If there is a man who always be
remembered in the world of cockfighting that is Johnnie Jumper, an American
cocker-breeder. Yes, he was already gone, but he left a legacy that will never
relinquish because his name was already written in the history of our beloved
sport.
Johnie started raising chicken
raising when he was only 7-years old. From then, chickens became a big part of
his life. During 1950’s he became a friend to some legendary cockers like
Weather Kelso, Duke Hulsey and Cecil Davis. Those people made a great impact in his life as a breeder. During 60’s his name became very popular in cockfighting
and that was also the time he turned his hobby as a pure business. Johnnie knew
that breeding was not easy to do because it has a lot of challenges. But
through his natural talent for chickens he made bred very well.In cockfighting,
he gained not only customers but also friends who truly believed with his
expertise.
Johnnie was very popular with his
bloodlines like Jumper Kelso and Radio line. He had got his Radio from Cecil
Davis; he called it Radio because when he first acquired that chicken it was
very noisy. He crossed it over Murphy , Whitehackle and Kelso. He was really
impressed with its body conformation and performance because it had gameness
and cutting ability. Radio had a high winning percentage.
He was a perfectionist; he didn't stop until he never sees chickens to be great. Before he breed the chicken, he
makes sure that he knew where it came from. He believed that the characteristic
of their parents has great factor for them to be a good chicken. If the
parents are weak; there is also a possibility that their offspring are also
weak.
In the other side, Johnie is not
only known for his breeding; he was also known as a honorable man. According to
some people who met him in person, he was a very kind and honest person. They
don’t hear any comments about him. They believed that Johnnie never aggravated
anyone. Instead, he was always ready to extend his helping hand for those
people who seek for his advisce and if they want to acquire his chicken.
By the way, when Johnnie was still
alive, he always visited in the Philippines. He made friends with many prominent
breeders here. He really loved this country because of the hospitality and
commitment of Filipinos in cockfighting. Before Johnnie died in 2011, he
already propagated his bloodlines. Not only in the Philippines but to the world. For cockfighters out there, Johnnie Jumper is an immortal because of
his chicken. His legacy lives on...
