Eringer cows locking horns during a cow fight, tradition, heritage from the Valais, Les Haudères, Switzerland

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The Herens cows are an ancient, traditional Valais breed with a highly combative temperament. Every spring, on the journey up to the high mountain pastures, they lock horns. The winning ‘queen’ becomes leader of the herd for the summer. This led to the development of the tradition of cow fighting, drawing many breeders and a large audience. Each cow selects her opponent, ending the fight as soon as the defeated opponent turns away. Injuries are extremely rare. At the end of the day, the undefeated cow is crowned ’queen of the queens’. The grand finale of these ’cowfights’ takes place in Aproz every year.

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Size: 5760px × 3840px
Location: Les Haudères, Valais, Switzerland
Photo credit: © Kim Petersen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

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