Performance ~ Voices from the Past

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B. Travers Smith
Apr. 10, 1973

In the sidebar of this blog, one of the blog purposes—perhaps the most important—was stated to be:

“to remember “WHY” Travers and others were looking for improved genetics and performance.”

As documented in the Simmental Shield, March 1974, p. 30: “Travers contention was that judging cattle by type [or color or breed preference] instead of performance was our ruination.”

Travers was passionate in that belief. As we look around at where we have been, what we intended, and where we are today in the cattle industry, is there any need to remember the voices from the past?

In the Simmental Shield, August 1974, pp. 119-122, Don Vaniman, Exec. Sec. of the ASA wrote an extended article about his show ring observations:

“A traditional ceremony of visually appraising breeding cattle in the showring has interfered with comprehensive within-herd performance selection. The showring is promotional, but seldom breed-improving. … / Yes, the showring is a wonderful place to meet and visit with old friends. But how can it measure and select breeding cattle for the future based on one day’s parade of only visual analysis all done by one judge for all breeds of cattle? /…Showring will never be compatible with performance testing because showring leans toward short-term breeding goals with fast-turn-around. Performance testing calls for exact measurements to be taken within equal opportunity groups, then selecting for economic traits of high heritability and culling traits of low heritability.”

In January 1982, Ted Pritchett wrote an editorial (Viewpoint) in the Simmental Country magazine about his views on the showring influence. He stirred up a flurry of letters in response, e.g.:

From Frank E. Cursons of Eastend, Sask., (Feb/82., p. 132): “… Sacrificing utility for style has not in any way benefitted the class of animals subjected to this form of appraisal. / … The appearance of the early imported Simmental bulls and females and their products remain imbedded in my memory and these present day pea-pod weasels on stilts do not appear to measure up as satisfactory replacements to me at least. I am aghast at what I see. / It seems I am watching the Canadian exotic breeders offering a replay of what happened to the British cattle starting about fifty years ago. / Though it has to a degree been corrected, I fail to see why the exotics have to go through the same process. …”

From Diane Gilliland of Carievale, Sask. (March/82, p. 49): … “It[’]s really sad to see what is happening to the breed. It was so good to see someone with the clout and a goodly amount of internal fortitude finally speak out and say what we’ve been saying for four years. …”

From Gary Decock (3D Ranch) (March/82, p. 49): “… I would like to congratulate you on your remarks about the showing ring and the kind of cattle we’re raising today. / I hear you have cheesed off a few people, I think if you recall that one of the biggest reasons why we imported exotic’s in the first place was because the breeders of the old traditional b[r]eeds decided that we had to have a short dumpy, butterball type of animal, which produced a rather wasty type of carcass. Lately some people seem to think we need a tall lean extreme type of animal. … / I think more of us should be paying more attention to what goes on in the stockyard ring th[a]n the show ring and take what we’ve learned from there to the show ring. …”

In Simmental Country, October 1994, pp.83-4, Bob Gordon pondered the pros and cons as he wrote:

“Most every good commercial cattleman wants some Simmental blood in his commercial cow herd as he realizes what their influence has done in improving the productivity of his cattle in the last twenty years. / Having been involved with the Simmental breed from day one I realize very clearly what we expected the Simmental cattle to do in changing our domestic commercial cow herd in the early 70’s. We were coming out of an era when the industry had cattle too small with a number lacking performance and milk. Yes I do remember well what the Simmental sires did when spread across America on those present day commercial cows. This gave the industry some of the best commercial cows ever in those half and three quarter blood cows. / Yes, I remember the pledge that Travers Smith preached we would build the Simmental breed on as he was provoked with what had happened in our other breeds. How many people remember those pledges and did we carry them out? I spent many hours visiting with Travers when we were forming Bar Five and he gave us much helpful advice. … I remember that Travers Smith stated very clearly we would never ever show the Simmental cattle in open shows, only display them. In fact it was in the constitution we would never show these cattle. I worked hard to have these cattle shown and have this changed. May times I have asked myself since was it the right decision. Yes I am positive for shows but are they always evaluated for what is the most positive for the particular breed[?] …
“Let[’]s work together in trying to breed the best Simmentals possible to keep the breed in the lead in the future. This was the dream of Travers Smith when he had determination to talk eight people into putting up four thousand dollars to bring Parisien to Canada. We owe it to his foresight to do our best in breeding the kind of cattle he dreamed of producing, as what he started benefited so many of us over the last twenty year. … his great hopes and desires [were] to have Simmental cattle improve and change the direction of the present day cattle. I am sure he is watching over us to see what kind of job we have done to improve that cattle. Are we living up to his dreams?”

Many others in the intervening years have undoubtedly expressed their views and it seems to have made a difference. In the Simmental Country, March 2007 issue, the focus was on "Breed Improvement." Tomorrow's post (likely the last in this story of the early days) will include some quotes from that issue.

Despite some detours in focus, the Simmental advocates still seem to be as Travers found them and as Rodney James (former Secretary of the Canadian Charolais Association; former Editor and Publisher of the Canadian Charolais Banner; and Sales Manager of Transcon Livestock) described them when he wrote:

The incredible advancement of the [Simmental] breed over the past twenty years in my view is only partly due to the cattle. I still believe as I did in 1971 that this breed attracted and still does, some of the best people there are out there. Simmental breeders have traditionally invited competition and most importantly enjoyed other breeders’ successes. …. (Simmental Country:Aug1987:24)