History
The Rodopi breed is not officially recognized as a breed although mentioned as a distinct population in the middle of the last century. It is thought that Vrahicheros cattle, Balkan cattle of Busha type and East European Podolic breeds have all contributed to its formation. The population survived in the Pomak region and other Rodopi villages, hence its name. For decades, the Pomak region bore the status of an out of bounds military zone subject to controlled access. The strictly enforced restrictions were conducive to the preservation of the cattle’s purity. In recent years crosses with improved European breeds led to its near extinction. Ropodi cattle were utilized in agricultural work, for their meat and milk.
Morphological Traits
Their overall appearance resembles the Greek short horn cattle. Their body is rather “long” in terms of height/length ratio and of small size. The average body weight for bulls is 400 kg and for cows 230 kg. Height at the withers for cows is 100-110 cm and for bulls slightly more.
Colour is solid brown-red or grey fluctuating from very light to very dark shades. Bulls tend to be dark grey. The majority of animals exhibit a mealy muzzle discolouration. The horns are of short to medium length with black tips.
Population
The population consists of 250 animals maintained in a herd founded in 2008 due to the joint initiatives of SAVE Foundation and “Amalthia Network”. The population of the breed is classified as ‘Endangered’. Efforts are currently under way to form additional breeding nuclei of the breed.