04/22/08 King Ranch legacy II

The "Running W" brand is found on everything from horses, cattle, pick ups, furniture, and leather goods. I will be back after the break with more on the King Ranch Legacy. The heritage of the King Ranch can be summed up in one word, progressive! Here's Susan Allen Jeff it is said that the King Ranch in Texas established by Captain Richard King in 1853 is the cradle of American cattle ranching. Not only was the ranch the first to breed rather than simply gather cattle, the King Ranch developed our first US breed, the Santa Gertrudis. Yet they were known for so many other innovations like dipping cattle to kill ticks, the first net wire fencing and the root plow, (still used today to clear brush.) More recently, the King Ranch has undergone numerous studies that have led to advances in micro-nutrition, range management, genetic selection and wildlife management. One of the founders of the American Quarter Horse Association, the King Ranch was home to the first registered Quarter Horse, Wimpy. They also raised the all time leading sire of the National Cutting Horse Association, the famous Peppy San Badger and won the coveted triple crown with Assault in 1946. Today the King Ranch runs about 32,000 cattle units on over 800,000acres and is the largest US citrus producer. The current ranch manager Paul Genho's motto , "Yesterday is important, but the focus is also tomorrow" sure sums up the legacy of the King Ranch.