Batailles de Reines - Ayas Elimination
The new summer stage for the Aosta Valley queens in the Ayas Valley
About Batailles de Reines Ayas
The Queens of the Aosta Valley
The Batailles de Reines are the most popular and iconic tradition of the Aosta Valley: a competition featuring cows of the Aosta Valley breed, animals with strong and combative characters, naturally inclined to confront each other within the herd to establish hierarchy. The clashes, bloodless and governed by precise rules, occur with horns until one of the two cows retreats, declaring the winner.
Ayas, New Venue for the Competition
With the three-year cycle 2026-2028, Ayas—a municipality in the Ayas Valley, in the province of Aosta, at the foot of the Monte Rosa massif—becomes one of the official venues for the summer eliminations. A new local committee thus brings the great tradition of the Aosta Valley queens to one of the valleys most renowned for its alpine pastures and the breeding of the Aosta Valley breed.
How the Competition Works
The eliminations, spread across spring, summer, and autumn in the region's municipalities, select the queens who advance to the Regional Final, held at the end of October at the Croix-Noire in Aosta. The event is organized by the A.Re.Ta. association (Amis des Reines et des Tchèvre), which preserves and promotes this centuries-old tradition.
A Community Celebration
Beyond the fights, the Ayas elimination is an occasion for celebration for the entire valley: conviviality, local gastronomy, and rural culture merge into a day that celebrates the Aosta Valley's rural identity.
Batailles de Reines Ayas — edition 2026
The 2026 edition marks Ayas' debut among the venues for the Batailles de Reines: on Sunday, August 23, one of the summer eliminations of the 69th Regional Competition will be held here. Ayas' inclusion in the 2026-2028 three-year cycle is one of the main territorial novelties decided by the A.Re.Ta. association, which has reorganized the calendar from a biennial to a triennial system, with 15 eliminations per year to qualify queens for the Regional Final at the end of October at the Croix-Noire in Aosta.
In the Ayas Valley, a land of alpine pastures and Aosta Valley breed breeding, the cows will compete for access to the final in the ritualistic and bloodless contests that have always captivated the region.
Programme Batailles de Reines Ayas 2026
Sunday, August 23, 2026 — Ayas, Ayas Valley
- Morning — Weighing of the queens and formation of categories
- Afternoon — Batailles de Reines fights, summer elimination of the 69th Regional Competition
As this is a new venue, the detailed schedule and precise location will be announced by the local committee and the association in the weeks preceding the event. Full calendar at amisdesreines.it.
Highlights Batailles de Reines Ayas 2026
Prices Batailles de Reines Ayas 2026
Practical information — Batailles de Reines Ayas
How to get there
Ayas is reached from the lower Aosta Valley by ascending the Ayas Valley (A5 Verrès motorway exit, then SR45). The main hamlets are Champoluc, Antagnod, and Lignod.
Admission
Access to the competition area is generally free; any refreshment stands and tastings are subject to a fee.
Information
A.Re.Ta. - Amis des Reines et des Tchèvre, competition calendar at amisdesreines.it.
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Where does it take place — Batailles de Reines Ayas
Ayas, Val d'Ayas
Val d'Ayas, 11020 Ayas