Grading System of Sonok Cattle at Cultural Contest of Madura Tribe based on Exterior Assessment in the Pamekasan Regency, East Java, Indonesia

Sonok cattles are a type of female local Maduran cattle, concentrated on Madura Island. These cattle have special value for the culture and ceremonial events of the Maduran tribe due to the excellent exterior beauty appearance, which are determined during a contest. This study was conducted to describe the assessment system of the exterior characters of Sonok cattle during the contest to determine the winner. The study was carried out as a case study by observing the assessment of the Sonok cattle during the contest in August 2020. Observation and assessment of the Sonok cattle by judges was done in 1 to 2 m distant from the front, side and back sites. The most preferred exterior characters are: smooth shiny brick red color of skin; the shape of the horns curved like a banana; the tip of the muzzle is blunt; the shape of the head is relatively round; the shape of the forehead is flat; the neck is thick; the number of neck wattle is 3-5 folds; the shape of the eyes is slightly slanted to slanted with thick inner eye bags; the hump is straight (not curved up or down); the shape of belly is proportional (not fat and not thin); and the forelegs are long and look sturdy. Keywords: Sonok cattle, cultural contest, Madura tribe