<\/p>\n
Barthle Brothers, a long-time Brahman cattle<\/strong> operation in Central Florida<\/strong>, owns two of the twelve Vanguard females: $BB Ms Manso 87 and $BB Empress Berch 286. \u201cIt is an honor knowing we have two of the twelve cows that have qualified for this award,\u201d says Larry Barthle, an American Brahman Breeders Associaiton<\/strong> (ABBA) member from Florida<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cFlorida breeders<\/strong> don\u2019t brag about their award-winning females,\u201d Barthle adds, \u201cbut at Barthle Brothers<\/strong>, the Brahman cattle<\/strong> have to pay their way to stay around the ranch. \u201cOur family makes its living from our cow\/calf herd which contains approximately 1,000 mama cows,\u201d Barthle says. \u201cWe have a three-breed rotational program with Brahman<\/strong> as the hub. We also breed between 50 to 75 registered Brahman females<\/strong> each year.\u201d Barthle attributes their success in the Vanguard program to their continued commitment to the U.S. beef industry<\/strong>, and the role that Brahmans play.<\/p>\n \u201cThese two cows are good examples of what we have been doing over the long haul,\u201d he explains, \u201cBalanced traits are important to the U.S. beef industry<\/strong>. We as a breed need to develop Brahman cattle<\/strong> that are structurally correct, deep bodied, easy fleshing, thick and meaty. Add in the reproductive efficiency and moderate size of the Brahman breed<\/strong>, and you\u2019ve got a great Brahman cow<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n $BB Ms Manso 87 was the first Brahman cow<\/strong> to be awarded this status in the entire state of Florida<\/strong>. Born in 1984, she was bred by the Barthle Brothers<\/strong> and owned by Ben Barthle<\/strong>. This cow\u2019s sire, TA Sugar Manso 993<\/strong>, was a bull that Barthle picked as his first choice, out of 90 other yearling bulls from fellow Florida Brahman<\/strong> breeder, Andy Tucker. She produced a Maternal Merit female, =BB Empress Carrie 165. 87\/4 was a dark pigmented, moderate frame size five female who weighed approximately 1,100 pounds at maturity.<\/p>\n Barthle recalls her as being very long and deep-bodied. Most of her calves were shown by Barthle\u2019s nephew, Nick Dillard. Dillard\u2019s successful showing career throughout Florida helped secure 87\/4\u2019s place on the American Brahman Breeders Association <\/strong>Register of Renown.<\/p>\n Like any great Brahman female<\/strong>, 87\/4 will be remembered by the Barthle\u2019s for producing three Brahman herd sires<\/strong>. Two of these sons were used at the U.S.D.A. STARS research station in Brooksville, Florida. One of her sons was used to represent the Brahman breed<\/strong> in the National Cattleman\u2019s Beef Association\u2019s<\/strong> breed carcass evaluation test. The data on both of these Brahman bulls<\/strong> indicated high quality carcasses with large rib eyes.<\/p>\n The second of the Barthle\u2019s Vanguard Brahman females<\/strong>, was born in 1995 and is owned by Kayla Barthle. 286\/4 is a red-tinted, frame six female who weighs approximately 1,250 pounds. Barthle reports that 286 has never missed a year calving, which is one factor that helped her achieve the American Brahman Breeders Association<\/strong> Maternal Merit designation. One of her Brahman bull<\/strong> calves, sired by \u201cSnowflake,\u201d helped take her to the American Brahman Breeders Association<\/strong> Register of Renown.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother of 286\u2019s Brahman\u00a0bull<\/strong> calves won the All American as a 2-yearold,\u201d reflects Barthle. \u201cThis didn\u2019t go over too well with our friends from Texas, and Louisiana, because a Brahman bull<\/strong> from Florida, just wasn\u2019t supposed to do this,\u201d he adds with a smile. As a coming 16-year-old the Brahman Cow<\/strong>, $BB Empress Berch 286, still resides at Barthle Brothers Ranch<\/strong> in Florida<\/strong>, and is due to calve in January 2011 to a son of MDS Doc\u2019s Pride 196.<\/p>\n Larry Barthle reminisces that one can\u2019t describe 87\/4 or 286 without mentioning their great Brahman sire<\/strong>, MDS Berch Manso 155, a 1988 calf. Barthle elaborates, \u201cWe needed more size in our cattle in the late 1980s so we purchased 155 from Marcus Shackelford, <\/strong>another Florida Brahman Breeder<\/strong>\u00a0in the spring of 1989.\u201d Berch earned the title of Premier Brahman Show Bull<\/strong> in Florida in 1991 \u00a0and was the only Brahman bull<\/strong> east of the Mississippi to beat the International Brahman Champion Bull<\/strong>, Bateman\u2019s 3B Mr. Suva 239, in the show ring. Today, MDS Berch Manso 155 is still a Brahman trait leader<\/strong> for milk EPD in the ABBA<\/strong> sire summary.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat Brahman females<\/strong> come from good Brahman cow<\/strong> lines, and both of these Brahman cows<\/strong> are great examples of that,\u201d Barthle summarizes. It is interesting to note that both Barthle-bred Brahman cows<\/strong> on the list achieved Register of Renown status having never been flushed.<\/p>\n$BB Ms Manso 87<\/h2>\n
$BB Empress Berch 286<\/h2>\n