Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12.
Telephone: 01 4198050 Email: charola@iol.ie
BREED STANDARD
The Charolais is a large, long-bodied animal with a well-deserved reputation as a fast, efficient producer of high quality lean meat. The average mature working bull scales 750-1000 kg, while an average mature cow would weigh 600-800 kg. Pure bred Charolais are uniformly white or cream in colour.

THE CHAROLAIS FEMALE
She should have distinct feminine characteristics. Her neck should be fine, cleanly cut and neatly set onto the shoulders. Heavy necks and prominent dewlaps give a steer-like appearance and questionable fertility.

THE CHAROLAIS BULL
The accompanying diagram illustrates the more important characteristics of a Charolais bull. A good judge of cattle will always have in his mind's eye a picture of the perfect specimen. He will then assess the individual points and features against this ideal with the ultimate objective of summing up the animal as a whole. The bull must have a distinct masculine appearance and be equipped to fulfil its essential reproductive functions.
He should have two large testicles and be structurally sound to enable him to move freely among his cow herd.


1 Muzzle - broad, clean, uniformly light without pigmentation.
2 Head - relatively small and short with wide, flat or slightly concave brow, short and straight forehead and well developed jaws.
3 Eyes - large protruding and well set apart.
4 Horns - long, white and round.
5 Shoulder - well laid-on with the tips of the blades set well apart, but not prominent and covered with flesh.
6 Neck - short and blended well into the shoulder.
7 Chest - deep with well sprung ribs blending in well to the shoulders.
8 Back - very muscular with level topline throughout; loins thick and wide.
9 Tail - set slightly back and without undue prominence.
10 Hindquarter - very wide, plump and pendulous and well let down between the hind legs.
11 Second thigh - well developed with meat carried right down to the bocks.
12 Hind legs - set well apart with strong hocks and proper alignment.
13 Bone - strong, flat and well developed.
14 Feet - strong, well shaped with adequate depth of heel and the ability to Carry the great weight of the animal.
15 Underline - level.
16 Body - deep and well coupled together, evenly balanced and well proportioned between fore, middle and hindquarters; firmly and well fleshed with hip bones well covered; average skin thickness but very supple; hair coat may be either short and silky or thick and long.
17 Front legs - well developed forearm, legs straight and well set apart.

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Registered Office: Irish Charolais Cattle Society, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12. Registered Dublin, Ireland. Registration Number 2932, Industrial and Provident Societies Acts, 1893 to 1978. Telephone: 01 419 8050 Fax: 01 408 0640 Email: charola@iol.ie