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Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Gene Raymond: A Kansas Limousin Breeder and Breed Leader

A Southern Plains Limousin man whose family is honored by the junior association, set against the breed's arrival in North America.

Who Is Gene Raymond?

Gene Raymond is a Limousin cattle breeder from Kansas. Public documentation of his career is limited, and this profile states that plainly. The one page opened for this entry that names him is the North American Limousin Foundation's honors list, which shows Gene Raymond & Family of Kansas as a 2019 Honorary Member of the National American Limousin Junior Association. The NALF honors page describes that award as recognition for people or families who support developing beef industry leaders and promoting the breed.

Research notes kept for this site also list him as president of the North American Limousin Foundation for 1986 to 1987 and as a member of a state Limousin association's hall of fame. Neither point was confirmed in a page opened while writing, so they appear here as site records, not as independently verified facts.

The Limousin Breed in Brief

Limousin cattle come from south central France, in the Limousin and Marche regions. The Oklahoma State University breed pages say the rugged terrain and harsh climate shaped a sturdy, adaptable animal, valued first as a work animal and then fattened for slaughter. The French herd book was established in November 1886 to keep the breed uniform.

Today the breed is known as the Carcass Breed. It is medium in size compared with other European breeds, dark golden-red with wheat-colored underpinnings, with a deep chest, strong topline and well-muscled hindquarters, and it is prized for feed efficiency and carcass quality.

How Limousin Came to Kansas and the Plains

The first Limousin to reach North America arrived in Canada. A bull named Prince Pompadour came from France in November 1968, and more bulls followed in 1969. In the fall of 1971 the first Limousin bulls were imported permanently into the United States. One of them, Kansas Colonel, born in Canada, was brought in by Bob Haag of Topeka, Kansas, according to the Oklahoma State breed profile.

That makes Kansas an early home of the breed in the United States, which is the setting for a Plains breeder like Raymond.

How the North American Limousin Foundation Works

The North American Limousin Foundation was formed in spring 1968 at the Albany Hotel in Denver, with Bob Purdy as first president and Dick Goff as first executive vice president. Goff's plan to sell founder memberships gave the young breed its financial base. NALF now has nearly 12,000 active lifetime members who have registered over one million head, and in 2002 it introduced Lim-Flex, a pedigreed Limousin-Angus hybrid.

The foundation also runs a hall of fame, and its hall of fame announcements show how breeders from the Plains states are recognized.

Why It Mattered

Raymond's documented place in the story is as a supporter of young breeders. The junior association honor exists to build future leaders, and a family chosen for it in 2019 has backed that goal in public view. The breed's own growth, from a few imported bulls in 1968 to over a million registrations, is the larger context.

Readers who want more on cattle breeds can browse the ranching pages on farm.FM.

A related story: a farm.FM story about Limousin cattle.

  • Kansas was an early U.S. entry point for permanent Limousin bull imports in 1971.
  • NALF's founder-membership plan funded the breed's start in 1968.
  • The Carcass Breed reputation rests on feed efficiency and muscling.
  • Junior programs, such as NALJA, are how the breed trains its next leaders.
  • Gene Raymond's own record is thin, and verified details should be added as they are found.

Timeline

  1. 1886French Limousin herd book established
  2. 1968NALF formed in Denver; first Limousin bull reaches Canada
  3. 1971First Limousin bulls imported permanently into the U.S., including Kansas Colonel
  4. 1986-1987Raymond listed in site records as NALF president (unverified)
  5. 2002NALF introduces Lim-Flex
  6. 2019Gene Raymond & Family named NALJA Honorary Member

Frequently asked questions

Who is Gene Raymond?

He is a Kansas Limousin breeder and breed supporter. The NALF lists Gene Raymond & Family of Kansas as a 2019 Honorary Member of the junior association.

When was the North American Limousin Foundation formed?

NALF was formed in spring 1968 at the Albany Hotel in Denver, with Bob Purdy as first president and Dick Goff as first executive vice president.

What are Limousin cattle known for?

They are known as the Carcass Breed for feed efficiency and muscle. They are medium-sized, dark golden-red cattle originating in south central France.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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