by Terry Lidral
Bucking bull partnerships can offer a world of genetic choices. Choosing genetics when deciding on a bucking bull partnership can add a whole new dimension to the game. The bucking bull breeding industry is based on the study and pairing of the physical attributes and athletic traits of bulls who reach the highest levels of competition.
Bucking bull breeders take great pride in the bloodlines that they have developed. From the foundation breeders like Don Kish and Charlie Plummer to the modern-day icons of Dillon and H. D. Page, there are distinctive traits and attributes that are passed down through the generations of bulls in their individual programs. These traits and attributes have been developed for the purpose of producing bulls that can win in competition at varying levels of the sport.
K-C’s breeding program: PBR star Big Black has proven stellar genetics and he’s passing those on to his calves, both bulls and heifers. He’s a son of Showtime and he’s built a reputation befitting that bloodline. With his PBR bull score average over 44 points in 66 outs and 60 events, this bull has left no doubt that he’s the total package. K-C’s Kenny McElroy is thrilled to see Big Black’s outstanding traits showing up in the bull’s offspring. https://buckingstocktalk.com/pbr-star-big-black-passing-on-his-stellar-genes-as-a-sire/
There are standard elements that bulls are judged on during their bucking performance. They are buck, kick, spin and intensity. These are the traits that breeders strive to put into their breeding programs. There are differences in each bull’s skill to perform those elements and the style with which he does it.
Kaylee Stevens of Stevens Bucking Bulls talks about developing their breeding program: “We have been looking through a lot of pedigrees to pick the right cows to breed to our Oklahoma City Classic champion High Hopes. We have a cow with Showtime bloodlines and she’s wired. We want to put intensity with Hope’s kick and stamina. This cow is super intense. Our goal is to get great calves out of the Cracker Jack bloodlines and make people take notice.” https://buckingstocktalk.com/stevens-bucking-bulls-863-high-hopes-for-the-future/
As with other types of animal breeders, no two bucking bull breeders develop their programs in the exact same way. Since bucking bulls (and cows) have an individual variance to physique, athletic talent and physical attributes, the choice of sires to cows is dependent upon what the breeder sees as the ideal to be incorporated into his or her program.
You can find a list of current top ranked PBR bucking bulls here: https://pbr.com/athletes/bulls/standings/
Knowledge of bucking bull genetics starts with knowing about the great bucking bulls and the physical attributes that carried them to the top of the game. Lists of names and information sources for the legendary bulls can be found by searching “greatest bucking bulls of all time.” For current standouts, the Professional Bull Riders website is a place to find a list of “who’s who” in bucking bulls. Videos of great bucking bull performances can be found on YouTube.
Cooper Kanngiesser about the program that raised world champion Asteroid:“Asteroid is a son of #331 Cotton. One of the things that made Asteroid so special was his kick and he got that from his daddy. Cotton was out of #994 Mama Cotton who was one our original cows and she was 100 percent Watusi.” https://buckingstocktalk.com/the-legendary-asteroid-the-kanngiessers-are-proud-of-their-cotton-genetics-that-produced-him/
The best sources of information about the genetics and performance traits of breeding programs are the breeders themselves. There is a generational lineage for each bull that tells the story of his genetics that breeders are most often happy to share.
There are many people in the bucking bull business who are willing to talk about bucking bulls with those who want to learn about them. Join a bucking stock group or follow a Facebook page to gather information and to find resource contacts.
The bucking bull business has been built by people passionate about bucking bulls and the genetic traits that have been developed into the American Bucking Bull breed. Foundation breeder Don Kish puts it best:
“I’ve always been amazed to watch a bucking bull buck,” Kish told us about the reason he was drawn to the bovine athletes. “Bucking bulls defy what their bodies are built to do.”
“Bulls have character,” Kish went on to say of the animals who have been his life’s work. “I was drawn to them and I studied them. I saw that the better ones had personality. You find a lot of character in elite bulls. But when you get around the great bulls, you can see their intelligence. They think and are creative. They draw you in and they are addicting.”
Read more about Kish’s Buckin Best here: https://buckingstocktalk.com/the-legendary-don-kish-talks-bull-knowledge-with-bst/
Author: Terry Lidral
Terry Lidral is a western writer/journalist who lives in Idaho. She is the publisher and editor of the online magazine Bucking Stock Talk and the online magazine Western Living Journal. Her publishing credits include Storyteller for Real American Cowboy Magazine, writing feature articles for Humps N Horns Magazine as well as a wide variety of national and international web sites, historical magazines and news publications. She is known for her "up close and personal" profiles of celebrities and industry moguls such as NPR's Tom Bodett; PBR's Wiley Petersen and D.H. Page, PRCA's Sammy Andrews, Cindy Rosser and Julio Moreno to name a few. She has been applauded for her way of making a personal connection between her readers and her subjects. She indulges in her love of rodeo by serving as an associate board member for the Caldwell Night Rodeo. She is also an accomplished trainer and handler in dog agility. Her shelties Amelie and Milo are titled in NADAC, USDAA and AKC.
If you want to talk about legendary breeders, you should do some research on Tom Harlan. Before Charlie Plummer started breeding the spotted bulls, he bought most of his bulls from Tom Harlan. The legendary Speck of Beutler & Sons was raised by Tom Harlan. Tom started breeding bulls in the early ’50’s. Charlie, the Beutlers and Freddie Cordell bought a lot of bulls from Tom Harlan. To truly talk about the early legendary bull breeders, you have to include Tom Harlan and Bob Barmby. They were probably two of the first.