the essentials With the circulation of several viruses, the show is adjusting to ensure health safety during competitions.
It’s a rumor that’s been circulating among breeders: the Pyrénéennes competitions are under threat, some have even been canceled. Who’s responsible? Three viruses that attack livestock. These include the two variants of bluetongue: FCO8, which comes from Spain and affects sheep, and FCO3, which comes from the north of France and affects sheep and cattle. Added to this is MHE, a hemorrhagic disease that has been circulating in France for a year and continues to affect some cattle farms. A health situation that is increasingly worrying breeders. But Christophe Lafforgue, director of the Pyrénéennes, wants to be reassuring: “In no world can I imagine the cancellation of the competitions, my teams and I have been working on this for over two years. We don’t intend to give up on the fruits of our labor.”
Adjustments to reassure breeders
However, Christophe Lafforgue cannot ignore the existence of these viruses either. “We are monitoring the situation very closely,” he assures, “because the risk we have this year in the Pyrenees is mainly the national competitions that will attract a lot of people from all over France. We have therefore decided to issue health certificates.” These certificates, issued in particular by the State veterinary services, are sent to the breed unions and decree the areas where the viruses circulate and which farms can participate or not. The number of animals presented will therefore be reduced. Instead of 1,200 sheep and cattle, there will be around 900 participating animals. “We really think that this is the best solution to ensure the competitions are held safely. We hope that this certificate will reassure everyone,” concludes Christophe Lafforgue. The show director is nevertheless ready to modify the programs again. Canceling the competitions, however, remains an unthinkable scenario.
