Association of French Breeders of Fighting Bulls

The Association des éleveurs français de taureaux de combat (Association of French Breeders of Fighting Bulls) is a French organization that brings together breeders of the brave bull (taureau de race brave) used in corridas. It manages the interests of around forty breeding operations and holds the genealogical herdbook (livre généalogique) for the breed. It is a selection body recognized by the French Ministry of Agriculture and is a partner of the Union des villes taurines françaises (Union of French Bullfighting Cities). The association's origins trace back to the Union Française des éleveurs de taureaux de combat, founded in 1920 in Arles by Ambroise Boudin. This union initially grouped breeders of Camargue bulls for the course camarguaise and breeders of brave bulls for the corrida. In 1962, the union split into two branches: one for Camargue bulls used in the course camarguaise and Camargue AOC meat, and the other for bulls destined for the corrida. The latter group, comprising about thirty breeding operations, merged with the Syndicat des éleveurs français in 1968 to form the Association des éleveurs français de taureaux de race espagnole, presided over by Hubert Yonnet. The association published its first census directory on 9 January 1992, listing twenty-five members. By 2002, according to Robert Bérard, there were thirty-eight members; around forty in 2009 according to Jean-Baptiste Maudet; and forty-six according to the association's 2011 list, counting three categories: selector, aspirant, and user. Most brave bull breeding operations are located in the Crau, Camargue, and around the Alpilles. Others are spread across the southwest, between the Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and Gers. Originally, most Camargue-based operations (Yonnet, Sol, Durand, Lescot, and others) imported Spanish or Portuguese bulls of the Spanish breed and crossed them with Camargue bulls. However, the evolution of the corrida forced them to gradually eliminate Camargue blood, which was unsuitable for this form of bullfighting. This shift began in the late 1940s. Because fighting bull breeding is not very profitable, most breeders simultaneously maintain a ganadería and a manade for meat, course landaise, and course camarguaise. This is the case for the Robert Margé and Hubert Yonnet operations, among others. Brave bull operations are fewer than the Camargue manades grouped in the Association des manadiers de taureaux de Camargue and the Association des éleveurs de taureaux de race camarguaise, which count between 117 and 130 members. Currently, ganaderías are no longer so few in Camargue; there are a total of 10,000 head of brave breed and 18,000 head of Camargue breed. The preservation of these two breeds and the biological richness of the Camargue depends on preserving the bullfighting culture of the course camarguaise type as well as the corrida de toros or corrida de rejon. The association has been led by several presidents: Francine Yonnet from 2001 to 2011, Bruno Blohorn from 2011 to 2014, Patrick Laugier from 2014 to 2020, and Virgile Alexandre since 2020.

The Association des éleveurs français de taureaux de combat traces its origins to the Union Française des éleveurs de taureaux de combat, founded in 1920 in Arles by Ambroise Boudin, father of Pouly III. This union brought together breeders of Camargue bulls for the course camarguaise and breeders of brave bulls for the corrida. Ambroise Boudin then owned a manade that he improved with livestock from Louis Barbier. However, because the products of these two types of breeding were destined for different practices, the Union Française des éleveurs de taureaux de combat split into two parts in 1962: on one side, Camargue bulls for the course camarguaise and Camargue AOC butcher's meat; on the other, bulls destined for the corrida. The latter category, comprising about thirty breeding operations, was regrouped with the Syndicat des éleveurs français in 1968 within the Association des éleveurs français de taureaux de race espagnole, presided over by Hubert Yonnet. The first census directory, published on 9 January 1992, counted twenty-five members. In 2002, there were thirty-eight according to Robert Bérard; around forty in 2009 according to Jean-Baptiste Maudet; and forty-six according to the list established by the association in 2011, counting the three categories: selector, aspirant, and user. Most brave bull breeding operations are located in the Crau, the Camargue, and around the Alpilles. Others are distributed in the southwest, between the Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, and Gers. Originally, most operations established in the Camargue (Yonnet, Sol, Durand, Lescot, and others) imported Spanish or Portuguese bulls of the Spanish breed and crossed them with Camargue bulls. However, the evolution of the corrida forced them to gradually eliminate Camargue blood, which was unsuitable for this form of bullfighting. This orientation began in the late 1940s. Because fighting bull breeding is not very profitable, most breeders simultaneously own a ganadería and a manade for meat, for the course landaise, and for the course camarguaise. This is notably the case for the Robert Margé and Hubert Yonnet operations. Brave bull operations are fewer than the Camargue manades grouped in the Association des manadiers de taureaux de Camargue and the Association des éleveurs de taureaux de race camarguaise, which count between 117 and 130 members. Currently, ganaderías are no longer so few in the Camargue; there are a total of 10,000 head of brave breeds and 18,000 head of Camargue breed. The preservation of these two breeds and the biological richness of the Camargue depends on preserving the bullfighting culture of the course camarguaise type as well as the corrida de toros or corrida de rejon. The association has been led by several presidents: Francine Yonnet from 2001 to 2011, Bruno Blohorn from 2011 to 2014, Patrick Laugier from 2014 to 2020, and Virgile Alexandre since 2020.

• 2020

  Virgile Alexandre becomes president.

• 2014

  Patrick Laugier becomes president.

• 2011

  Bruno Blohorn becomes president; association list counts 46 members.

• 2001

  Francine Yonnet becomes president.

• 1992

  First census directory published on 9 January, listing 25 members.

• 1968

  Association des éleveurs français de taureaux de race espagnole formed, presided by Hubert Yonnet.

• 1962

  Union splits into two branches: Camargue bulls for course camarguaise and brave bulls for corrida.

• 1920

  Union Française des éleveurs de taureaux de combat founded in Arles by Ambroise Boudin.

Selection body recognized by the French Ministry of Agriculture, representing French breeders of fighting bulls and preserving the brave bull breed.

• Livre généalogique (herdbook)

  Genealogical registry for the brave bull breed.

• Annual census directory

  Directory listing member breeders, first published in 1992.

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2. 2Association des éleveurs français de taureaux de combat - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Association des éleveurs français de taureaux de combat - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org