Tenerife

The "arrastre de ganado" (pulling loads with cattle) is a rural sport that has been practised over many centuries in Tenerife and is often seen at local fiestas. The competitions in this sport consist of a series of races to see which team of cows or oxen can pull a sledge loaded with 100-kilogram sacks the fastest. The rules of the sport are very strict to ensure that these animals do not come to any harm. In fact, this sport has helped avoid the extinction of the "Basta Cow,"

a breed unique to the Canary Islands which has been gradually substituted for other more productive breeds of cow for farming. The existence of the Canarian breed is closely linked to this sport.