Torneio Leiteiro 2019 in Santa Bárbara, MG

43rd Torneio Leiteiro and 27th Cavalgada of Santa Bárbara highlight innovation, music and tradition in the Serra do Caraça

From July 11 to 14, 2019, the Adilson de Melo Exhibition Park, in Santa Bárbara, welcomed thousands of visitors to the 43rd Torneio Leiteiro (Dairy Fair) and 27th Cavalgada (horseback ride), one of the most traditional events in the Serra do Caraça region.
With the theme "Inspirando Sensações" (Inspiring Sensations), the edition combined tradition, sertanejo music, agribusiness and innovation, establishing the fair as one of the main drivers of the economy and rural culture of the Médio Piracicaba region.

In 2019, for the first time, the event opened up to the regional market, as part of an economic development strategy focused on valuing producers and expanding local agribusiness.

Innovation and rural development

The 2019 edition marked the start of a new management model aimed at strengthening the countryside. The Torneio Leiteiro broadened its traditional format and included, for the first time, the first Dairy and Beef Cattle Auction, an initiative that stimulated trade and investment in the regional agricultural sector.

The auction, run by Minas Leilões e Eventos, presented high-pedigree animals, including Donald do Cururu, Damasco do Cururu, Esnobe do Cururu, Esperto do Cururu and Famoso do Cururu. Bids ranged from R$ 80 to R$ 100 per installment, energizing the market and reinforcing the potential of Santa Bárbara as a reference center for agribusiness in the Médio Piracicaba region.

Music, rodeo and big attractions

The public enjoyed four days of excitement and entertainment with a heavyweight music program.
The national concerts covered different styles of sertanejo and drew big crowds to the park every night:

• July 11 (Thursday): Day & Lara — Free Admission

• July 12 (Friday): Jorge & Mateus

• July 13 (Saturday): Naiara Azevedo

• July 14 (Sunday): Bruno & Barretto — Free Admission

Besides the main acts, the event featured local artists Robson Nunes, Ingrid Leonara and Wlly Santos, who performed on Stage 2, warming up the crowd before the big shows.

The rodeo arena was another highlight, with the riders of Companhia Paulo Miranda taking on challenging bulls to the applause of the crowd. Children's shows, such as the LOL dolls show, delighted families and made Sunday even more special.

Torneio Leiteiro: tradition and prizes

The fair kept its focus on valuing producers and awarded the best animals in three categories: Adult Cow, Young Cow and Morphology.
In total, R$ 12,900.00 in prizes was distributed among the participants, recognizing the commitment and quality of Santa Bárbara's dairy production.

The participating farmers were: Adém Pires Lage, Fernando Rodrigues da Costa, Geraldo Magela Braga, Giovani Fonseca Moreira, José Lúcio Anastácio, José Renato Fonseca, José Xavier dos Santos, Juvenal Augusto de Melo, Roberto Caetano and Walter Vitor de Oliveira.

Adult Cow
🥇 Walter Vitor de Oliveira – R$ 3,000.00
🥈 Henrique Rodrigues – R$ 2,000.00
🥉 José Lúcio Anastácio – R$ 1,000.00

Young Cow
🥇 Walter Vitor de Oliveira – R$ 3,000.00
🥈 Maria Luiza Hosken Braga – R$ 2,000.00
🥉 Ulysses José Xavier – R$ 1,000.00

Morphology
🥇 Henrique Rodrigues (Adult Cow) – R$ 300.00
🥇 José Renato Fonseca (Male) – R$ 300.00
🥇 Lúcio Flávio Anastácio (Young Cow) – R$ 300.00

These results reinforce the producers' commitment to the genetic quality of their herds and the importance of the fair as a showcase of dairy excellence in the Serra do Caraça.

2nd Queijo Minas Artesanal Contest "Da Piedade ao Caraça"

Another great moment of the event was the 2nd Queijo Minas Artesanal Contest – Entre Serras da Piedade ao Caraça (artisanal Minas cheese), which caught the attention of visitors and producers.
The competition highlighted the importance of the cheese as part of the cultural and gastronomic heritage of Minas Gerais, valuing artisanal work and the use of traditional techniques.

The cheeses were assessed by a specialist jury for texture, shape, finish and uniformity.
Semi-Cured Category
🥇 Maurício Feliciano Guedes (Santa Bárbara)
🥈 Josiene Cristina de Aguilar (Catas Altas)
🥉 José Célio dos Santos (Santa Bárbara)

Cured Category
🥇 Maurício Feliciano Guedes (Santa Bárbara)
🥈 José Célio dos Santos (Santa Bárbara)
🥉 Renilda Aparecida Fonseca (Caeté)

The contest was supported by Senac, Sebrae and Emater, and reaffirmed the leading role of the Serra do Caraça micro-region among the main cheese-producing centers of Minas Gerais.

27th Cavalgada and equestrian competitions

The traditional Santa Bárbara Cavalgada kept its usual brilliance and strength, bringing together horsemen and horsewomen from many towns in a show of beauty and tradition.
Throughout Sunday, the Exhibition Park hosted the equestrian competitions, which distributed R$ 25,750.00 in prizes across many categories, including:

• Piquira (pony) Male and Female

• Marcha Picada (registered and unregistered)

• Campolina and Mangalarga Marchador

• Mule Male and Female

• Junior (up to 12 years old)

• Horsewomen

The title of Champion of Champions went to Ângelo Flávio Pinheiro, from Belo Horizonte, and Reserve Champion went to Magno Villefort, from Baldim.
The competitions reinforced the high technical level of the event and the participants' love for horses — a symbol of country culture and life on the land.

Tradition and legacy

The 43rd Torneio Leiteiro and 27th Cavalgada of Santa Bárbara were a milestone of innovation and appreciation of rural culture.
With auctions, contests, rodeos and successful concerts, the event showed that agribusiness and popular culture can go hand in hand, strengthening tourism, the local economy and the identity of the Serra do Caraça.

With each edition, Santa Bárbara reaffirms its role as a center of tradition, talent and hospitality, keeping alive one of the best-loved festivals in Minas Gerais.