Groningen Blaarkop

SZH records that the blaarkop type is already described in the fourteenth century, and that red and black blaarkoppen appear in later paintings. The coat is solid black or red with a white head. The "blaren" are coloured rings around the eyes, joined to the neck colour or standing as separate islands. The belly is partly or fully white, and some animals have white socks. Cows stand about 135 cm and weigh about 600 kg.

At the end of the nineteenth century the breed's meat was highly valued, and many animals were sold as slaughter cattle at the London cattle market. In the early twentieth century about half of the Groningen cattle were blaarkop. Around Leiden the cows were milked for cheese and fattened on grass to supply the cities with meat. Since about 2000 the breed has been popular in organic farming. SZH counts 1,466 cows and classes the breed as threatened, with a declining trend.