Aston, the bull thought to be a horse
This 1.4 ton animal happily walks with its mistress on its back. It jumps over small obstacles, makes lateral movements and leaps.
Aston’s success inspired Sabine to present at horse shows.
AFP
“Look at the people in the world who ride on animals like ostriches, camels, elephants…”
At the foot of the vineyards of a village on the Meuse in eastern France, Sabine Rouas rides her bull Aston with a quiet stride in the early morning.
At the wheel of his van, a man stood, shocked, mobile phone in hand, immortalizing the scene. In each of its trips, Aston provokes the same reactions and Sabine Rouas likes to laugh: “Obviously, I didn’t find anything!”
With a nose piercing, this single bull commands attention in the area and beyond. In social networks, Sabine’s husband Yannick Kirschhofer is responsible for giving her exploits as wide an echo as possible: 62,000 subscribers on TikTok, 90,000 on YouTube and almost as many on Facebook.
Grief for a horse
The story of Sabine and Aston begins with the grief of the emeritus rider’s competition horse. “Every rider has a special relationship with a horse in his life. After he died, I didn’t want to hear about horses.
Sabine was then living in Luxembourg in a building near the farm. A few days later, she observes a ballet of cattle and gets the idea to contact the farmer to “communicate with the big animals”.
“I still had trouble with horses, and I missed their connection. So I went down to the farm and saw this cow that was more curious than the others. I started brushing her. I saw that she was smart, she learned to paw, to say hello, to answer her name.
For Sabine, it was a revelation. As soon as the cow gives birth to a male calf, both animals are purchased.
“For me, this is the beginning of hell.” In a hurry, Sabine must find a place to keep the cattle. “I’ve been told I’m completely crazy, and it’s true I know nothing about it.”
1.4 tons and a vessel!
A strong-willed former business executive sticks to her idea: She believes in the special bond that exists between humans and every animal, just like the cats she trains. Aston thinks training might not be a bad idea. Sabine grasps this bond and… her control: she falls 38 times in 3 months trying to untie the bull.
But she soon discovered encouraging signs. “Aston saw me riding horses and wanted to do the same,” she enthuses. “By observing them, he learned a lot from their behavior, so we played mimicry.”
The result? Aston, now nine years old, jumps over small obstacles, makes side movements, canters.
Horse shows
“When people look at it, Austen thinks he’s a horse, and it’s true: he wants to follow them. After that, I can only do what he wants to do: he weighs 1.4 tons and his character! If he jumps over obstacles, that’s for him. Loved it!
“I often say, in terms of domestication, it’s like a cat. They’re similar in temperament.
Aston’s success prompted Sabine to create the “Aston, the Bull” brand to present at equestrian shows.
“Today people contact me to learn how to mount their cattle and I give them advice. Aston is in movies… I still can’t believe it. Aston knows all the way to Japan!
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