Switzerland's fighting cows face doping tests
24/03/2005 - 16:11:41Cows that lock horns in an annual test of strength in the Swiss Alps must face renewed doping tests, authorities have decided.
“There are controls for racehorses and dogs, and there’s no reason to do it differently for cows,” said Joseph Jaeger, chief vete in the Valais canton.
Valais’ annual cow-fighting contest – known as The Combat of the Queens – pits powerfully built, black-hided animals from the Swiss Val d’Herens breed against each other.
The grand final and earlier heats draw around 50,000 spectators every year, and a victory can add tens of thousands of Swiss francs to a cow’s value.
