They are also off! Nine cows scurry away in the cow Grand Prix, a sport that is exclusively contested by women jockeys, to the thunder of hooves, moos, and bells.
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A traditional Alpine cowbell, a bouquet, and a ton of local pride are included in the prize pool. The winner will receive a 40-kilogram (88-pound) bag of feed.
Near the Swiss border with tiny Liechtenstein, Flumserberg, a village more than 1,300 meters (4, 265 feet) up in the mountains above the picturesque Wahlensee lake.
The festival, which began in 2006, is a highlight of Flumserberg’s fall festivities, which include a cheese market in the weeks leading up to the snowfall, which turn the ski station’s green pastures white.
Flowers decorate the cows’ foreheads.
The cows “love them,” according to Rolf Blumer from the “Heidiland” tourism office, which represents the area in which Johanna Spyri’s 1880s novel’s eponymous heroine lives. They are only put on at the last minute.
Unpredictably Unpredictable Urgently
A line of hay marked the start and finish lines for Sunday’s two-lap race.
“I’m feeling good, a little nervous, but I’m confident it’ll go well.” We’ll give it everything, “We’ll hold on”! Nina Beeler jumped aboard the eight-year-old Swiss Brown cow Cobra, and said she.
The cows suddenly shoot forward as the handlers on the ground release the bridles.
But eventually the stampede stops, and each cow begins to make its own way, some moving slowly and others equating to the crowd of thousands that adorn the undulating, circular course.
One of Cobra’s trainers, Selena Gadient, 22, said, “It’s very different from riding a horse.”
The key difference is that you really have to hold on tight and you can’t steer the cow, Gadient told AFP.
It takes a lot of effort, she continued, “You don’t have such a comfortable seat either.”
Cobra sped off on the first lap, but slowed down on the second, finishing in the lead as Viola, the reigning champion of 2013, surged through on the inside just before the end to reclaim the title.
Lea Werner, her rider, lead the cheers as she crossed the finish line.
She reaffirmed that “taking part is more important than winning,” raising the victory cowbell high and ringing it.
Training Secrets
Remo Rupf, the man behind the Cow Grand Prix, stated that the idea was to organize a festival for cheese market visitors.
He told AFP that “some of the farmers’ wives were considering starting a cow race.”
The women trained in secret because the men didn’t think it was a good idea or because it would be difficult.
Only women are permitted to ride, according to Rapf.
Up to 5, 000 people attend the race in Flumserberg, where they spend the day listening to schlager folk music and sampling Alpine produce. The race is now the highlight of the fall.
Some animal rights activists crossed the barriers a few years ago, Rupf said.
The veterinary office has granted us permission, so the animal rights activists can rest assured that everything is in order. Every cow actually participates voluntarily, too.
A cow doesn’t want to run if she doesn’t. She simply stops and stays where she is, the organiser continued.
