Update: Return of Stolen Historical Artifact

(See side panel: “Plea for Information”)

Parisien taxidermy head
Nov. 2015

Nine years after the taxidermy head of the great Simmental bull Parisien was stolen from display at the 2006 World Simmental Congress in Calgary, Alberta, it was anonymously turned over to a member of the Canadian Simmental Association during the 2015 CSA Convention in Lindsay, Ontario (July 30-August 2, 2015). Its return was briefly reported on CSA Facebook¹ under dates of August 1 & 2, 2015, and also commented on in the Commercial Country cattle magazine (Vol. 12, Issue 2, Sept 2015, p. 8, col. 2 -- "The Canadian Simmental Convention - A Huge Success").²

The Smith family was advised of its recovery on August 13, 2015.

Two months later (on October 14, 2015), it was returned to its owner—Don Jensen—somewhat injured from its experience (suffering a broken ear and broken horn). We are grateful for its return and wish to thank the CSA (or other persons responsible) for arranging its return.

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1. From the CSA Facebook page:

2. Quote: “The banquet which was held Saturday evening was attended by over 275 guests who enjoyed a fabulous meal and a special surprise when Parisien, the first Simmental bull imported to North America joined us. This was a huge surprise to all as his head and memorabilia were last seen and went missing during the 2006 World Simmental Fleckvieh Federation Congress that was held in Calgary. It is great to have these items back and all will be returned to the Cardston museum where they have previously been housed.” From Commercial Country cattle magazine (Vol. 12, Issue 2, Sept 2015, p. 8, col. 2) -- "The Canadian Simmental Convention - A Huge Success" - byline: Bruce Holmquist, General Manager - Canadian Simmental Association.

21st Century ~ “New Dawn for the Cowman”?

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The first North American Simmental breeders in the late 1960’s began their programs committed to breed improvement. After a period of distraction by some (see yesterday’s post), the focus, once again, seems to be returning to performance testing, evaluation, and breed improvement.

From Simmental Country, March 2007:

“The Progeny Testing and SMARTag Program” by Alana Lunn, p. 10: The CSA has initiated two new, exciting programs for our members that will help you providing information and service to your customers. These are the progeny Testing Program and the SMARTag Program. …”

“Progeny Test Program” by Sean McGrath, p. 16: “… Increasingly in beef production, value is being determined by differentiation and the ability to identify those differences. … / The Canadian Simmental Association is currently ramping up their 2007 progeny testing program to obtain commercial calving, growth, and carcass data on Simmental sired calves. This effort, in addition to breeder efforts to collect carcass data, and overall efforts to obtain ultrasound data on seedstock represent a significant commitment to ensuring the future profitability of the commercial beef industry by identification of end product attributes and the genetics that produce them. …”

“A Look Back” by Bill Macleod, pp. 34-35: The Canadian Simmental Association has experienced a number of very significant changes over the period of time that I have been associated with the Board. The first one that comes to mind is the work of the Promotions and Marketing Committee which has changed the focus of the industry from issuing registration papers to promoting Simmental cattle as having a greater role in the commercial beef industry. This emphasis has led, in part, to the dramatic increase in the sale of Simmental cattle to commercial cattle breeders and to a far greater influence on the genetics of the commercial beef industry. This dramatic shift, from emphasizing the purebred industry as an end unto itself to that as a seed stock industry, to a much more inclusive role in the beef industry as a whole has been a turning point for the Simmental breed. This emphasis has led to the significant increase of Simmental genetics as seed stock providers. …
“A second significant change which has come about in the operation and role of the CSA is the focus on data collection introduced by the Breed Improvement Committee. Increased emphasis has been placed on the role of EPDs [Expected Progeny Difference] in the evaluation of cattle and the number of traits being collected. These traits now include, not only a number [of] convenience traits such as calving ease, docility and body condition scores, but economic traits such as weaning weights, yearling weights, rib eye and back fat scores and scrotal measurements. The more information that can be collected on an individual animal, the greater the potential for making better breeding and selection decisions.”

This appears to be a 21st Century “New Dawn for the Cowman”—not one that Travers anticipated when he wrote an article entitled “New Dawn for the Cowman” in the Commercial West magazine, August 12, 1972 (pp. 49-50). He acknowledged those who had prepared the way for the 1960’s cattle revolution, but he never imagined that the pendulum trend he thought had been overcome would swing backward once again for a time. He wrote:

“Through the years, a few persistent and dedicated men in the land searched, selected and developed more profitable cattle, but very little progress was made in profitable beef production until around 1960-61. When a very faint light of change appeared lit by a very few scattered ranchers, researchers, geneticists and businessmen, and by 1968 this small” light had grown to be a steady flame until now in 1972 it is referred to as a prairie fire lighting this whole continent. This change has been wrought in all sections of the industry and in every breed and beef improvement association. A most intense and dramatic improvement has come from the introduction of the continental or so called “exotic” breeds into our crossbreeding. …

“Production Efficiency: In America, while the pendulum had swung one way and started back, stockman in other countries had continued on from centuries back improving production efficiency. Switzerland held the lead with two dual purpose breeds, delivering seed stock to many parts of the world. …

“Men can, through their co-operative management blend together all the resources at hand into a formula to bring about a profitable economic agricultural structure, and also a better balanced ecology. …

“There is still lots of room for improvement in our economy, not alone towards profit, but for building a better land that our inheritance might be passed on to those after us better than we received. ...”

Travers’ enduring dream would probably be: 1) no more pendulum swings; 2) forward movement for centuries to come in breed improvement; and 3) that we would pass on to those who come after an inheritance better than we received.

Recognitions

Travers’ untiring efforts to advance the acceptance of the remarkable Simmental breed in North America soon brought him recognition throughout Canada and the U.S. In the space of seven years, he travelled to hundreds of cities, small towns, and rural living rooms to preach the good news of Simmental. He was the featured speaker at many functions and the recipient of many awards and honors. Four are noted below:

▪ In March 1973, he was honored at BYU and received a plaque inscribed with the words: “Recognition Award For Service To Agriculture, Travers Smith 1973, Brigham Young University Biological And Agricultural Sciences.” The speech presenting him read in part: Travers’s unceasing efforts between 1968 and 1972 to extol the virtues of the Simmental cattle is in large measure responsible for the so-called “Exotic” cattle revolution in North America. / We recognize you, Travers Smith, for your contributions to beef cattle improvements in North America. We acknowledge you as a friend of agriculture at Brigham Young University and present this token of appreciation to you for your lectures and participation during Ag. Week 1973.

▪ At the 4th Annual Meeting of the Montana Simmental Association, Travers was made an honorary member and presented with an engraved trophy-clock. An account in the Simmental Shield of February 1974 reads: [Travers] accepted the award with great humility. Thanks for coming, Travers. (p. 136)

▪ The Canadian Simmental Association presented Travers with a plaque and gavel in recognition of his service as the 1st CSA president.

▪ At the American Simmental Association 6th Annual Convention and Banquet in Louisville, Kentucky, Travers was honored on February 1, 1974 and presented in absentia with a hand-carved wooden Simmental cow from Switzerland. His letter of invitation had read in part: Our Board of Trustees voted unanimously at their last meeting to present you with an award for outstanding service to the American Simmental Association.

Travers & Belle were not present at that ASA Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, because the day after Travers mailed acceptance to their letter of invitation he was hospitalized. Despite the eventual diagnosis, Travers had great hopes that he would be healed and be able to attend—to be once again among his friends and fellow-believers in Simmental.

Since Travers’ prayers for recovery were not granted, he composed a message for Belle to send to the gathering that would be honoring him. Belle’s handwritten draft reads:

To Pres. Dale Cutler, all directors, members of A.S.A and all others gathered from Canada and throughout the world. / Praying as I have always done, that God will direct our national, civic and personal lives in attaining a greater performance in service to our fellowmen. / Let us put forth our efforts this night and always to work in this direction, not forgetting that if we do this the blessings of today are but a small portion of what Jesus Christ Our Lord has in store for us both temporally and spiritually. / Let us go now and not fail Him. / Travers Smith.

Noted on the bottom of the draft were the words: Telegram sent to Dale Cutler at the A.S.A Convention the night of Jan 30th 1974.

Art Linkletter, the radio-TV showman and breeder of Simmentals at his Perth Australia ranch read the tribute to Travers (see a later post) that had been written by B.Y. Williams, one of the first investors in SBL. A standing ovation followed the tribute.

Association Directors ~ 1971

In the Simmental Shield magazine, October 1971, p. 4, the officers and trustees of the Simmental associations were listed as:

cover of meeting agenda

CSA ~ 2nd AGM Report

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from Cattlemen: The Beef Magazine,
January 1971, p. 20

Simmental Associations ~ ASA 1968; CSA 1969

Canadian Simmental Association (CSA): In the Guest Editorial of Simmental Country, August 1987, Wes Alm wrote:

During the late 1960’s and the formation of the Canadian Simmental Association there were many tireless workers—people with great vision of the future and they were dedicated to the cause of Simmental promotion. / Two individuals that stood tall in the saddle come readily to mind, Dr. Allan Dixon and Travers Smith, men with great fortitude. Their overwhelming enthusiasm for Simmental was contagious and their contribution to the establishment of Simmental in North America was beyond measure in the respective short years they had. (p. 50)

The CSA was founded in 1968. The application for incorporation under the Livestock Pedigree Act was made and subsequently approved on February 29, 1969. The first organizational meeting was held in Calgary on August 1, 1969 following several meetings around the country where the constitution was gradually developed. Fenton Webster recalled:

After some show in the U.S. [1968, Sheridan WY], Ray Woodward, Dale Lynch, Lavon Sumption, Travers and I stayed up all one night putting by-laws together. Travers was determined to do things right and he wanted everything based on performance. Originally, we had an idea to require bulls to index 105 to be recorded, but that, like many other ideas, got watered down. / Lavon and I did all the organizing of that first meeting in Calgary [Aug. 1, 1969]. … Travers was elected the first President and I stayed on as Secretary until we could afford a full time person. (Beef Today Yearbook’77:86)

Traver's hometown newspaper, Cardston Unlimited, of August 27, 1969 (p. 1) reported the founding board of directors as:

    Fenton Webster of Mt. View, Travers Smith of Cardston, Ross Mitchell of Manitoba, Dr. Allen Dixon of Calgary, Lee Rollins of Edmonton, Ted Tremunde of B.C., Hans Ulrich of Claresholm, LeRoy Berry of Sask., and George McLean of Toronto. Dr. Lavon Sumption was elected as honorary President. This group appointed Travers Smith as president and Fenton Webster as Sec. Treas. of the new organization. The office will be in Cardston at the present time. ...
     A delegation from Switzerland was present for the founding of the Canadian Simmental Association. Included were: Dr. Nabholz, Veterinary General of Switzerland, Mr. Herner Hyss, the manager of the Swiss Cattle Breeders Federation (the organization that exports Swiss cattle from Switzerland to many part of the world); Dr. Hans Henger, the president of the Simmental Cattle Association who has also directed the production of a number of films on Swiss Cattle as well as writing several books on them, and Mrs. Hon Henger.
    The meeting also drew in people from points all across Canada and the United States.
    Speaker at the meeting was Dr. Henger who presented Travers Smth with an honorary medal for his efforts in opening the way for bringing the Simmental Breed of Cattle into Canada.
    An evening banquet was attended by 200 people who were served a delicious supper featuring cross-bred Simmental beef.
    The guest speaker for the evening was the Veterinary General of Canada Dr. Kenneth Wells.
    Mr. Wyss presented a lovely hand carved Simmental cow to the associatiion for their office. Dr. Nabholz also spoke expressing appreciation from the group for this opportunity of coming to Canada. ...

From its very beginning, the CSA set out specific rules for cattlemen in an upgrading program through crossbreeding and AI. These rules incorporated many of Travers’ beliefs and credos, including: performance testing, record keeping, and indexing; and his objection to “competitive live shows.”

In a fact-sheet that SBL prepared in response to the myriad inquires it was receiving, the CSA-proposed rules were outlined in brief with the last two stated as follows:

12. Simmental cattle will not be entered in any competitive live shows because the judging criteria of live shows are inconsistent with sound performance selection programs.
13. Simmental may be displayed at exhibitions and fairs for purposes of sales promotion. Performance data will be emphasized.

This objection to competitive shows ran deep with Travers. He felt that show judging had done almost irreparable injury to the British breeds and that Simmental would suffer the same fate if the focus became show judging instead of performance.

Concerning Travers’ long standing objection to show judging, B.Y. Williams wrote:

I was manager of a credit union and also in the cattle business in a small way. We often discussed the adversities of the business, the virtues of the native breeds—and lack of them—and how to make a living out of a beautiful, big, fat “ideal” Hereford cow that turned in a scrawny 350-pound calf at weaning time. Well, Travers’ contention was that the “egg heads” were all wrong. Travers’ contention was that judging cattle by type instead of performance was our ruination. (Simmental Shield:March1974:30)

Current Canadian Simmental Association website is at http://www.simmental.com/
For a historical list of the CSA board of directors see: http://www.simmgene.com/pdf/register/40years_208.pdf

American Simmental Association (ASA): In part, because of greater interest in Simmental in the U.S., the American Simmental Association had been organized in October 1968. In the Farm Quarterly—Spring 1969, Charles R. Koch reported in his “Livestock” column that:

Probably never before in the history of breed associations has there been such an enthusiastic launching of such an organization. The enthusiasm is even more impressive in view of the fact most of the charter members of the association have never seen a purebred Simmental of either sex; that the only representatives of the breed now in this country are F1 calves sired by artificial insemination; … / Nevertheless, some 260 cattlemen from Florida to the State of Washington converged upon the Cosmopolitan Hotel, in Denver, early in January to attend the first annual meeting of this association and a high percentage of them left the meeting as dues-paying charter members at $100.00 per crack.

The Western Livestock Journal of January 1969 reported on the first annual meeting of the American Simmental Association as follows:

Cattlemen jam Simmental meeting
DENVER – The American Simmental Assn. had 34 members up to the coffee-break time at the first annual meeting here, Jan 10.
Approximately 50 people were expected to show up at that meeting but 250 jammed the room, representing almost every major beef breeding state and Canada. … At coffee-break time 84 cattlemen joined the association and before nightfall the membership had increased further, according to Dale Lynch, Cary, Ill., association secretary. …

Current American Simmental Association website is at http://simmental.org/site/
See also Forty Years and Counting at http://www.simmgene.com/pdf/register/40years_208.pdf


bbb year was probably 1970

 

1:05: Why Simmental?

(From Chp. 1 ~ 1966, titled "Foundation Work," in a book begun several years ago by SMSmith to document the early history of SBL and Simmental in North America.)

From Travers' research, the Simmental seemed to have every quality he desired to find. Not only were they a dual purpose animal with excellent milk production and beef quality, but they had a reputation for being docile, having been bred in times past for draft as well as the milk and meat. They had excellent muscling and conformation, and were efficient foragers having developed a hardiness in their native mountain terrain. Their calving weights were reasonable, too, despite the animal's enormous size. In addition, they had reputation for early maturation, high daily gain ratios, longevity, and high fertility. At times, Simmental seemed almost to good to be true.

Travers' first intent was to crossbreed the Simmental with his Herefords. He was used to the solid coloring of Herefords and expected that trait would hold. The white-face of the Simmental was also a pleasing feature to him along with their imposing, fine stature. He anticipated that crossbreeding could produce a cow with milk supply and butterfat content sufficient to dramatically increase the weaning and finishing weight of calves. Genetic-based gainability of calves would also improve.

In short, Travers became converted. What more could one ask than:

▪ Fertility—Calf every year
▪ Hardiness—Long life
▪ Growthiness—Size for age
▪ Temperament—Quiet and gentle
▪ High milking ability—average butterfat over 4%
▪ Excellent meat carrying conformation¹

This author remembers hearing Travers suggest during a speech in Great Falls, Montana about 1970 (and not entirely in jest) that the Simmental breed might be descended from Biblical Jacob's "speckled and spotted" superior cattle mentioned in Old Testament Genesis, chapter 30.
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1. These traits would be detailed in a Canadian Simmental Association leaflet about 1969.