Nuovi obiettivi selettivi per la razza bovina Valdostana Pezzata Nera – Castana

The Valdostana Pezzata Nera-Castana cattle breed is a typical breed of the western Italian Alps. It is characterized by its rusticity, suitable for alpine pastures, mountainous terrain and mild climate, and is found in mixed herds of Valdostana Pezzata Rossa and Pezzata Nera-Castana. The origin of the two breeds, registered in the same Genealogical Book, sees as an ancestor of the Castana the Hérens breed, from the Swiss Alps, combative and slightly larger than the Valdostana; the Valdostana Pezzata Nera, however, is believed to have been introduced in the Aosta Valley through the Alps by the Roman armies. The two breeds have different coats: in the Castana the colour of the coat ranges from absolute black to fawn, with a prevalence of dark red, while in the Pezzata Nera there is only black pigment with a white patch. For both breeds mucous membranes and nails are dark. They have in common a short head and wide forehead. The horns in the cows grow strong and point upwards, while in the males they grow laterally. The Valdostana breed, in general, is important at a regional level, especially in relation to typical local products, some of which are internationally recognized and marked as D.O.P. (such as Fontina and Fromadzo). In the last few years, the genetic improvement has focused not only on the cheese yield and the muscularity of the animals, but also on the combative character, only for the Valdostana Pezzata Nera-Castana breed, protagonist of the traditional competitions: the Batailles de Reines. In these competitions, cows compete with determination, never risking serious physical damage, to obtain the predominance over their adversaries, thus becoming Reines. In 2012 an important result was achieved: the inclusion in the selection index of the combativeness character (Cheese Yield Index + Muscularity + Combativeness). For the constitution of the I.R.C.M., the first five lactations of all the examined subjects, the development of their muscle masses and all the results obtained during the official fights of the Batailles des Reines, indexed on the kinship relations of the subject, are considered. The index is calculated considering the factors in the following proportions: 50% Case Yield Index, 10% Muscularity Index, 40% Combativeness Index. Pugnacity is evaluated as placement score (PS), achieved in the days of batailles and the selection is based on a direct model. Working on character improvement it was possible to see how other characters were disadvantaged by negative genetic correlations, but this did not stop the research. The Batailles might seem senseless and bloody, but, they are only spectacularisations of behaviours naturally present in herds. The rules for cattle to participate in the Batailles eliminations are very strict, to prevent the animals from being harmed. This competition plays an enormous role both in the selection for the combative character, and for the breeders, who can get an economic advantage from the sale of calves whose mother was Reina and from the victory of their cows in the competitions, and for tourism. Batailles de Reines are not an isolated tradition in the world: in fact, there are many other examples of clashes between animals of the same species. Focusing on bovines, on Italian soil we find the Interregional Comparison between Canavese, Valli di Lanzo and Valle d'Aosta, in Switzerland the Espace Mont Blanc disputed by the cousins Hérens and in Spain the famous Corrida de Toros.