www.NALF.org

North American
   Limousin Foundation
Suite 100
7383 S. Alton Way
Centennial, CO  80112

(303) 220-1693
fax: (303) 220-1884

The History of Limousin

The history of Limousin cattle might be as old as the European continent itself. Cattle depicted in cave drawings estimated to be 20,000 years old in the Lascaux Cave near Montignac, France, have a striking resemblance to today’s Limousin animals.

The breed is native to the old provinces of Limousin and Marche in central France. The terrain there is rugged and rolling, with rocky soil and a harsh climate. Consequently, crop production was difficult at best, and animal agriculture became dominant. Limousin cattle, because of the environment, evolved into a breed of unusual sturdiness, health and adaptability. The lack of natural resources also enabled the region to remain relatively isolated, and breeders were free to develop their cattle with little outside genetic influence.

During the early times of animal power, Limousin cattle earned a reputation as work animals in addition to their beef qualities. Rene Lafarge reported in 1698, “Limousin oxen were universally renowned and esteemed both as beasts of burden and beef cattle.” Breeders often fattened the animals for meat at the end of their working lives.

Traditionally, French cattle producers kept their animals in confinement. Limousin cattle, however, spent the majority of their time outdoors in the region’s harsh climate. That was a source of great pride to the breeders. The cows calved year-round, outdoors, to provide a regular source of income.

Two early leaders in breed improvement were Charles de Leobary and his herdsman, Royer. Through stringent selection, they developed an outstanding herd of Limousin cattle. From 1854 to 1896, the herd won 265 ribbons at the prestigious Bordeaux Competition, one of France’s finest cattle shows.

Limousin cattle made a deep impression in French shows during the 1850s. The first wins were at the Bordeaux Fair. Furthermore, Limousin animals topped other breeds in some of the first carcass competitions at the farm-produce competition at Poissy, near Paris, from 1857 to 1859. The Limousin reputation as a meat animal became firmly established. Today, Limousin cattle still are referred to as the “butcher’s animal” in France.

Widespread breed-improvement efforts made it important to record Limousin bloodlines. November 1886 saw the establishment of the first Limousin herdbook. Louis Michel presided over it to ensure the breed’s uniformity. Michel and the 11 other herdbook commissioners were extremely rigid in their selections. Between 1887 and 1890, the commission met six times. Of 1,800 animals presented for registration from 150 different farms, they only accepted 674 (117 males and 497 females).

By July 1914, the herdbook contained 5,416 registered animals. It was reorganized in 1923 and 1937. Both times, the reorganizations redefined the breed’s characteristics, making the breeders more selective and improving the animals’ quality.

Through the late 1800s and early 1900s, Limousin breeders paid close attention to structural changes as the breed developed. The cattle’s medium size (as compared to other European breeds) was an outstanding trait. The breeders also selected for the dark, golden-red hide with wheat-colored underpinnings. French records show a great deal of emphasis on a deep chest, strong topline, well-placed tail head and strongly muscled hindquarter. The result was an efficient, hardy, adaptable animal that was extremely well-suited for meat production.

As the breed developed in France, cattle producers in North America were looking to Europe to improve the native beef cattle. In the late 1800s, they imported such English breeds as Hereford, Shorthorn and Angus and crossed them with native cattle, most of which had Spanish influences. In the early 1900s, Charolais cattle came to Cuba and Mexico, and they first arrived in the United States in the early 1930s.

The acceptance of Charolais genetics, combined with the use of crossbreeding as a tool to increase beef production, led to North American cattle producers’ investigation of many other European breeds. Many U.S. cattle producers first learned of the Limousin breed in the early 1960s when a Canadian wrote of his impressions for the Western Livestock Journal after returning from France. As more cattle producers traveled to Europe, they came back talking about an impressive “new” beef breed they had seen – Limousin.

Cattle from France were not eligible for importation into the United States because the country harbored foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The Canadian government, however, agreed to accept French cattle after they successfully completed a strict, three-step quarantine program. Before the cattle left France, they remained in three-month quarantine. Upon arriving in Canada, they stayed on Grosse Isle off the coast of Nova Scotia or Saint Pierre Island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence for another three-month period. Finally, the cattle had to pass a 30-day “on the farm” quarantine. Once they passed all three steps, semen could ship throughout North America.

The first Limousin bull imported to Canada was Prince Pompadour, a son of Baron bred at the highly respected Pompadour Estate of France. Through the efforts of Adrien de Moustier of France (later to found Bov Import) and others, Prince Pompadour arrived in November 1968. Afterward, he came to the United States to be part of Limousin exhibitions at various cattle shows and did much to draw attention to the breed.

The first Limousin bulls imported permanently into the United States arrived in fall 1971. Until then, the Canadian government had not permitted any Limousin bulls to leave the country, except for short exhibitions, and only then if the owners posted a large bond that was refundable when the animal returned to Canada. The first U.S. import, Kansas Colonel, was born and raised in Canada. Bob Haag of Topeka, Kansas, imported him for a group of Kansas Limousin breeders.

The first Limousin semen was available from Prince Pompadour in July 1969. E.J. Geeson of Agate, Colorado, picked up the semen after J.J. “Bud” Prosser evaluated it at the International Beef Breeders facility near Denver, Colorado. A retired Air Force colonel, Geeson used the semen in his Angus cows at his ranch east of Denver.

After the importation of Prince Pompadour to Canada, another group of Limousin bulls followed in 1969. That shipment contained Decor, Diplomate, Dandy, Prairie Danseur and Prairie Pride. Those bulls were the base upon which the breed began its long climb, finding good acceptance among North American cattle producers.

As the first Limousin cattle arrived in North America, producers interested in the breed realized the need for an organization to promote and develop it in the United States and Canada. At a meeting in spring 1968 at the Albany Hotel in Denver, 15 cattle producers formed the North American Limousin Foundation (NALF).

The first NALF president was Bob Purdy of Buffalo, Wyoming. A well-respected cattle producer, Purdy was a strong advocate of performance testing. Through his experience with the Charolais breed, Purdy knew many of the pitfalls to avoid. For three years, he served as a capable administrator and gave solid leadership to NALF during its infancy.

The man responsible for the actual day-to-day management of NALF was the first executive vice president, Dick Goff of Denver. A journalist by profession, Goff’s advertising agency had worked with the Charolais breed, and he had seen firsthand the development of a new association. He knew the first three to five years of existence were extremely critical and financial stability was the key to survival.

As a result, Goff was largely responsible for NALF’s firm financial base. He developed the idea to sell 100 founder memberships for $2,500 apiece. Each founder member was entitled to a prorated share of Prince Pompadour semen, all of which NALF owned. All but one of the memberships sold, and the combination of excellent cattle, leadership and financial stability gave the Limousin breed a tremendous start in North America.

Thanks to NALF’s upgrading programs, both black and red purebred Limousin cattle now are available. Likewise, they can be either polled or horned. Today, black animals represent more than 70 percent of NALF’s annual registrations, and more than 85 percent of them are polled.

Aiming to simplify crossbreeding for the right blend of muscle and maternal ability, NALF introduced registered Lim‑Flex® seedstock in 2002. That pedigreed blend of Limousin and Angus (black or red) genetics completed a full line of Limousin products to fit any seedstock need. The Lim‑Flex hybrid provided a predictable blend of the Limousin breed’s famous muscle and efficiency with the Angus breed’s marbling and maternal traits.

From initial concentrations in Oklahoma, Texas, South Dakota and western Canada, the Limousin breed expanded across North America. The breed’s tremendous efficiencies have attracted the entire beef industry’s full attention. In addition to solid prices for breeding stock, feeders pay a premium for Limousin-influenced cattle because of their excellent feed conversion. Packers appreciate the breed’s tremendous red-meat yield.

Limousin-influenced steers have had unparalleled success in the showring. They have won the prestigious shows at Denver, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Omaha, not to mention a number of state and regional fairs. Limousin-influenced steers also have won many carcass shows, living up to the “Carcass Breed” reputation.

NALF has grown from the original 99 founder members to more than 4,000 active members who register nearly 40,000 head annually.

From humble beginnings in France many centuries ago, the Limousin breed has achieved acceptance in the United States as a major contributor to a more efficient beef industry.