Blisterhead (Engbertsdijksvenen) - Kloosterhaar

The Blaarkop is known to some people as the 'polder panda'. This breed has become rare and endangered by modern times, just like the panda. With a little imagination, you can see a resemblance, especially because of the large spots around the eyes (the 'blisters'). Blister heads come in red and black colours.

After the introduction of the herd book in 1874, with registration and breeding rules, the Blaarkop was one of the top three Dutch cattle for a long time. Together with the Friesian-Dutch dairy cattle and the strong 'dual-purpose' MRIJ (Maas-Rijn-IJssel cattle), the Blaarkop was frequently seen in Dutch pastures. The studbook made many colour varieties disappear, such as the 'falcons' and 'blues', which we can still see in old paintings. The Blaarkop was mainly to be found in Groningen, North Holland and the Utrecht-Dutch pastures and can also be seen in paintings from that time.

In the end, the Blaarkop was no match for the Holstein, the improved version of the Friesian-Dutch dairy cattle. The Holstein gives more milk than any other breed. The combination of meat and milk ('dual-purpose') went out of fashion. Now there are cows bred specifically for milk or meat, such as the muscular thick-billed cows.

Remarkably, Jan Broenink has a herd of three hundred to three hundred and fifty Blaar heads for cheese, meat and even ice cream. He lets some of his oxen (castrated bulls) roam freely in the Engbertsdijksvenen. These oxen are not dangerous to humans because they are calmer without their male hormones. In the northern part of the area, near Kloosterhaar, walkers can see the cattle up close. These classic 'dual-purpose' cows are definitely worth a look.