Advertisement

Cows lock horns to crown national 'queen'

Malcolm Curtis
Malcolm Curtis - [email protected]
Cows lock horns to crown national 'queen'
Hérens cows fighting at national competition. Photo: Finale Nationale de la Race d'Hérens (DR)

A new "queen of the queens" was crowned in the Valais mountains as the national cow-fight championships attracted a record turnout of 16,000 spectators at Aproz over the weekend.

Advertisement

This is no bull in Switzerland, where competitions between specially bred black cows from Hérens, carrying heavy mountain bells, are popular in the spring.

On Sunday, “Cobra” won the final combat against “Pandore” to gain the title of national queen following a brief but intense encounter, the ATS news agency reported.

"Cobra" literally lifted up and knocked her adversary on her back.

"Pandore" attempted a charge without success before her owner decided to call off the fight, ATS reported.

The winning cow was owned by Viktor Gsponer, a farmer from Niedergampel in Haut-Valais.

Last year’s queen, “Schakira”, was knocked out in an earlier round.

Sunny weather helped attracted a record crowd, David Bagnoud, chairman of the event’s organizing committee, told ATS.

Apart from the organized competitions, Hérens cows are noted for their naturally hierarchical nature.

The cows decide among themselves through impromptu springtime “fights” in the meadows who will be the queen to lead the herd up to the Alps.

The animals lock horns and push each other until one of them relents.

For more information check out this YouTube video:

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also