José Luis Alonso and David García win the shearing contest held in Potes.
The contest was held during the course of the X Regional Sheep and Goat Contest of Picos de Europa organized by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture. A couple from Cangas de Onís, José Luis Alonso and David García “el Cuco”, won among all the participants in the scissor shearing contest held yesterday in Potes. The good work of Alonso and García during the competition, which took place as part of the X Regional Sheep and Goat Contest of Picos de Europa organized by the Foundation for the Conservation of the Bearded Vulture (FCQ), allowed them to win in the male category among the six pairs that opted for the prize, consisting of a trophy and 400 euros per pair. It was also surprising that in the female participation there was a couple formed by a girl of only 10 years old who demonstrated her fluency with the scissors. The jury, made up of experts in the field, valued mainly two aspects: that the animal’s finish was esthetic and harmonious; and that, in addition, during the shearing process the animal’s welfare was taken care of. Two aspects in which Alonso and García excelled in the scissor shearing of the three animals that made up the test. On collecting his trophy, Alonso stressed the importance of a meeting such as the Regional Sheep and Goat Contest of Picos de Europa as “an opportunity to get together, share the day, show our animals and show what our trade is like”. The X Regional Sheep and Goat Contest of Picos de Europa of the FCQ, which had not been held for 8 years, is precisely that. A contest that highlights the value of the profession of the shepherd of the Picos de Europa as well as serving as a meeting point and livestock show. One in which about 350 animals participated and which vindicated a profession that is developed in high mountains with all that this entails. José Luis Alonso, from the Uberdón cheese factory, is one of the few Gamonéu del Puertu cheese makers in existence today and, in addition, one of the shepherds who are part of the FCQ’s ProBiodiversity Livestock Breeding program. A consolidated project that seeks to recover the symbiosis between high mountain grazing and the bearded vulture, favoring the profitability of livestock farms through the commercialization of suckling lamb meat.
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