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.

1.11: Return to Switzerland (August 7-12, 1966)

(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.)

With the finding of Parisien, Travers' main mission was now accomplished, but he was still full of his Swiss dreams. He needed more time in Switzerland. He missed his Saturday night train to Berne, so he left Paris for Berne on Sunday morning, August 7, arriving in time to attend his evening religious services in the same chapel he had attended one week previous.

The week of August 8-12 was spent in Switzerland. Travers wrote that he spent his time

… making arrangements for the future, contacting all the government and export people possible, as well as their veterinarians. My inquiries for top quality cattlemen in Switzerland to do a selection job for us in the future led me to two persons—Ernst Aegerter, who had for most of his life headed up the export of cattle out of Switzerland, and a Mrs. Ida Hofer, who was a real cattlewoman in her own right, being of a famous cattle breeding family in Switzerland and also married into one.¹

In a letter to his chidren under date of October 31, 1971, Travers, a deeply religious man who believed in God's governance in the lives of all people, wrote of this experience in selecting Parisien:

[God] led me to the right people in Switzerland, in France, unbeknown to them He influenced men to organize trips for me to see cattle. He gave me ideas and understanding of Cattle and the attendant business far beyond my natural powers. In the past He prepared through mens management of Genetics a Bull that started the biggest revolution for good in the cattle industry on this continent.

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1. "Selecting the First Canadian Simmentals," by Travers Smith, Simmemtal Shield, October 1970, pp. 8-10, quote from page 9.

Letters Home ~ BFS-5 (July 31, 1966)

1.09: "Most Magnificent Cattle"

(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.)

By going to Switzerland first, Travers also hoped to get what advice he could on best selection criteria and farm locations in France from the Swiss. Because of his delayed flight from Paris, the Swiss Cattle Commission offices were closed by the time of his arrival. The next morning (Saturday), he found their offices closed for the weekend, but was finally able to roust a young man in the building to open up to him. The young man was very helpful in arranging for a cattle guide and Travers was soon on his way by train to Spiez to meet his guide to the Simmental (both cattle and valley). His guide was Mrs. Hofer, a middle-aged widow who spoke 5 languages. Her husband had died about five years previous, but as they had raised Simmental Cattle, she “knew all about them, where to go, and the people to see.”

On Saturday, July 30, under the guidance of Mrs. Hofer, Travers got his first view of the best Simmental cattle in the Simmental (the Simme River valley). He described them as “The most Magnificent Cattle I have ever seen.”¹

I spent some hours with a tape measure measuring these cattle and jotting down the figures and just standing and looking at them. It took some time to pull myself away from this scene.²

In his July 31 letter to colleague, B.Y. Williams of Cardston, Travers wrote:

I can’t get over them. We can’t get his kind of animal in 100’s of years of breeding with what we’ve got to work with in Canada. If we can get a few over home it will be the biggest break through for Cattle in a long time. … I’m making every effort and contacted [sic] possible to see if we can’t move cattle from here to France for another year. // … I would sell ½ my herd to get a few of these over.³

His plans were to stay in Switzerland till Monday or Tuesday before returning to France to select his import animal, a Red and White Simmental [Pie rouge de l'Est]. On Sunday, July 31, after a morning sick-and-dizzy spell (which he attributed to a delayed vaccination reaction: BFS-5), Travers took time to attend his religious services at the LDS Chapel next to the LDS Swiss Temple. Between church meetings, he visited with one of his new acquaintances, Dr. Winzenried, whose farm was located 1½ miles from the LDS meetinghouse.

On Monday morning, August 1, Travers left for Geneva, Switzerland arriving about noon where he met a Mr. Roger Decre, an importer and exporter of cattle between Switzerland and France. Travers spent 2-3 hours with Mr. Decre at the Swiss/French border while Mr. Decre cleared cattle. From there they travelled to Mr. Decre's Mountain Ranch near Gex, France looking at cattle all day. By 11 P.M. Travers was back in Geneva, Switzerland, boarding the train for Paris.

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1. Letter to his wife, Belle, July 31, 1966: (BFS-5)
2. Simmental Shield, Oct 1970:8
3. Letter to B.Y. Williams, July 31, 1966: (BYW-2)