Who is Ideale?
#Ideale, Charolaise, mascot of # SIA2020
Idéale, a superb and sturdy six-years-old Charolais, has been selected to represent her breed and get top billing for the 2020 edition of the Show.
A short head, a broad muzzle with with nice sharp teeth, fine crescent-shaped horns which curve perfectly around towards her eyes, a wide and muscular back, thick haunches, etc. The perfect ambassador for her breed, she is very maternal and regularly calves once a year. Idéale is docile and does not mind people going up to her and cannot hide her pleasure when being stroked.
Jean-Marie Goujat - an "Ideal" spokesman
For 33-year-old Jean-Marie Goujat, the Charolais breed is a family passion first and foremost. His herd, made up of 125 cows reared on an extensive 187 ha environmentally-friendly integrated farm, was created by his grandfather on the Monts du Beaujolais, around 45km from Charolles, where the breed originates. Since 2014, Jean-Marie Goujat has been member of the family farm association, together with his father Bruno and his Brother Laurent.
"Being a livestock farmer is a real passion! It's a job which you really flourish: we love our animals, and we produce high-quality meat. But you musn't be afraid of hard work! I firmly believe that the kind of livestock farming that we are involved in has a fine future ahead of it. We meet consumers' expectations by providing them with a high-quality product made using traditional expertise, which can be tailored to different regions" says Jean-Marie Goujat.
The Charolais - symbolizing French livestock
One cannot fail to recognize the legendary Charolais cow. With around 1.6 million heads throughout France, it is one of the country's main breed. Originally hailing from the Charolais-Brionnais area in France's Saône-et-Loire département in the Burgundy Franche-Comté region, the Charolais gradually spread to neighboring regions and then throughout the country. They live in keeping with nature's natural cycles and suckle their calves for the first nine month, until they have been weaned. Since they eat grass, they preserve, shape and maintain the landscape and have an economic key role to play in the French countryside. The Charolais is a hardy breed that can adapt to any environment and any climate - which is why its now present in 70 countries across the world.