Galician Blond
(transboundary/brand name)

(most common name):
• Rubia Gallega
(local/other name):
• Raza Rubia Gallega
local/other name (Gallego):
• Rubia Galega

The Galician Blond was the only breed in Galicia (an autonomous community in the upper northwest corner of Spain) until the end of the 19th century. It was a triple-purpose breed that was also shipped to England to use for beef.

Breed improvement began with the Simmental in 1914. South Devon, Austrian Yellow and Swiss Brown were also carefully used after 1958.

The Galician Blond is now raised primarily for beef (but also for milk) and they have retained the heavy forequarters of a draught animal. A double-muscled phenotype is present in some, however selection has been against having it genetically expressed in any extreme manner.

The color of the Galician Blond ranges from blond to red; darker colors are found among animals bred in the mountains.

NOTE: In the northwestern region of Galicia, residents speak Gallego — a language which resembles a mix of Portuguese and Castilian Spanish. It has been pointed out that from a strictly linguistic standpoint, the transboundary/brand English name ‘Galician Blond’ is a Spanish/Galician noun described by a Spanish adjective.

The Spanish word ‘rubia’ translates to ‘blond’ in English; the Galician word ‘rubia’ translates to ‘reddish’ in English. Both are adjectives and the Galician Blond can be blond to redddish in color. As a general rule, formal names in English do not have descriptors using ‘ish’ at the end.

(Spanish and Galician, noun) gallega = Galician
(Spanish, adjective) rubia = blond
(Galician, adjective) rubia = reddish

This page was last updated on: 2023-05-17

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