Since the Middle Ages, the Sainte-Catherine Fair has been a very famous livestock fair. But the 2024 edition has fewer head of cattle than usual, due to two epidemics threatening cattle.
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Against a backdrop of backlash from peasant anger, the traditional Sainte-Catherine fair in Saint-Galmier (Loire) has lost a lot of weight for its 2024 edition. Only around thirty cattle instead of the usual 250 present. Blame it on the bluetongue epidemic and epizootic hemorrhagic disease.
The veterinarian Baldomerian Guillaume Gonin goes around the cattle to ensure that they are well and that they are comfortably installed. “No control for these cattle since they come from an area free from hemorrhagic disease. But as here in Saint-Galmier we are not spared, they will have to take a blood test on their return to check that they were not contaminated during the fair. But there is little risk…“
A blood test which represents an additional cost for Loïc Tholot, the only livestock trader who made the trip to Saint-Galmier to sell his animals. “There is a cost of 20 euros per head to carry out this PCR test, including veterinary travel.” he explains.
Born in the Middle Ages, the Sainte-Catherine Fair remains an unmissable event for its regulars, even if over the centuries it has lost its scale. For André Machabert, cattle breeder in Haute-Rivoire in the Rhône, “young people no longer have time to come to the Fair. Now they buy their animals on their cell phones!“
On the other hand, for visitors to the Fair, November 25 remains a celebration not to be missed. Children want to come to see the animals, calves, cows and horses. Particularly draft horses which do not suffer from the same epidemics as cattle. For three years, they have carved out a special place for themselves at the Fair.
“It's good to show them to the public, especially since some are discovering that draft horses still exist! ” underlines Bernard Dallery, president of the association of draft horse breeders of the Loire. “They are calm horses and discovering them here can spark vocations.“
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The Sainte-Catherine Fair, a centuries-old tradition in Saint-Galmier
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©France 3 Rhône Alpes
Lean cows or not, the Sainte-Catherine Fair should attract a total of nearly 25,000 visitors to the streets of Saint-Galmier.
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