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EveryCow

Sport and contest

The Lidia of the bullring, Herens fighting cows, the Kangayam of jallikattu and the racing bulls of Madura.

Long horns that sweep out sideways, as in the Texas Longhorn, which can span more than two metres tip to tip.

Some cattle are bred for contest: for races, for bull-taming games, for fights between cows or bulls, and for the arena. These traditions are old, local and closely bound up with village pride, and they are argued over in many countries. In Tamil Nadu, jallikattu at Pongal uses native bulls such as Pulikulam and Kangayam. In Madura, Indonesia, pairs of bulls race in the karapan sapi. In the Swiss Valais, black Hérens cows meet in the combats de reines, and in Spain the Lidia is bred for the bullring.

Bull-taming and races in India

Jallikattu is held in Tamil Nadu around Pongal in January. A bull is released into a crowd and young men try to hold on to its hump for a set distance or time. The bulls are usually native breeds, Pulikulam, Kangayam, Umblachery and the hill cattle called malai maadu, and a winning bull is a source of great pride. Bullock-cart races are held in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and other states. After years of court cases, India's Supreme Court in 2023 upheld state laws in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra that allow these events under rules.

Races and contests in Asia and Europe

On the island of Madura, off Java, pairs of yoked bulls pull a rider on a wooden sledge down a straight track in the karapan sapi races, held after the harvest. In the Valais, Hérens cows settle their herd ranking by pushing head to head each spring, and the contests, the combats de reines, end in a national final at Aproz. In the Camargue, the course camarguaise sends raseteurs to snatch cockades from a bull's horns without harming the animal.

The bullring and the rodeo

The Lidia, also called the Spanish fighting bull, is bred on ranches in Spain, Portugal, southern France and parts of Latin America for the corrida and related events. Bullfighting has deep cultural roots and strong supporters, and it is also opposed by many people; some regions have banned it, others protect it as heritage. In North America and Australia, rodeo events such as bull riding use bulls selected for bucking, often with Brahman blood.

What these breeds share

Contest cattle are bred for spirit, quickness and stamina rather than milk or meat. Many are small to medium in size, agile, and quick to react. The animals are often kept with great care, fed well, and are a mark of status for their owners. Outside the contest, many of these breeds also work, breed and graze, and their survival is often linked to the survival of the contest itself.

Worth knowing

  • Pulikulam: Tamil Nadu herding breed, the classic jallikattu bull
  • Kangayam: Tamil Nadu breed used in work and in jallikattu
  • Hérens: Black Swiss cow of the Valais, known for the combats de reines
  • Lidia: Spanish fighting bull bred for the bullring
  • Raço di Biòu: Camargue cattle of the course camarguaise
  • Madura cattle: Indonesian cattle raced in the karapan sapi
  • Khillari: Fast Maharashtra breed used in bullock-cart races

Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text by the EveryCow desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Customs are described as tradition, not as advice. If we have something wrong, tell us.

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