Combat de Reines - Battle of the Cows, Verbier - Le Chable
An Alpine tradition and rural day out
The Combat des Reines is an annual institution in the local community; a real rural day out that brings all the locals and tourists together!
Although it is billed as a cow fight, it really isn’t as bad as it sounds – there are no cape-twirling matadors, no enraged bulls and certainly no al fresco butchery at the end. This is a tradition that has grown out of letting the cows establish a pecking order (not sure if that’s the right term for cattle) amongst the herd, hence the title “Combat des Reines” or “Battle of the Queens”.
The cows are sorted according to age and weight before being led into a ring. They then do their best to ignore each other and eat grass until their owners prod them into a bit of a pushing contest. The first cow to back off is escorted from the ring, and so it goes until the stroppiest cow remains and wins the title of Queen.
Even if cows aren’t your thing it is a good event for a wander round; you can sample local dishes and there is always some form of entertainment, usually in the form of a yodelling choir or some Alpine horns.
Venue
Arene du Probé at Le Chable
