Odin, future god of the vendor race? The idea would not displease Christophe Angot, Norman breeder, owner of this bull which, on the scales, shows the respectable weight of over a ton.
After winning the first prize in the “old bulls B” category on Saturday 24th September 2022, Odin will compete on the afternoon of 25th September for the men’s championship.
For his first participation in the national competition, a real showcase for sellers, Christophe Angot hits hard. “Odin won the Normandy regional championship last May. He can still develop,” says the 24-year-old farmer.
A flock of 150 mothers in the middle of herds
Established far from the birthplace of the breed (Cantal, Corrèze and Puy-de-Dôme), Christophe Angot takes over the family farm located in Gouffern-en-Auge, between Caen and Alençon.
Why salt it? It’s a crush and so it stays. We have a herd of 150 mothers, on 200 hectares, all grass. Half of the herd is purebred, for breeding, and the other half is crossed with Charolais.
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The weaned young from this second production are destined for fattening. Three other Norman breeders made the trip to Brive, thanks to the transport by truck, proving that the salers, a mountain breed, are very well adapted.
“In Normandy, where there are many stables, you pass very well after the horses. In the meadows you don’t eat the same things”, assures Christophe Angot. For him the first quality of this breed is the ease of calving and its autonomy. “We have almost no veterinary costs for births and we don’t need to constantly monitor the cows.”
Regular exchanges with the Cantal farms
Christophe Angot did not come to Brive’s national sales competition, the first in Corrèze since 1967, only to win prizes. He takes the opportunity to chat with other farmers: “I regularly work with two Cantal farms, one near Saint-Flour, the other near Riom-Ès-Montagnes. They have become friends!”
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This doesn’t stop us from talking about genetics, herding or business. Christophe Angot acknowledges this: “I have been offered offers here in Brive to buy Odin. But I don’t want to sell it. Who knows, we might be able to go to the Agricultural Show. We set no limits.
Four things to know about the Salers breed whose national competition is held in Brive (Corrèze)
Eric Porte
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