Led into the open arena, the regal creatures stamp their groomed hooves, as if acknowledging the cheers, music, and fireworks from the gathered crowd. Their towering size, curved horns, prominent muzzles, and polished coats are on full display as night falls, embodying pride and status.
Welcome to one of Senegal’s most anticipated beauty pageants not for humans, but for the locally bred Ladoum sheep, the Ferrari of the woolly world.
At this annual contest, more than a dozen Ladoum compete in three categories: adult male, adult female, and young/promising. Each animal is judged for its size, symmetry, horn shape, and the quality of its glossy coat, as owners showcase their prized sheep in hopes of fetching high prices and social prestige in Senegal’s thriving Ladoum culture.
