Cows battling it out to be crowned 'Queen of Queens' - PHOTO

These pictures show cows clashing at the grand final of Switzerland's 'Combats de Reines' ('Battle of the Queens') competition in Aproz, in the western Canton of Valais.Unlike bullfighting - where humans fight bulls, often to the death - the Swiss spectator sport pitches cows against each other in a bovine battle for supremacy.The fighting cows are drawn from the feisty Eringer breed, common in Valais, which are robust and possess the singular characteristic of fighting among themselves for supremacy within the herd.Comparatively small-bodied, brown and black-coated and with curved white horns, the cows are these days bred specially for combat, rather than milk or meat.Their horns are blunted before competition, so the fights are mainly a contest of pushing and shoving, with losers determined by the first cow to back down.Still, despite their competitive instinct, it can sometimes be difficult to provoke the usually placid cows into combat. Once in the arena, they often need prodding, and even then they are sometimes more interested in chewing the cud or exploring the daisies.If a cow refuses to fight, she is eliminated. But other times all the cows will fight at once, in a cacophony of mooing, stamping and locking horns. However, unlike the notorious Spanish equivalent, blood is rarely spilt.Winners are awarded special cowbells and are crowned 'Queen' and the winner of the grand final dubbed 'Queen of queens'.It's a coveted prize; the pinnacle of a breeder's career. The achievement will not only earn them local fame, but also secure a bumper fee of up to ten times the going rate for any calf born to the winning cow.But despite the plaudits, and cash, up for grabs, breeders admit its not really possible to train the cows how to fight.All they can do is feed the animals and make sure they stay in good shape.'The rest is up to the cows - fighting is in their blood. They love it,' says one.(dailymail.co.uk)Bakudaily.az