Cows have a reputation for standing placidly in fields.Not these beasts in Finland - who sprang and leaped over an obstacle course as if they were horses.Farmers who gathered at an agricultural show picked their favourite animals for a bizarre 'bovine agility' contest, which pitched the 1,500-pound beasts against each other in a dusty arena.The huge animals were pictured leaping over hurdles with one even clearing herself several feet from the ground.The unusual event was held yesterday as part of the annual Helsinki Food and Countryside Show.The trade fair has run for 20 years - and jumping cows were not its only unusual attraction.There was also a bovine beauty contest which aimed to find a 'Mr and Miss' to be crowned king and queen of the show.Spokesman Tarja Gordienko told MailOnline: 'These kinds of funny things are to show what these animals can do and that they're not just there to produce food for us. They have human-like traits.'It's all about bringing the countryside to the city centre because there are a lot of families who haven't ever seen cows or horses or chickens.'Last year the show had more than 50,000 visitors. There were the usual draws for farmers' fairs, including sheepdog trials, rare breeds of ponies and a show of chickens and goats.Photographer Milla Takala, who took these photos, told MailOnline: 'I hadn't seen anything like that before so it was quite funny for me. It's not exactly a common thing to see in Finland.'There were ten cows and the fastest one round the course won the first prize. The fastest cow took just over a minute.'The animals were not the first show-jumping cows. The novelty act has been practiced all over Europe in the last few years - including in Finland, Belgium and Germany.German schoolgirl Regina Mayer, 15, made headlines in 2011 when she revealed she treated her cow Luna just like a horse, including going for long rides together in the country.'She's often very headstrong but can also be really adorable,' the schoolgirl said.Riding cows has been popular for centuries, but the animals often take more training than horses, are more stubborn and have to be started on younger.Anne Wiltafsky, a cow trainer who lives near the Swiss city of Zurich, said of Regina's case: 'Especially younger [cows] can jump really well.'Cows are lovable companions because they are easygoing, have strong nerves and are unbelievably devoted to people they like.'(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az