A “mahogany robe, lyre-shaped horns”, and curly-haired binoculars to delight visitors. The cow Ovalie, muse of the French Agriculture and Livestock Show, settled this Friday morning in its enclosure at the Porte de Versailles, on the eve of the opening to visitors.
Left in the night of Saint-Alyre-ès-Montagne (Puy-de-Dôme), this rustic five-year-old cow came out of the cattle truck around 7 a.m. under the gaze of the cameras, accompanied by her two calves a few weeks old, Utopia and Utopia. With a ringing of bells, the muse of the show from the Salers race, “who is used to traveling” for competitions, calmly crossed the huge hall 1 of the Porte de Versailles, still deserted, following her Red carpet.
“It is a great pride”
As soon as she arrived in her box overflowing with straw, the cow quietly took up residence and the two little ones, glued to her sides, wasted no time suckling their mother. The “stress of transport, of arrival” disappeared when the breeders of Ovalie saw the star with the broad forehead and the emblematic horns on the posters of Paris. “It’s a source of great pride”, said Michel Van Simmertier, eager to welcome visitors and introduce them to the quality of French breeding. “It’s moving for a breeder to see his cow like that,” added Marine Van Simmertier, who describes Ovalie as a “patient and adorable” cow, and says she is looking forward to presenting her to the general public.
“We will let her rest, they will go to bed for a few hours then we will have to shampoo, shower, to be in good shape” and in beauty before the arrival of visitors and the inauguration of the salon by President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday . The fair will last until March 5.