Santa Gertrudis cattle carry an old ranch name into the pasture

A Santa Gertrudis in a Kleberg County pasture is ranch history still walking around. Texas A&M traces the breed to King Ranch in South Texas. It is usually described as about five-eighths Shorthorn and three-eighths Brahman.

That combination joined British beef-cattle traits with cattle better suited to heat and humidity. The Texas Historical Commission's King Ranch marker credits steady herd improvement by King-Kleberg descendants with producing the new breed. This was ranch work shaped by the climate around it.

Santa Gertrudis was already a local name. King Ranch headquarters stands on part of the De La Garza Santa Gertrudis land grant that Richard King bought in 1853. The cattle carried that old land name out of Kleberg County and into pastures far beyond it.