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Some South African Breeders realized the potential of the breed and imported semen and cattle into South Africa and it developed into a cattle breed to be reckoned with. The Beefmaster Cattle Breeders Society celebrates 24 years since it was accepted as a breed in South Africa in 1987. With the growth during recent years, the future of the breed looks bright and the Breeders’ Society has great expectations, especially with regard to the production characteristics of the breed.
Tom Lasater started to develop the Beefmaster in America in the 1940s and the United States Department of Agriculture accepted it as a breed in 1954. The origin of the breed, however, dated back to the beginning of the 1900s when Mr. Edward C. Lasater, a prominent cattleman, of the Falfurrias in southern Texas, and the father of Tom, at that time kept a large commercial herd of 20 000 Herefords and Shorthorns on 162 000 hectares of land. He also had a Hereford stud where he concentrated on breeding for pigment around the eyes. The cows were good milk producers, which was an important characteristic of the herd. He saw its value in meat production.
In 1908, Lasater Sr. used the first Brahman bulls on his Herefords and Shorthorns. Although he preferred Gir bulls, he also used Nellorre and Guzarath bulls. The Shorthorns were of Durham origin. He returned the best Hereford-Brahman and Brahman-Shorthorn heifers to the herd and again used Brahman bulls. A predominantly Brahman herd was therefore developed.
When he died in 1930, Lasater Jr. took over the farming management. The herd consisted of approximately 350 cows and a few Brahman bulls, as well as about 150 registered Hereford cows and a few registered Hereford bulls. Later, he also purchased a few registered Shorthorn bulls. The Beefmaster was thus created by an intensive program of crossbreeding between: Brahman cows and Hereford bulls Hereford cows and Brahman bulls Shorthorn cows and Brahman bulls
The best crossbred animals were selected for further breeding, using the Six Essentials. The descendants of the above were bred in a three way cross, to different bulls (multiple sire), maintaining a closed herd. This led to a new cattle breed known as the Beefmaster. From the outset, selection was based on economically important traits only.
