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Cattle Breeders and Breed Pioneers

Tom Lasater and the Genetic Experiment That Produced the Beefmaster

A Texas rancher bred for six working traits and ended up with a breed that spread to several continents.

Who Was Tom Lasater?

Tom Lasater is the rancher credited with developing the Beefmaster breed. The Wikipedia article on the Beefmaster says he began in the early 1930s by systematically crossing Hereford and Shorthorn cows with Brahman bulls. His birth and death dates are not stated in the pages checked, so he is listed only as active between the 1930s and 1950s.

He was the father of Dale and Laurie Lasater, who carried his breeding program into later decades.

The Genetic Experiment

Beefmaster Breeders United says Lasater began what it calls the Genetic Experiment in 1937 and that he founded the Lasater Ranch in 1948 with his wife, Mary, according to the BBU article on Hall of Fame inductees. The two sources differ on whether the work began in the early 1930s or in 1937, and both framings appear in the breed's own telling.

The cross was meant to combine the heat tolerance and hardiness of the Brahman with the beef quality of the Hereford and the milk of the Milking Shorthorn.

What Is a Beefmaster?

The approximate makeup is about 25 percent Hereford, 25 percent Milking Shorthorn and 50 percent Brahman, though the exact foundation mixture is unknown. The breed is selected for the Six Essentials: weight, conformation, milking ability, fertility, hardiness and disposition.

The USDA first recognized the Beefmaster as a breed in 1954.

The Key to Lasater's Success

Lasater kept his goals narrow and measurable. Instead of chasing a show-ring look, he culled for traits that decide whether a cow pays for herself on open range.

A farm.FM story on Beefmaster cattle gives more on the breed, and the farm.FM ranching section covers the wider cattle trade.

  • He used a deliberate three-breed cross rather than a chance mix.
  • He selected for six working traits, not looks.
  • He kept the program going for decades, long enough to earn USDA recognition in 1954.
  • He built the program on a working ranch, where hardiness and fertility counted.
  • His sons carried the program forward, which gave the breed continuity.

Lasater Ranch, Texas and Colorado

Dale Lasater was raised on the Lasater Ranch at Falfurrias, Texas, and at Matheson, Colorado, according to the Drovers report on Dale Lasater. That ties the family operation to both south Texas brush country and the high prairie of eastern Colorado.

Working in two climates gave the herd a broad test of its hardiness.

The Next Generation

Dale Lasater took over the Colorado ranch in 1986 and kept the Foundation herd closed. His brother Laurie introduced Beefmasters to Mexico in 1964 and later founded Isa Cattle Co. in San Angelo, Texas, in 1972.

Each son built a different business on the same genetics, one in grass-fed conservation ranching and one in seedstock marketing.

Honors and Legacy

The Beefmaster Breeders United Hall of Fame page lists Tom Lasater as inducted in 2002. The page notes that very few people have been inducted since BBU was formed.

Induction requires a committee review and a two-thirds vote of the BBU board, so the honor carries some weight.

Timeline

  1. 1930sBegins crossing Brahman bulls with Hereford and Shorthorn cows
  2. 1937BBU dates his Genetic Experiment to this year
  3. 1948Founds the Lasater Ranch with his wife, Mary, per BBU
  4. 1954USDA recognizes Beefmaster as a breed
  5. 1986Son Dale takes over the Colorado ranch
  6. 2002Inducted into the BBU Hall of Fame

Frequently asked questions

Who was Tom Lasater?

Tom Lasater was a Texas and Colorado rancher who developed the Beefmaster breed by crossing Brahman bulls with Hereford and Shorthorn cows, beginning in the 1930s.

When did USDA recognize the Beefmaster?

The USDA first recognized Beefmaster as a breed in 1954, about two decades after Lasater began his crossbreeding work.

What are the Six Essentials?

Breeders select Beefmasters for weight, conformation, milking ability, fertility, hardiness and disposition.

Is Tom Lasater in a hall of fame?

Yes. The Beefmaster Breeders United Hall of Fame lists Tom Lasater as inducted in 2002.

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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