The Origin and Growth of Polled Herefords
These breeders were motivated by the promising
prospect of developing Herefords with outstanding beef-producing characteristics,
but with the added desirable trait of being naturally hornless. They
planted the seed from which grew a new giant in the American and world
beef cattle industry
The Polled Hereford of today is the result
- a modern, practical breed of cattle that has experienced widespread
acceptance and desirability.
Polled Herefords were developed from the horned
Hereford breed which was founded in the mid-18th century by the farmers
of Hereford County, England. Among the horned Herefords an occasional
calf would be born which did not develop horns.
This change from parents' characteristics is
known as a "mutation." These cattle soon came to be called "polled,"
which means naturally hornless.
Warren Gammon, a young Iowa Hereford breeder
from Des Moines, originated Polled Herefords. He seized upon the idea
of producing the hornless cattle after seeing some on exhibition at
the Trans-Mississippi World Fair in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1898.
Three years later, Gammon established the Polled
Hereford breed registry with 11 head of naturally hornless whiteface
cattle he had located and purchased.
These Herefords were registered in the American
Hereford Association, but were not identified as to their polled characteristic.
Therefore, Gammon formed the American Polled Hereford Cattle Club
to maintain a separate record of purebred Polled Hereford registrations.
Thus, in 1901, the Polled Hereford breed came
into being with 11 registrations on record. In 1907, the pioneer breeders
of Polled Herefords incorporated their organization, with headquarters
in the Gammon home in Des Moines. Gammon served as executive secretary
until 1921.
Today the Polled Hereford registry is combined
with the American Hereford Association.
The photographs and information contained
on this page are provided courtesy of the American Hereford Association,
P. O. Box 014059, Kansas City, MO 64101
