Remembering Parisien: The First* Simmental Import to North America - 60th Birthday

(*First of the 20th Century and first to make an enduring impact. See side-note about 1800s Simmental in North America.)

Today, February 16, 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the birth of the great Simmental bull Parisien (1966-1978) born on the Henri Rossin farm, at Saint Appolinaire, Cote d'Or, France. His sire was Lausannois (a Simmental bull imported from Switzerland to France) and his dam was Uree-Etoile a French Pie Rouge (equivalent of Swiss Simmental). Walt Browarny's photos of Parisien, his sire and dam can be seen at https://waltbrowarnylegacy.com/folder/simmental/parisien?id=Pb4frvr5Ps7iNDN9aZU7eQ.

Fourteen month-old Parisien arrived at the Mountain View Alberta ranch of Travers Smith (seen above) on April 7, 1967 to enter the last (90-day) stage of farm quarantine required under Government of Canada animal health regulations. He had been in the third stage of quarantine on Grosse-Ille, Quebec, Canada since late October or early November 1966. A local photographer and newspaper man, Logan McCarthy, took the earliest pictures of the red and white yearling bull in Alberta and this may be one of his.

But why remember a dead, 60-year old Simmental bull? Maybe because the revolution he so aptly symbolized is being forgotten. Maybe because some Simmental Associations** that exist in large part because of him no longer have the Parisien story on their websites. Many incredible stories of those "exotic" days of the '60s and '70s are vanishing with the passing of the first Simmentalers, but as Ted Pritchett wrote:

It all began with a bull too. Parisien. He’s regarded as the greatest Simmental bull today, not just because he was first, but for what he did and didn’t do in the cattle industry. / He was impressive, himself, and that alone won him a lot of friends at hundreds of shows and exhibits. He was structurally correct, and didn’t have many of the faults found in bulls that followed. / He gave good, growthy calves, that an ordinary cow could have without problems. While he impressed a lot of people, he didn’t get anyone in trouble. He wasn’t an extreme bull, but a useful bull that crossed well on British breeds. He was tailor-made to be a bull to establish a breed. Reflect, if you will, on the position, of not just the Simmental breed but every breed which was to follow, had Parisien been a very hard calver, left calves that didn’t cross well on British breed cows, or that didn’t grow, or were structurally unsound. If Parisien hadn’t proven successful, it’s doubtful whether there would’ve been a Simmental breed, and all the subsequent changes it brought. (BTY’77:87-88)

In the “Guest Editorial” of Simmental Country, August 1987, Wes Alm wrote:

Yes, Parisien arrived on the winds of change. The commercial cattle industry was still suffering from the dwarfism or pony cattle era of the 1950’s. Parisien, and those who followed were the beginning of a Revolution in the bull industry that will be documented in the pages of history for all time. (p. 50)

Except much of the documentation isn't easy to find. And too many are forgetting why Simmental was such a success. It stressed productivity, testing, and measurable, recorded performance over style.

And anniversaries are great times to remember and reflect:

▪ Dr Bob Hough Introduces "Simmental's American Journey"
American Simmental Association | Sep 5, 2018 | Time 36:12 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUoUpHE_D-E
▪ Simmental breeders celebrate 50th anniversary (2018)
https://www.canadiancattlemen.ca/livestock/simmental-breeders-celebrate-50th-anniversary/
▪ Simmental cattle celebrating 50 years in Canada (2017)
https://westcentralonline.com/articles/simmental-cattle-celebrating-50-years-in-canada

-------------------------------------------/
** https://www.simmental.com/
https://albertasimmental.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanSimmentalAssociation/videos
Simmental offers a complete package to the beef industry (2013)
(Canadian Simmental at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDt3OPjeOWw )
https://www.pasimmental.com/history-of-the-simmental-breed/

This picture of Parisien's dam, Uree-Etoile, was probably taken sometime between 1968 and 1973. The photographer is unknown.

Uree-Etoile (Parisien's dam),
Travers Smith and a French cattleman

Photo also at: https://simmental-sbl.blogspot.com/2010/05/parisiens-dam.html

This pedigree chart was on the reverse of a Curtiss Breeding Service Inc., Curtiss Farm, Cary, Illinois promotional sheet for Parisien.

Parisien Stats:
▪ born February 16, 1966 on the Henri Rossin farm, at Saint Appolinaire, Cote d'Or, France
(France Reg. No. 15.891 c982)
▪ weight: January 1, 1968 - 1,770 lbs.; July 1, 1973 - 2,800 lbs.
▪ died December 12, 1978 in Cardston, Alberta Canada
(SBL 1X; CSA #1; ASA #1; progeny over 15,000; 1st Simmental Golden Certified Meat Sire).

Mountain View School Remembers Parisien Ahead of His 60th birthday

Mountain View School (Grades K to 9) in Alberta Canada held a school assembly on Friday, 13 February 2026 to learn more about the great Simmental bull Parisien (1966 - 1978) and the men who dared dream of making a huge difference in the cattle industry. Four of the long-term shareholders were from Mountain View: Travers Smith, Harold Watson, Franklyn Smith, and Fenton Webster. Another initial SBL shareholder (circa 1966-1971), B.Y. (Young) Williams from nearby Cardston also made a huge contribution to the dream as Travers' first associate in writing to governments and Commissions to arrange for import permits and many other matters.

Don Jensen, Parisien's faithful handler during the touring days of the late 60's and 70s (and now 90 years young) was also in attendance Each of these six men had several descendants in attendance with 5 of them having great-grandchildren (around 20)  attending the school. The taxidermy head of Parisien, owned by Don, and recently repaired by local taxidermy specialist, Dave Nelson (grandson of B.Y. Williams), was unveiled. The head was donated to the MV school by Don Jensen through his grandson Brad Sommerfeldt and will soon be hung on a wall in the school library as a reminder to the students of what dreams can accomplish and how they can change an entire industry.

The Parisien birthday celebration was a great event thanks to principal Curtis Leishman, school secretary Lisa Walburger, Don Jensen's family, and many others.

One other Mountain View resident that we mistakenly overlooked to mention was Beatrice Tolley, the amazing secretary, starting in 1969, who kept all the men on track with appointments, record keeping, arranging flights, other travel, etc., etc., etc. Beatrice was the one who coined the phrase "Breed 'em all Simmental" — sometimes rephrased "Breed 'em all SBL Simmental." She was an SBL gem.

   The 60th birthday commemoration was held on Friday, February 13
               because Monday the 16th was a school holiday.
            February 16, 1966 was the actual day of his birth.