Spanish cattle breed is popular choice for roping
Staff reporter
It started out like so many things do.
Dean and Kathy Keyes purchased a farm west of Marion. With the purchase came a small herd of cattle that included six registered Corriente.
"I didn't know anything about that breed," said Dean Keyes, and had to do some research to learn more.
What he learned impressed him so much that he decided to expand the herd. With that decision, two friendships were forged with Tobe Moore of rural Marion and Leroy Parks of rural Hillsboro, who also raise the unusual breed.
So, what's so special about these cattle, other than the name?
Well, they are smaller, shorter animals with long legs which work well for roping.
Raised and bred as a performance animal, other breeds tend to give up when roped. Not the Corrientes.
"They're easier to handle," Keyes said, and handled totally different than other breeds.
The breed looks different from the average Hereford or Angus.
"If you see a true Corriente, you might think it's a sick cow," Keyes said, because it is small and thin.
Currently Keyes owns 19 head — 18 cows and one bull. He leases 11 of them to roping teams and also uses them for practicing his roping skills. Of those, 14 are considered to be "authentic" to the breed.
A quick look on the Internet shows there are more than 30 ranchers registered as breeders of the Spanish cattle in Kansas, and the popularity seems to be growing.
Besides being good roping cattle, there are shows where the cattle can be exhibited.
Recently, Keyes' two-year-old bull, "Leroy," took second place in a show in Hutchinson.
"Not bad for only having him a month," Keyes said with a smile, but he's not surprised. After all, the prize bull comes from a family of winners.
The bull's sire is owned by Moore and was a show winner, and the dam was owned by Parks. As a matter of fact, "Leroy" was purchased from Parks.
Keyes tries to keep his animals between 350-400 pounds, which is ideal for roping.
A farm boy himself, the Marion police officer grew up on Z-Bar Ranch in Chase County. He's an experienced rancher and roper in the field but just started team roping last year. Keyes plans to participate in as many roping events as he has time for and can afford.
His ultimate goal is to rope at the USTRC (United States Team Roping Championships). To compete in the championships, ropers have to place in sanctioned events.
For now, he's satisfied in practicing and participating as he can. Keyes travels to Strong City where there is an indoor arena.
Ideally, steers are used for roping. When the steers are no longer useful for roping or some of the cattle just aren't suited for roping, they are fattened-up and sold for meat.
Since Corritente are leaner animals, the meat tends to be more lean and tender.
"The average beef cow has 60-80 percent waste (when it's butchered)," Keyes said. "The Corriente have 50 percent waste."
About the breed
Corriente, which means "common cattle" or "cattle of the country," can be traced back to the first cattle brought to the New World in 1493 by the Spanish. The cattle are a hardy breed and chosen especially to withstand the ocean crossing and adapt to new land.
The breed has a natural immune system that guards them against most of the diseases that plague other beef breeds.
Nearly pure descendants of the original Spanish cattle almost disappeared but some managed to survive with little human care or intervention in remote areas of Central and South America.
Many North American cattlemen purchase the breed of cattle for rodeo use.
Not common in the Midwest, some of the breed can be found at county sale barns but most are purchased from breeders.
