Claus Kropp of the Freilichtlabor Lauresham would like to take this opportunity to highlight an event in 2024.

Following the great success of the Virtual World Draft Animal Congress ("Draft Animals in the Past, Present and Future) in 2021,

the World Draft Cattle Symposium will be held in Lorsch (Germany) from March 8-9, 2024.

The aim of the symposium is to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the current state of research and knowledge on the subject of cattle traction (both with bulls, steers and cows) in agriculture, transportation, water supply and crop processing. At the same time, important new concepts on the future importance of draft cattle as working animals in a global context and as part of a sustainable future will be discussed.

The conference will be divided into a conference day of oral and poster presentations and a hands-on workshop day that will culminate in the premiere of a fascinating new museum exhibit on the cultural history of the yoke worldwide. The workshop day will provide conference participants with practical insights into the various aspects of working with cattle, including different harness systems, training methods or machinery, but also in relation to the manufacture of ox shoes or yokes and collars.

The conference will be followed by a large Field Day on March 10 with different draft animal demonstrations.

More information and registration details can be found at: World Draft Cattle Symposium - UNESCO WELTERBE KLOSTER LORSCH (kloster-lorsch.de) or Forum Working Cattle Group.

The official Call for Papers is attached to this letter.

We are very pleased to announce that registration for the World Draft Cattle Symposium can start today and at the same time we would like to publish the first conference brochure. As conference organizers, we are already overwhelmed by the great interest in the topic and are looking forward to new developments every day.

An information to all German and French speaking interested parties: the conference language is English, but we will provide all participants with German/French summaries of each presentation. The presentations will also be provided with corresponding translations. The conference team can also help with translation at any time during the discussion rounds.

So please take a look:

Conference brochure:
kloster-lorsch.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/World-Draft-Cattle-Symposium-booklet_Preliminary_Nov2_finalNov1.pdf

Registration Form:
Registration Form - UNESCO WELTERBE KLOSTER LORSCH (kloster-lorsch.de)

Here is a summary of the conference overview:

From March 8 to 9, 2024, the World Draft Cattle Symposium will take place in Lorsch (Germany).

The aim of the symposium is to provide a comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the current state of research and knowledge on the subject of cattle traction (both with bulls, steers and cows) in agriculture, transportation, water supply and crop processing. At the same time, important new concepts will be discussed regarding the future importance of draft cattle as working animals in a global context and as part of a sustainable future. The conference is divided into three parts:

MARCH 8: PAPERS / POSTERS.

Day 1 of the conference will be dedicated to a variety of poster and paper presentations covering the broad range of topics that will be discussed at the conference. Our goal is to bring together people from diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, places of origin and strengths to learn, discuss and network on a variety of topics related to draft cattle. This first day of the conference will be hybrid (online) access. All sessions will be held consecutively.

 

MARCH 9: HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS / DEMONSTRATIONS.

Day 2 of the conference is designed to provide all participants with a comprehensive and practical look at the various areas of cattle hitching, including cattle behavior, training, hitching systems and machinery.

The conference day will end with the opening of the exhibition "Joch - Joug - Ayoko". The exhibition illustrates the cultural history of the yoke over the millennia and around the globe. All parts of the conference will also take place consecutively.

 

MARCH 10: BIG FIELD DAY

An optional workshop day will be offered as part of a large-scale public field day. Conference participants will have the opportunity to attend a series of demonstrations with draft animals such as horses, cattle and goats.

REGISTRATION FEE

As we want to give as many participants as possible the opportunity to attend the conference in person, we have decided to charge a registration fee of only 25 euros, payable at the beginning of the conference. The fee will mainly be used to provide food and drinks during the coffee and lunch breaks. Virtual participation in the conference on March 8 is free of charge.

 

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?

Please contact our conference team at:    worlddraftcattlesymposium2024@gmail.com