2.06: Swiss Permits ~ at last !!

(From Chp. 2 ~ 1967, titled "The Dream Lives," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

Finally, under date of 19 July 1967, eight permits for the importation of cattle from France/Switzerland were issued to the SBL shareholders, one each to:

Travers Smith; B.Y. Williams; Hans Ulrich
Frank R. Smith; Harold Watson; H. J. Blackmore
O.T. Bingham; S.B. Williams

The telegrams sent July 20 announcing the long-awaited news, prompted a flood of relief. All the hard work, the stress, the aggravations had come to a joyful conclusion. Their selected Swiss calves were still unvaccinated—ready and waiting to enter the first stage of testing and quarantine.

The SBL Importers had not seen any of their selected cattle personally, but they had studied their pedigrees and with the help of Mr. Aegerter, Mrs. Hofer, and Hans Ulrich's father (Hans Ulrich, Sr.) "who did a good job of selection" they ended up with seven more Simmental, 4 heifers and 3 bulls in the works, plus one Brown Swiss, for their eight permits.

Their planning ahead had rewarded them with seven of the eight Simmental cattle imported out of Switzerland that year of 1967/68. The comprehensive vaccination program of the Swiss, plus the delayed timeline left other importers with no place to go but France. The SBL shareholders good fortune in managing to keep their Swiss options open was almost beyond their belief considering the numerous hurdles they had encountered.