio' of Clarets that hung in the facility that the UGBA logo was adapted from. It is called the 'Copperstate Trio'. Buck willed it to me at his death and I have it hanging in my living room. Some great memories there! When Mr. Marley passed so did legal cockfighting in Arizona.

YoungGun · September 5th, 2011, 11:07 PM

Here is a photo of my grandpa and I on one of the trips we made there. This time I believe we were just passing by. I remember going there several times with my gramps as a kid. Instead of using the pens they offered there he had a old long airstream trailer that he gutted and built scratch/fly pens in and several keep stalls. Also had a work bench and a medicine cabinet. He used to leave it there between derbies so he wouldn't have to hail it back and forth from cen cal. Does anybody remember the hawain derby that's on the banner in the pic, when they gave awY the Mercedes. I think it was around 95? Anyways that's all I remember of the place, wish it was still open!

trueedge · September 6th, 2011, 12:13 AM

Great pics thanx for sharing. Makes me feel like I was there

RONCOVOICE · September 6th, 2011, 12:24 AM

Amigos thanks for sharing your stories now please keep them Coming.
Does any one remember who were the very first two handlers whom fought the very first fight in Copper State?

Hatch-Mac · September 6th, 2011, 12:36 AM

We lived in Kingman Az. 3 hrs North. I never got to go because I was too young, you had to be 13 yrs I think. I remember that my Dad and Mike Gates would take off a week during the Championship. My Dad has seen the legends there and matched into them. Bobby Boles, Cecil Davis,etc.... Infact my Dad bought brood fowl from Cecil Davis raised the cocks, and ended up matching Cecil in a money fight in LK, ironic as heck....my Dad estimated at that time there was about $50,000 in the derby ( day money)....the roosters broke and we cut Cecil and on the turnaround our cock went back to Cecils dying cock and Cecils cock shuffled and killed my Dads rooster.... After My Dad moved to East Texas...Mike won the Jumper solo and split the derby the next year...wished that I could have experienced that. I took it all for granted....

Butch93 · September 6th, 2011, 12:40 AM

I know our late great friend Benny Bidwell won his fair share of derbies there. Them whitehackle/blue crosses hew showed were hell on wheels
Yfis
Mark

keysaw · September 6th, 2011, 01:34 AM

wanye daivis won the world championship in 88 or somewhere along there he is from by my neck of woods donated most of the money to a person needing a heart transplant. he prayed and told the lord he wanted to help out this person and this was the only way for him to get enough money to do it and sure nough he won good story and stayed true to his word and donated the money and still has pictures man i wish we still had those days

furyunleashed · September 6th, 2011, 01:43 AM

i think i read in the magazine one time where dee cox set a record out there at the hawaiian derby he had 2 entrys it was a 12 cock he won 22 tied 1 and lost 1 thats gettin it done- i would have love to have been able to witness that

gublube · September 6th, 2011, 02:02 AM

tommy lives in porterville ca. fred another vrother, but crazy as hell is doing a parole violatin program. i see fred every few days. hadnt seen tommy in awhile and dont remember what he told me bot doyle. im in bakersfield and know them boys well. i been going to that place since i was young. i used to go with buddy of mine, bruce brown. we won quite a few derbies up there. seen somew awesome birds and some of the fastesdt fights i ever saw in gaff. oskar akins win 13 out of 15 gaff fights in the air first bucle with some greys. yes he won all 15 in the overall but 13 was one buckle about 5-6ft in the air. them birds broke high.

Hatch-Mac · September 6th, 2011, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gublube

tommy lives in porterville ca. fred another vrother, but crazy as hell is doing a parole violatin program. i see fred every few days. hadnt seen tommy in awhile and dont remember what he told me bot doyle. im in bakersfield and know them boys well. i been going to that place since i was young. i used to go with buddy of mine, bruce brown. we won quite a few derbies up there. seen somew awesome birds and some of the fastesdt fights i ever saw in gaff. oskar akins win 13 out of 15 gaff fights in the air first bucle with some greys. yes he won all 15 in the overall but 13 was one buckle about 5-6ft in the air. them birds broke high.

I had a Bruce Brown Kelso Cock, he was a beautiful rooster. I also have somen Faulknel Roundheads that are out of Bakersfield. I lived in Tehachapi for a while. My brother is the one who got the chickens and I ended up with them. He was going to Golden Bear for a while.....

DesertRat · September 6th, 2011, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by furyunleashed

i think i read in the magazine one time where dee cox set a record out there at the hawaiian derby he had 2 entrys it was a 12 cock he won 22 tied 1 and lost 1 thats gettin it done- i would have love to have been able to witness that

You sure that was Dee ? .
Sounds like I read Ray Alexander pulled off something like that. I know I read Hermon Pinnion pulled down big numbers to win a world championship out there too.

ELITE808EDGE · September 6th, 2011, 04:05 AM

i know johnny bennett (black hat)was tough as nails at once ...

Hatch Black · September 6th, 2011, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gublube

tommy lives in porterville ca. fred another vrother, but crazy as hell is doing a parole violatin program. i see fred every few days. hadnt seen tommy in awhile and dont remember what he told me bot doyle. im in bakersfield and know them boys well. i been going to that place since i was young. i used to go with buddy of mine, bruce brown. we won quite a few derbies up there. seen somew awesome birds and some of the fastesdt fights i ever saw in gaff. oskar akins win 13 out of 15 gaff fights in the air first bucle with some greys. yes he won all 15 in the overall but 13 was one buckle about 5-6ft in the air. them birds broke high.

whatever happened to bruce brown?

bigdoghectic · September 6th, 2011, 09:04 AM

i dont no bruse brown personaly i have met him a few times i do no that he still raises chickens those kelsos were dam good

holguin · September 6th, 2011, 10:08 AM

i never got to go but a friend of mine last name rodriguez his uncles entry name was (roundheadman) tells me a lot of great stories.

BLUEEAGLES · September 7th, 2011, 01:43 PM

Louie, a friend and mentor

gublube · September 7th, 2011, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatch Black

whatever happened to bruce brown?

bruce brown is doing alright! still raising some very good birds. i see him all the time. still living in bakersfield and raising chickens. i have alot of his birds and win with almost all his culls. he still same ol bruce. him and bobby chapman are back at it competeing here and there in bigger shows. doing pretty gd ! i see him about every week!

john

gublube · September 7th, 2011, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ELITE808EDGE

i know johnny bennett (black hat)was tough as nails at once ...

im raising some of johnny bennets greys. i borrowed a pair from bruce brown and these things throw feet. they throw them feet so fast and criss crossed,backwards and every direction you can imagine. bruce still raising dink sweaters,albanys,and of coarse kelsos, and crossing them with good results.

john

colt39 · September 8th, 2011, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gublube

im raising some of johnny bennets greys. i borrowed a pair from bruce brown and these things throw feet. they throw them feet so fast and criss crossed,backwards and every direction you can imagine. bruce still raising dink sweaters,albanys,and of coarse kelsos, and crossing them with good results.

john

If I remember right, he fought some Brownred type fowl at Copperstate too!

We made the HI derby a couple times & had a blast!

Made the Christmas Derby a couple times as well. I forget the names of the rest of them. Long drive for us so we went once or twice a year towards the end.

wild willy · September 8th, 2011, 01:18 AM

Anyone on here remember T.C. Pierson? I believe he was the last owner before the thompsons back when it was still in avondale. Heck of a guy. Loved the stories he would tell. I remember him being broke and still wearing a 50 thousand dollar (a guess) ring with two fighting cocks in rose gold on each side of a diamond as big as my thumbnail and a rolex. driving around in a pickup he had to start under the hood with a screwdriver. I always worried somebody was gonna roll him for that ring. Died from ciggaretts. I miss him.