Beauty (TLBAA #403) was born on the Milby Butler ranch in League City, Texas in 1961 during the disastrous storm Hurricane Carla. High water and winds almost took her life for her then unknown destiny for fame began with Milby Butler rescued her from rising waters and offered her protection in his home until the storm passed.
Beauty's sire was Smarty, a Butler bred bull that also sired Droop Horns and Freckle Neck, popular Butler cows stills producing today. Fawnie 153 was her dam as well as the dame of the $130,000 syndicated Fawnie 75 and the great White Horns cow owned by Meshall Farms.
It's said that Mr. Butler thought Beauty would be special from a calf. Her red and white coloration common to the Butler cattle was beautifully arranged and her feminine head was laced with red speckles. Typical of Texas cattle, Beauty was a small cow possessing a typical Longhorn conformation that any serious breeder of true Longhorns could not fault. Early in life her incredible horns began to grow in an outward direction with a continual corkscrew twist eventually reaching tip-to-tip measurement of 60 inches. She possessed all the right combinations that Butler wanted in his females.
Beauty's production record and genetic contribution to the breed will go unmatched in the history of Texas Longhorn cattle. Her know male progeny are Classic, Butler Boy, Revellie, Holman B-1, YO Centenial Beauty, and a steer owned by E.B. Stephenson. Her only known female progeny is the fine cow Lady Butler which is also the dam of Monarch. There is not enough space here to even begin listing her own progeny's impact on the breed.
It would be interesting if we could identify her progeny prior to any records being kept on her production. Somewhere out there are some unknown Longhorns can actually call Beauty their dam.
The YO Ranch and Red McCombs after numerous unsuccessful attempts finally acquired Beauty from Pauline Russell for about $20,000.00 when she was 18 years old. At that time, she had a calf at side, 3 months old, that was sired by her own son Reveille. This calf, later named YO Centenial Beauty was her last calf. Even at age 23 Beauty is a sight to behold and veterinarians claim her reproductive organs are in perfect shape but she cannot be stimulated to cycle into heat anymore.
This spring her owners have decided to peacefully put Beauty to sleep. Her head will be mounted and displayed at the TLBAA headquarters for future breeders to admire and study.
In closing, I am sure many will join me for a moment of personal thought paying tribute to the true queen of the Texas Longhorn breed.
