Bazadaise
Since 1283, the famous « Fête des Boeufs Gras » (or ‘Fatted Ox Festival’) has been held in the town of Bazas in south-west France every ‘Fat Thursday’, the Thursday before Shrove Tuesday. To the sound of pipers and drums, oxen decorated with ribbons and floral wreaths are paraded through the streets of the town, before being judged by experts. However, not all the oxen in Bazas are of the Bazadaise breed, which is named after the town: Blonde d’Aquitaine, another cattle breed from south-west France, is also present at the festival.
Animals of the Bazadaise breed can be recognised by their slate-grey coat with shades of coal-black. The coat is paler in colour around the eyes and muzzle. The horns are crescent-shaped and down-turned. As the animals are large and heavily muscled, it is visibly evident that they were bred and kept as draught animals before the advent of tractors in the first half of the 20th century.
Today, the Bazadaise is known for its good meat, which is not only enjoyed at the festival in Bazas. The breed is very adaptable and undemanding in terms of feed. It is well suited to suckler cow farming, but still little-known in Switzerland.
Sources: www.vachemere.ch, laboutique.lafermedeberenice.com, www.lagirondedusud.com
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