| Preserve the LEGACY ! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Share the LEGACY ! |
| . . . . . . . . . .. . . . GOT PURPLE? . . . . . . . . . . |
WEBSITE UPDATED NOV 2011
See the current featured sale ad -
If you genotype with Legacy and would like to feature your "for sale" Dexters on the web site - email: SharetheLegacy@aol.com
The stores are beginning to stock their shelves with Christmas items. It is not too early to plan that special Dexter Christmas gift for your very special person. Legacy would like to see Santa fill his sack with beautiful Dexter calves and deliver them across the USA !
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** LEGACY **
The Legacy preservation project was initiated in 2004-05 by interested breeders searching for early American Dexter bloodlines to use in their
breeding programs. They discovered the original American bloodlines of the Dexter breed were rare in their purest ( fullblood) state making these genetics difficult to find in the modern Dexter herd.
As research progressed , so did concerns for the potential loss of all unique Dexter bloodlines. Soon, the original founders were joined by other interested breeders. They began to concentrate their efforts to identify, locate, and preserve these unique bloodlines for a seed stock genetic reservoir. "Legacy" became a designation for animals whose pedigree records indicate "fullblood" status free of the modern imported AI bulls which have pedigrees indicating outcrossings with other known breeds ( recorded in the herd books of their recording/registering authority). Current choices for exclusion are based on those pedigree records .
Although the Dexter BREED, like other cattle breeds, is a human invention, with earliest animals designated "Dexter" by examination, once the breed solidified, a pride in its unique characteristics developed. This same sort of pride and interest in unique Dexter qualities led these Legacy founders to wish to preserve, as purely as possible, Dexter animals from the early US bloodlines. Here in America, " upgrading" and "outcrossing" had never been allowed for animals accepted for registry in the herdbooks, giving the US Dexter population claim to the largest herd of the purest Dexters in the world. To the degree that a seed stock reservoir of these purest original Dexters can be preserved, bred, and managed to their best potential, they will provide the Dexter world a resource from which to draw, even if larger/other registries move the main body of the breed toward " commercial viability" or, on the other hand, elite glass-case show cattle, or other goals.
The Legacy founders contacted both current Dexter cattle groups in America, ADCA and PDCA inviting these associations to participate in the Legacy project - - seen by the founders as a "special interest group", autonomous to both associations, but with the hopeful intent that all could work jointly in the interest of preservation.
One of the founders of the group felt strongly that parentage confirmation was essential to insure the integrity of the preservation project, while another founder disagreed, believing breeder integrity should be stressed. In the end, the view prevailed that all foundation animals to be used for breeding Legacy offspring would be required to be DNA genotyped and all progeny would also be genotyped and parentage confirmed to be qualified to use the Legacy herd designation as the first name when registered. This choice to instill unquestionable integrity into the Legacy breeding program became the genesis of the Legacy Dexter Cattle Registry now available to all Dexter breeders, ( not only Legacy breeders). Already, at the time of Legacy's inception, a database of Dexter cattle existed at the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, Davis, thus UC Davis became a natural choice as the designated repository for Legacy samples.
In a very short period of time Legacy has accomplished the following goals:
Established the FIRST Dexter cattle genotype database for
parentage/pedigree confirmation in the USA, which has grown into
the current Legacy Dexter Cattle Registry. The FIRST and ONLY
US Dexter registry to require DNA genotyping as a requirement for
inclusion in the Legacy Registry and herdbook.
Estabished a semen bank of historical Legacy qualified semen
which is available to Legacy breeders for Legacy qualified cows.
Initiated pedigree research on the imported bull Parndon Bullfinch,
accumulating much data for study.
Documented UK herdbook entries recording upgrading in the
pedigree of Saltaire Platinum, a polled bull entered into
the US Dexter herd book with semen offered for sale to US
breeders. This information had never before been provided to
US breeders.
Participated in the UK genetics study of Dexter cattle at
Cardiff University submitting samples for that study. [An
abbreviated PDF file of that study is available upon request.]ff
Encouraged breeders to maintain genotyped herds to protect and
secure the integrity and value of the American Dexter herd.
Negotiated, sucessfully, ( with permission and cooperation of UC-
Davis) with the principals in Australia and New Zealand to secure
permission and license for both chondrodysplasia and the first beta
casein milk testing license for American Dexter owners.
Worked in the interests of Dexter cattle owners to provide genetic
testing for the Dexter breed at the most competitive prices ever
offered.
Opened the Legacy Dexter Cattle [genotype] Registry to all Dexter
cattle breeders in 2010.
Gathering and analysis of information relating to historical and
modern bloodlines carrying recessive red.
For a small entity operating on limited donated resources, Legacy is proud that over the course of only five years the focus and commitment to the Dexter breed and its owners and breeders has succeeded in LARGE accomplishments.
Legacy continues to gather and publish information on bloodlines and pedigrees of both modern and historical Dexter cattle.
Legacy is committed to encouraging breeders of Dexter cattle registered in the American herd books to identify and preserve the unique and special Dexter cattle whose recorded pedigrees denote FULLBLOOD status.
Legacy is currently urging breeders to be aware of the crisis and very real threat to the traditional horned Dexter bloodlines due to excessive crossing with polled ( upgraded) bloodlines. It took less than 1/2 century for the devastation of horned Hereford lines when polled animals were introduced to that breed and there were hundreds of thousands of Herefords. The Dexter breed will be decimated in less than a generation at the rate of introgression currently taking place and a lack of leadership within the breed to offer guidance or education to breeders.
Legacy has a strong commitment and admiration of the Dexter cattle breed and it's main goal and priority is to search for ways to best serve the interests of the breed. A secondary commitment is to the owners, breeders, and caretakers of Dexter cattle to equally search for ways to best meet and serve their needs.
On a public chat group a supporter of the Legacy efforts said it best:
Legacy loves Dexters!
Dexter cattle with the following imported bulls in their pedigree are not eligible for the Legacy program at this time:
Parndon Bullfinch Currently the Legacy preservation program targets Dexter cattle with a full blood pedigree as recorded in herd books. The exclusion of Parndon Bullfinch is not based on gossip or assumptions. While Legacy strongly believes Parndon Bullfinch to be a full blood Dexter and encourages breeders to preserve these bloodlines, Bullfinch has a problem with the pedigree paper trail that is being researched by Legacy. During the war years in England, and ancestoral herd, "Limbury" changed hands, and some animals were re-entered into the English registry. In the case of a maternal ancestor a dam was not listed on the pedigree. Legacy continues to gather research material.
Lucifer of Knotting Semen of Lucifer of Knotting was imported to Canada and the US in the late 1980's. Lucifer is an upgraded bull from an "experimental" breeding program recorded in the herd books of England. Known introgressions in this pedigree are both Angus and Jersey - though there is written documentation from one of the leaders of this project that other breeds were part of the experiment. ( As documented by the English breeder - Beryl Rutherford).
Breoch Sultan Breoch Sultan has entries in the English upgrade registry as recent as the fourth line of the pedigree.
Brambledel Redberry Prince Ancestors in the English upgrade registry
Saltaire Platinum - Ancestors in the English upgrade registry with an upgrade entry ( acknowledged in England to be Angus) from the 1969 appendix record for the upgraded gr-gr-grandam.
All polled cattle are excluded from the preservation breeding program.
Saturn of Knotting is currently having pedigree entries from the UK herd books researched as is Cornahir Outlaw. If you have animals which you feel qualify as Legacy breeding prospects that have either of these two Dexters in the pedigree contact Legacy at the below address for futher information.
If you have a Dexter that you believe is eligible for the Legacy preservation project and wish the pedigree confirmed or
for information or testing forms email: Sharethelegacy@aol.com
ALL DEXTER CATTLE ARE WELCOME IN THE GENOTYPE DATABASE AND REGISTRY. THE EXCLUSION OF BULLS FROM THE UPGRADE REGISTRY RELATES TO THE BREEDING PRESERVATION EFFORT ONLY.
FOR INFORMATION ON THE LEGACY DEXTER CATTLE REGISTRY,
AVAILABLE TESTING AND PRICING , OR TO ADD A FREE FARM LISTING OR SALE AD CLICK HERE______ ___
Sharethelegacy@aol.com
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