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Udderly charming: cow beauty contest

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Udderly charming: cow beauty contest
Loh Nastygirl - the winner. Photo: DPA

Models in the northern city of Oldenburg have literally been making cow eyes at the judges at the annual German Holstein Show - all the competitors are bovines. Loh Nastygirl won the two-day trial.

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"She had many strengths from back to front," said judge Marko Radke.

Around 250 candidates from across Germany, Luxembourg and Austria were entered into the competition - where the backstage area was filled with hair dryers and frantic brushing.

"It is just like with us people - primping helps," said Astrid Ostkämper, who was busily making the big black-and-white cow Dorflady look her best.

Take a look at some pretty cows

Ostkämper is one of 12 cow hairdressers, who worked at the show over the last few days. She has to take care of 19 cows - and has been getting up at 4am to make sure she can get to them all.

Welshman Rhys Jones is another. He travelled to Germany for the competition to work as a cow hairdresser. "You have to be a bit mad to do this. You have to travel a lot and work hard, but you get to know a lot of people," he said.

Ostkämper uses a razor blade to trim the hair on Dorflady's legs, as well as that along her belly. "That way one can display the veins better," she said.

Although not necessarily something that human models would particularly want to emphasise, for cows it is important. A good blood supply is an important beauty ideal for heifers, she said, as is are powerful legs, bulging udders and a strong bone structure.

"A bony cow has no chance," said Ostkämper.

DPA/The Local/hc

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