MATCH INTERNATIONAL DES REINES DE L'ESPACE MONT-BLANC

This dairy cow is the oldest breed in the Alpine region. Originally from the outskirts of the Mont-Blanc massif - the Swiss Valais, the French Mont Blanc region and the Italian Valle d'Aosta - the Hérens cow is adapted to the steep mountain landscapes. With its black dress, its stocky appearance and its compact neck, its horns in the shape of a bicycle handlebar and its half-tonne, it has a strong and sometimes bellicose character: every year, during summer transhumance, the queens of the herds fight each other with their horns to find out who will be the strongest. Since then, the battle has become more popular and with the descent into the valley, in the fall, every year, "queen" fights are organized in each of the three valleys. Often spectacular, these games between heifers are no less harmless; the animals classified by weight categories and sizes, come out here unscathed from their fierce struggle with one of their congeners. In the Mont-Blanc region, it takes place successively in Argentière, Les Houches, Servoz or Les Contamines-Montjoie. In addition, a cross-border combat takes place every three years in France (in Switzerland and then in Italy, for the intermediate years). In 2019, the altier combat took place at Le Tour, in Argentière, at the same time as a farmers' market. For visitors, the opportunity is too good to celebrate with the breeders one of the last living traditions of the valley. We attend the weighing of the cattle in the early morning and the activities planned on site. So, we encourage his queen for a day!