Question: What breed of cattle developed by the King Ranch was recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the first beef breed developed in the United States?
Answer: The Santa Gertrudis. The hardy breed was developed by crossing Indian Brahman cattle with British Shorthorns in the early 20th century. In 1920, a cherry-red bull named Monkey was born. His offspring, characterized as 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Shorthorn, were officially recognized as the Santa Gertrudis breed in 1940. The name is derived from that of the Spanish-owned estate of Los Cerros de Santa Gertrudis, where the King Ranch was established in 1851.
