Horse-fighting in the Philippines

Tournament of blood: The sheer horror of horse-fighting

The crowd roars its approval as the chestnut stallion sinks his teeth into the throat of his opponent.

The terrified victim rears up on his hind legs and veers away in a desperate bid to escape, but it is no use.

Blood is pouring into his eyes and he can no longer see. His right ear is torn and bloody.

Horse-fighting occurs almost exclusively in Mindanao in the southern Philippines, and in parts of China.

The horrific tournament captured in our photographs happened in
the town of Don Carlos and involved 54 horses, many of which had
gruesome injuries.

Thousands of people turned out to watch the bloodbath,
including hundreds of children. Many of the adults were drunk and spent
their time gambling and jeering at the battling animals.