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Next: about 8 to 9 May 2027

Combat de Reines, the national final

In May, the best fighting cows of the Valais meet at Aproz to decide the queen of queens, the reine des reines.

Photo: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cattle at Combat de Reines, the national final

The Hérens cow of the Valais is a short, strong, black or dark red animal with a lively temper, and the cows of a herd fight among themselves in spring to settle who will lead them up to the summer pasture. The Combat de Reines turns that natural contest into a season of local fights, which ends in a national final at Aproz, near Sion, usually on a weekend in May. Cows of similar weight are led into the ring and lock horns, pushing until one turns away; the cows are rarely hurt. The winner in each class becomes a reine, and the queen of queens brings fame to her owner's village.

The breeds

HérensThe dark fighting cow of the Valais.ÉvolèneA rare pied breed of the same valleys.
About this page

Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Combat de Reines" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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