SENEGAL: Senegal's contest for best looking sheep ends after months-long nationwide search

Record ID: 493528

  • Title: SENEGAL: Senegal's contest for best looking sheep ends after months-long nationwide search
  • Date: 22nd October 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF DANCERS WITH SHEEP WALKING IN BACKGROUND SHEEP WALKING THROUGH CONTEST RING
  • Embargoed: 6th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Senegal
  • Country: Senegal
  • Topics: Environment,Quirky,Religion,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA5MLEOU3BW6PUMVQ21J5V4FXIN
  • Story Text: These competitors have been short-listed as the biggest, healthiest and most handsome male sheep in Senegal, and they've reached the final round in the hunt for the country's best-looking sheep.
    Every year the "Khar Bii", which translates to 'this sheep' in the local Wolof language, reality television show scours the country to find the fairest ram of them all.
    The show's creator, Maryam Bathily, says she was inspired to start the competition, after she noticed an elderly man proudly parading his finest animals in front of his neighbors in Dakar, Senegal's capital city.
    Bathily says the contest gives proud owners of pedigree sheep, a place to show off.
    "In other countries some people raise dogs or cats. Here we raise sheep. So this is an opportunity to have a beauty pageant for sheep like others have for dogs and cats," she said.
    Sixteen sheep from all over Senegal made it to the final round of this year's competition.
    In the days leading up to the finale, Ismaila Sy, who has been raising sheep for eight years prepared his sheep "Farba" for the pageant. "Farba" qualified for the "Khar Bii" finale ahead of every other sheep in his neighbourhood.
    Sy says he adores his animals.
    "Is it easy to raise purebred sheep? No. Because when we're talking about purebreds, we're talking about the elite, and when we talk about elite, it's not easy. That's why there's lots of hard work involved. They're not sheep that we leave in the street to go eat in the trash cans," he said.
    On the day of the finale, the judges weigh and take various measurements of each finalist.
    Jury president and veterinarian, Dr. Rene Karim Ndiaye says it's not just size that matters; health, demeanour, horn beauty and even testicular symmetry factor into the judges' decision.
    Dr. Ndiaye says "Khar Bii" entrants have increased six fold since it began in 2009.
    "Each year, the contest becomes more and more popular. Look at the number of candidates. The first year, in 2009, we had 35 contenders. This year we had 215 candidates," he said.
    The competition airs in the months leading up to the Muslim holiday, Eid al-Adha, known in Senegal as Tabaski. Muslims traditionally celebrate by sacrificing and cooking up a male sheep.
    But none of the "Khar Bii" finalists will be on anyone's dinner table this holiday. Most owners of these handsome sheep won't even consider selling their prize winners - let alone eating them. Instead the sheep will be admired throughout the nation, and will be referred to by their famous pet names.
    "This competition allows us to see the well-bred sheep, such as 'Boy Serer,' who is really handsome and really magnificent. We can know his origins and dream of buying his offspring, because we can't buy him," said Pape Cheikh Ndiaye, a fan of 'Boy Serer', a finalist in the competition.
    This year, 135 kilogram ram 'Boy Serer' scooped the winning prize. The sheep's owner received a the "Khar Bii" trophy along with 4000 US dollars.
    "Since this sheep was born, we knew that he would become a champion. When he was six months old, we had an exposition and he won the best young male category. It was then that we truly knew that he would go on to win even bigger contests," said Baba Kane, the nephew of Boy Serer's owner.
    For both the owners and the fans of Khar Bii, the contest is a time for celebration. For those who didn't win, there is always next year when the title of Senegal's most beautiful sheep will be up for grabs again.
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