The well-known Beefmaster breed was recognized by the US Department of Agriculture in 1954 and developed by the American Mr. Tom Lasater. Lasater bred this breed from Hereford, Brahman, and Shorthorn cattle respectively. He followed an intensive crossbreeding program by crossing Brahman cows with Hereford bulls, Hereford cows with Brahman bulls, and Shorthorn cows with Brahman bulls.
Years of crossbreeding and strict selection pressure resulted in combining the best traits from each breed into a new recognized breed, namely the Beefmaster. The Beefmaster is well-known and adaptable in South Africa and consists of 50% Brahman, 25% Hereford, and 25% Shorthorn bloodlines respectively.
Mr. Tom Lasater’s strict selection was based on six principles of cattle farming: fertility, temperament, weight, conformation, hardiness, and milk production. Furthermore, he believed that the best cows and bulls would survive in nature under natural conditions. He succeeded in his goal to breed a cattle breed capable of maximum production with minimal inputs.
