Big and beautiful bovine graces gulch

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

When it comes to eye-catching yard art, Gary and Mary Sapp of Livermore didn't hold back. Along with 11 buffalo, they have strategically placed a 1,300-pound Watusi-Longhorn in their Hewlett Gulch pasture.

The new addition, Mr. Earl, hails from Nebraska. His ancestors, however, go back thousands of years in Africa. Depending on the African tribe, the breed is called Ankole or Watusi. They've become known as the showstoppers of the bovine kingdom and have often been referred to as "cattle of kings."

European zoos imported these African cattle in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with American zoos following suit in the early 1900s. As zoos switched their focus to preserving wild animals species, however, these visually striking cattle became more available for domestic breeding programs.

According to the Oklahoma State University web site, the Ankole-Watusi should appear elegant, well bred and graceful. A straight topline and a sloping rump are required; a neck hump is preferred. Cattle may be solid or spotted in color. Horns are long and symmetrical, with a large base proportional to horn length. Lyre and circular shapes are preferable to flat. The Ankole-Watusi is medium in size, with cows weighing 900 to 1,200 pounds and bulls weighing 1,000 to 1,600 pounds. Because they were developed in a climate where daily temperatures may range from 20 to 120 degrees, Ankole-Watusi tolerate temperature and weather extremes well. The large horns act as radiators--blood circulates through the horn area where it is cooled and then it returns to the main body, dispersing excess body heat.

Gary Sapp, who has family roots in Texas, has always been interested in Longhorns and couldn't resist the chance to buy one with the Watusi bloodline. The 6-year-old Mr. Earl carries his ancestry well with horns that measure 24 inches in circumference at the base. If measured in a straight line, they stretch 84 inches from end to end.

"I couldn't get in a small pen with him," Sapp noted.

Having arrived in Colorado in late April, Mr. Earl is still settling in and deciding if he likes having buffalo as pasture-mates. "When he first walked in, the buffalo were terrified," Sapp said, "but now he's cautious around them."

So far, Mr. Earl and the buffalo, magnificent mammals of African and American descent, are peacefully co-existing with the surrounding area. Because Sapp is in the fencing business, he's made sure that Mr. Earl and his stocky companions won't be wandering the highways and byways of the foothills. Interested viewers will have to come to them.