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COWS

Swiss cows miss out again on crown of ‘Queen of Mont Blanc’ in annual duel

An Italian cow beat off competition from 47 other competing animals from Switzerland, Italy and France to claim this year's crown at the 6th edition of the tournament, which means the wait continues for a Valais-born winner.

Published: 25 September 2017 13:41 CEST
Swiss cows miss out again on crown of 'Queen of Mont Blanc' in annual duel
Two Herens breed cows fight during the 2015 edition in Aproz, Western Switzerland. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP.

The International Games of Queens of Mont Blanc takes place every year in either France, Italy or Switzerland at the feet of Europe's highest mountain, Mont Blanc. This year's edition, the 6th, was held in the French border town of Chamonix.

The unique event dates back thousands of years and celebrates the mountain heritage of the local population. The cows fight fierce battles with their horns, but according to the organizers, there are rarely casualties.

Forty eight belligerent Herens breed cows, named after the Val d'Hérens region of Switzerland, did battle on September 23rd and 24th before packed crowds to contest for the title of 'queen of Mont Blanc.' 

The Herens are endowed with “a unique combativeness,” according to Espace Mont Blanc, a regional website co-administered by Swiss, French and Italian regional governments. 

Each year the animals are led to alpine pastures, where the cows then test their strength and fight for the herd's leadership. The competition ends when a new queen has forced all the other cows to retreat.

Cows from the Swiss canton of Valais were left disappointed again this year in their duels against their counterparts from the Aosta Valley in Italy and cows from France.

Three Valaisian cows made it to the final, reports local daily Le Nouvelliste, although it was Gildo Bonin's Italian Valdostan cow that prevailed in the end. 

The three-nations tournament takes place each year, with each country taking it in turns to host. Last year the tournament was held in Italy; next year it will return to the Swiss canton of Valais. A Valaisian cow is yet to win. 

READ MORE: All you need to know about Switzerland's strangest sports

 

 

COWS

Escaped cows cause chaos on Copenhagen highway

A sizeable herd of cows was the cause of an unusual traffic alert in Copenhagen on Monday afternoon.

Published: 9 April 2018 17:15 CEST
Escaped cows cause chaos on Copenhagen highway
Not the Copenhagen cows from the story. Photo: Søren Bidstrup/Ritzau Scanpix

After apparently breaking loose from their field, the cows crossed Vejlands Allé in the Amager district – one of the busiest roads taking traffic into the centre of the capital.

“Is there a cowboy present?”, Copenhagen Police wrote on Twitter as they sought to clear the bovine backlog.

Police estimated around 12-15 cows to be on the road in a further Twitter post, but duty officer Michael Andersen told news agency Ritzau that number may be as many as 25.

“The cows have sneaked over the guard rail and are now located near the lake between Vejlands Allé and the city centre connection,” police wrote on Twitter.

The animals were subsequently prevented from further wandering into the road by police motorcycles.

“We are doing everything we can to keep them away from the road, so you can get home safely. It is not easy to catch a cow when you’re on a motorbike,” police tweeted.

By 3pm on Monday, traffic was flowing normally on the road, although police advised drivers to use other routes if possible.

The cows were still close to the asphalt and would have to cross back over at some point, police said, adding they were working on locating the owner of the herd.

READ ALSO: Danish bulls could provide sperm for climate-friendly cows