Champion bull carries his weight

Improving the quality of the Santa Gertrudis breed is a passion for the Johnson family and translates into better profits for cattle producers.

One of the Johnson’s bulls, Bond 007, is winning shows across the nation. Another winner, Commander, is on the farm, but because of an injury, can no longer be shown, although he is still useful for breeding.

Bond 007 won high point yearling bull in January in Fort Worth, Texas. He competed against 320 bulls.

“I wanted to breed the best show cattle I could come up with,” Jerry Johnson said. “I’m trying to improve the genetics in the breed ... we’re looking for increasing growth. That’s the bottom line for the cattle breeder.”

Johnson said more pounds at weaning weight is good profit for the cattle breeder.

The Santa Gertrudis breed is five-eighths shorthorn and three-eighths Brahma and was developed in 1920 on the King’s Ranch in Texas.

“It’s advantage is its adaptability for climate and increased weight,”he said. “You’ll never see a Santa Gertrudis standing in the water.

Even at 90 degrees, they’ll still be grazing.”

Bond 007 showed promisefrom the beginning, said Jerry and Donna Johnson, who bought the champions’ mother, PCR Lassie, at an auction already bred with him.

Her sire was a two-time national champion from Florida - Magnum 357.

“He’s balanced and has a clean underline. His back is straight and his muscle is well balanced,” Jerry said of Bond, who’s been shown all across the nation including at shows in Indiana, New Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Missouri.

“He’s won five yearling champion titles this year,” Johnson said, explaining that the championships are indicative of good breeding. The bull’s semen will be sold to other breeders for artificial insemination, a less expensive way to improve a herd than purchasing a bull.

“A bull could cost $1,500, but a breeder can invest as little as $50 for AI,” Johnson explained.

“I’m involved in genetic testing,” he said. “We take the blood and send it to a lab to test for tenderness, marbling and feed efficiency.

You always strive to get good marbling and tenderness.”

Johnson’s cattle are measuring in the top one percent of the breed and in the top 20 percent for tenderness and feed efficiency, which means less feed for more weight gained.

Bond 007 turned 2 April 17, 2010, and will next be shown in the senior division. He weighs 1,850 pounds. His half-sister will be shown soon, Johnson said.

The Johnsons, who live north of town, have two children, Elizabeth and Benjamin, both of whom graduated from Pea Ridge High School.

The children’s schooling is what drew the family to the area from Centerton. “We wanted the children in a smaller school district,” Jerry said.

They formerly lived in Dallas, moved to northwest Arkansas in 1989, and then to Pea Ridge in 2000.

Jerry is originally from Neosho and Donna, a registered nurse, is originally from Dallas. Jerry also owns Water Jet, a company which cuts metal. He said he’s worked in metal for more than 30 years.

News, Pages 1 on 05/05/2010