A Breeder, Not a Gambler Be
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Nani Jimenez at the farm (Photo courtesy of Nani Jimenez)
That’s Lesson #1, and it would have been enough for the day had I not met Nani this weekend, and well, he’s the one who told me he’s into roosters–the kind they use in cockfights. So tell me, what good is a cockfight without a wager? Remember the phrase “Manok ko yan (That’s my rooster)?” Did he contradict himself?
Nani showing a rooster groomed to fight. (Photo by Bella Bonner).
Not really. Boy Jimenez or Boy J, whose real name is Hernani Jimenez or Nani, is not a gambler. He just breeds cocks that other breeders buy to propagate. Those who like to bet also use the cocks to fight in arenas. But breeding alone does not make Nani a gambler, and because of that he has become what I’d call a well-heeled man.
There was a big derby held in Manila this weekend. A derby is where several cockfights take place. It was the start of the two-week 2025 Pitmasters Cup Invitational which is among the biggest events in the country. The entry fee alone was P110,000. Minimum bet was P55,000. It was no small fry, so to speak.
Now there’s a high roller—let’s call him Mr. Big Time—who believes in Nani’s roosters. He flew Nani, his trainers and five roosters from Bacolod to Manila to participate in the derby. Their deal was that Mr. Big Time would finance all expenses and place bets on the roosters. All Nani had to do was supply the gamecocks. If they win, he and Nani would split the earnings in half. If they win a fight or more along the way to the grand prize, they could rake in a few thousands or millions. If they reap the grand prize, they’ll wallow in six or seven figures apiece.
But losing is just as big a probability as winning. Roosters in arenas fight for life or death. In this league, a cock’s life is worth P15,000 to P45,000.
I wondered what goes on in the mind of these gamecock lovers. Cockfighting is controversial and deemed “underground.”
Nani was a professional athlete before he took a fancy to breeding roosters and hens. After graduating from high school in De La Salle Bacolod, he was recruited by the University of the Philippines Diliman to play in its soccer team. He also became a member of the Philippine football team and played in the Asian Games as goalkeeper.
While in college he met Luchie Cailao, youngest daughter of another popular sportsman, Agustin “Cai” Cailao who at that time was UP’s Director of Physical Education. They married and had three children—Dino, Erika Ana, and Alex. Erika Ana, incidentally, graduated from Ateneo and made Top 3 in the Bar.
After graduation Nani was recruited by San Miguel Corporation to coach its soccer team. He was also an accredited tennis pro from the prestigious Van Der Meer Tennis Academy and went into teaching and coaching tennis. He was a quintessential sportsman. Those were happy and exciting times in Metro Manila, but it took a toll on him and he realized he missed Bacolod.
He uprooted his family and returned to his hometown. He bought a house in the middle of Bacolod city to live in and acquired an eight-hectare property at the foot of Mt. Kanlaon to accommodate fowls that he bred and raised to engage in another kind of sport—cockfighting or sabong.
He had always fancied game birds. As a lifelong sports competitor, he got his high on seeing his birds beat renowned cockers and win in the cockpits.
The first step in winning is picking the right birds. Nani started with Lemons, which originated from Duke Hulseys handed down from the Jalandonis of Negros. Bloodline is critically important because you can’t expect your barnyard fowl to beat an American Game, often considered the top choice for fighting.
He then flew in 100 chickens --50 roosters and 50 hens—from the US. Each was handpicked based on breed, beak, shape, stance, size, and agility. He looked at the way they moved. But most of all he had a good hunch about each fowl.
Cockfighting is illegal in all 50 states of the United States, but poultry breeding is not. It only becomes illegal when the birds are sold for cockfights. In the Philippines, both cock breeding and cockfighting are legal.
The Boy J Lanao Gamefarm is where Nani breeds his chickens. Here they are raised on a mountain with naturally flowing spring water, but at the same time they are exposed to harsh elements that make them tough and indestructible. They are exercised sufficiently, fed the best feed, and trained to fight with skill and precision.
Chickens are mountainbred; exposed to harsh elements that make them tough and indestructible (Photo by Bella Bonner).
Nani Boy J Jimenez has made his mark in the world of game breeders. Today he is among the most sought after and respected in the country and in Negros Occidental which is the nation’s cockfighting capital.
The Philippines is one of the last bastions of legal cockfighting in the world. It is said that the sport was witnessed by Spaniards who arrived in the country with explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. Today, there are millions of cockfights held each year with more than two million birds used for fighting. Humane societies worldwide are fighting tooth and nail to get the blood sport stopped, but in the Philippines the practice is seemingly too deeply entrenched in tradition.
In 1974 a law was passed to regulate the ownership, operation, and schedule of cockfights in the country. Between 2021 and 2022, 30 cockfighters from Bulacan went missing; their disappearance said to have been linked to gambling. This triggered President Rodrigo Duterte to put an end to online betting. The law was later reaffirmed by President Bongbong Marcos.
But let’s go back to Nani. I met him last week when his wife invited our small group of girls from UP to lunch at their farm. I found a very likeable macho-looking man with broad shoulders and a quirky smile. He was quick to talk about his fowls but hesitant to give figures of any kind. How many birds did he have? What was his biggest share from a win?
Our visiting group in the farm - Nani Jimenez, Luchie Jimenez, Luella Smith, Bella Bonner, Ana Segovia, Alele Linsangan and Peachy Ladringan (Photo by Bernie Cervantes)
At the end of our visit we wished him the best of luck at the upcoming Pitmasters derby. His wife, Luchie, kept our group apprised.
Nani and Luchie Jimenez (Photo by Bernie Cervantes)
“Nani naka chamba (got lucky) against a big fish!” she wrote excitedly the next day, meaning he won the first round against a tough opponent. “Two more fights for the day.”
Later, this text: “Wooohooooo! Won second fight! One more to go.”
We were all on edge, hoping for the best. We knew Nani was running on adrenalin.
But alas, he lost the last fight of the day although there was good news– he made it to the semi-finals which would take place in a few days.
Several fights are held in a derby. Before each fight, opposing fowls are shown in the center of the arena and right then the atmosphere explodes with shouts and hand gestures, spectators betting in a process that looks like pure chaos. I’m told that this very informal betting system is actually the most honest of any kind in the country.
Lesson #2: You can’t cheat in a live cockfighting betting process. It is based on trust and besides, there are hundreds of witnesses that will make sure you’re fried chicken if you cheat or renege on your wager.
I had probably seen Nani’s winning roosters but my untrained eyes could only tell roosters apart by their combs and colors, and there were hundreds and hundreds of them housed in individual rubber tire sheds spread across the hills of Boy J Lanao Gamefarm. Eight men live on the farm to breed, care for, and train the flock. He has another farm in Calatagan, Batangas.
His gamebirds are all descendants of purebred hens and roosters purchased from the US. On his last trip he flew in 80 birds. I asked why he didn’t just buy the eggs.
“I have to see the fowls and speculate on their potential to breed superior stocks and to become aggressive fighters,” he said, adding, “You can’t do that with an egg.” Haha.
We watched as he shot video segments introducing roosters to his Facebook subscribers. He held one up. It was a medium sized rooster with a rope tied to one leg. With his hands firmly planted on the cock, he described its breed, age and characteristics. It was a very handsome bird, if I may say so.
After video taking, a trainer brought another rooster into the show arena. It was introduced to the other bird by way of pecking and circling around the ground like boxers do before a fight. In a few seconds the birds flapped aggressively and attacked, flying and striking with utmost force until their trainers pulled them apart. It demonstrated their ability to kill in the ring where they will also be strapped with three-inch blades.
Cockfighting is a violent sport and it is not for everyone.
Nani Boy J Jimenez has made his mark in the world of game breeders. Today he is among the most sought after and respected in the country
Lesson # 3: Be like Nani. Do not be the gambler. You’ll make more money breeding.
Boy Jimenez’s videos can be found on his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hernani.jimenez
Bella Bonner is a journalism graduate of the UP Institute of Mass Communications. Among others, she worked as a grant writer and hotelier in Texas where she lived for 30 years. She has retired, returned to Manila and spends her days in sports, traveling and writing a personal blog, "Chicharon Diaries."
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