The French Connection
The Tarentaise herdbook was founded in 1888,
with major revisions being made immediately following World War II.
Tarentaise bear the name of the place of their
origin, the Tarentaise Valley in the French Alpine mountains. There
has been less mixing of breeds with Tarentaise in the last 100 years
than with most French breeds. What other breed that offers hybrid vigor
has such pristine genetics, selected over the span of a century?
The Europeans selected primarily for milk production
when making their breeding decisions. Mother Nature, on the other hand,
selected for muscling, hardiness and adaptability in order for them
to live under range conditions in the French Alps. The result is a dual
purpose breed.
Altitude in their native region varies from
1,000 feet to 8,000 feet, and usually the change in elevation is dramatic.
In order to negotiate the mountain ranges, Tarentaise developed excellent
natural muscling. This breed is distinctive for its abundant muscling
in the hip region, and they are exceptionally long from hooks to pins.
In France, no other cattle graze where the Tarentaise
graze. Charolais, Maine-Anjou and Limousin are raised in Basin regions,
where the land is more lush. Salers are native to a mountainous region,
but it is not as mountainous as the home of the Tarentaise.
From France to North Africa
Tarentaise proved their adaptability around
the last turn of the century when they were exported to North Africa.
What an environmental jump!
From the French Alps to the French colonies in
Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia, countries which bordered the African desert.
In North Africa, they have been crossed with indigenous strains of cattle
and have developed an enviable reputation for improving both meat and
milk production in an arid or semi-arid environment.
From France to North America
In the early 1970s, Dr. Ray Woodward of Miles
City, Montana, was director of the beef program for American Breeders
Service.
Woodward was looking for a breed that would work
on commercial cows in the U.S. while retaining milking ability and,
most importantly, avoid the calving and fertility problems of the then
known "exotics." He found the answer with Tarentaise.
The first Tarentaise bull calf arrived at a Canadian
quarantine station in 1972. His name was Alpin, he weighed 1650 pounds
at 30 months, and he generated so much excitement and semen sales that
soon after the Canadian Tarentaise Association formed. In 1973, the
American Tarentaise Association was formed.
The photographs and information contained
on this page are provided courtesy of the American Tarentaise Association,
P.O. Box 34705, Kansas City, MO 64116, Phone: (816) 421-1993
