Terreña
(most common name)

The Terreña is an authentic and old breed found in the mountainous province of Álava.

The Terreña has a rough chestnut coat (usually darkening towards the extremities), and the cows have long hair on the udder. Adults have a white muzzleband; bulls often show a lighter dorsal stripe.

There are two varieties of the Terreña:
• Terreña gorbeana (the smaller variety, found in the foothills of the Gorbea massif)
• Terreña de la Sierra (the larger variety, found near Sierra Salvada)

Introgression from other Spanish breeds and the Swiss Brown began in the late 1800s.

• 1950s - Terreña number about 15,000
• 1988 - Terreña breed is first formally described
• 1999 - only 4 active Terreña bulls remain
• 2019 - Terreña number about 3,956

Terreña breeders have financial support from the regional government.

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-20

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