Unlike other breeders who have been crossbreeding their Maine-Anjou cattle to get larger frames or black coats, several of the Texas breeders are purists and tout the benefits of a full-blood animal.

"They're the backbone of the junior steer classes," said Sid Greer of Daingerfield, who has been raising full-blood Maine-Anjou cattle since 1999. "If you check the records for the past 25 years, you'd probably find the most of the winners at the Stock Show were Maine-influenced. Maine gives them that extra kick."

The long-haired red and white cows are the premier cattle in their native France, where there are more than 75,000 registered animals. There, they are used for beef and dairy production.

In North America, where they are used for beef, only about 850 full-blood Maine-Anjous are registered each year. With about 300 head, Texas leads the nation in full-blood Maine-Anjous. Twenty-seven of those full-bloods were entered in Sunday's full-blood show.

Source: Star-Telegram