Breeding Better, Delivering Consistency
The Santa Gertrudis Standard of Excellence is measured under 4 categories.
- Breed character
- Functional efficiency
- Conformation
- Colour
Animals presented for classification may be rejected if they lack desirable traits or exhibit extremely undesirable characteristics. Rejections may also occur due to hereditary or non-hereditary deformities, abnormalities, or objectionable features. Examples (not exhaustive) are listed in the ‘Disqualification’ column below.
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| ITEM | DESIRABLE | UNDESIRABLE | DISQUALIFICATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. BREED CHARACTER | |||
| Showing true Santa Gertrudis type | Lacking Santa Gertrudis type | ||
| B. FUNCTIONAL EFFICIENCY | |||
| 1. Fertility | Longevity. Females: feminine, regular calving. Males: masculine, virile, high libido. | Irregular calving. Females: lacking femininity. Males: lacking masculinity. | Hernia, malformed genitalia. Abnormal reproductive organs. |
| 2. Sheath & Navel | Retracted prepuce, small orifice, flat medium sized navel flap. Less than 45 degree angle from the horizontal. | Loose, parietal prepuce. Large navel flap. Open orifice. | Bulls with sheaths extending below the H to K line (the imaginary line between the break in the rear (lower) Hock and the break in the Knee). Hernia. Non-retractable prepuce. Abnormal or excessive sheath/navel structure, thickened navel cord, enlarged rosette. |
| 3. Testicles | Adequate size. Good conformation and tone. | Too small or too large. Pendulous. Tied. Permanently retracted. Unsatisfactory conformation and/or tone. | Cryptorchid. |
| 4. Udder & Teats | Well attached, balanced. Fine teats of moderate length. | Meaty and/or loosely attached udder. Large teats. Large supernumerary teats. | Very large or bottle teats. Excessive udder. |
| 5. Disposition | Alert, easily managed. | Nervous | Extremely nervous and/or aggressive |
| 6. Size | Well grown for age, fast gaining. | Lacking growth or weight for age. | |
| 7. Hair (dependent on environment) | Short. straight, slick coat. | Excessive curly or coarse hair. | |
| 8. Hide | Loose, vascular, moveable. | Tight, thick. Excessive skin folds. | |
| 9. Legs | Squarely set, sound joints. | Straight and/or sickle hocked. Cow hocked. Low pasterns. | Bow legged. Post legged. Calf kneed. |
| 10. Feet and Hoofs | Even claws, solid dark pigment. | Turned out. Pigeon toed. Uneven claws. Light or multi-coloured pigmentation. Low heels. | Vertical cracks. Rolling. Deformed. |
| C. CONFORMATION | |||
| 1. General Form or Type | Symmetrical, balanced, thick, long and deep bodied, well sprung ribs, muscular. Good bone, strong legs with free movement. Females: females refined in forequarter. Males: thicker and well-muscled. | Flat sided, coarse and rough. Light boned. Lack of free movement. | |
| 2. Head | Showing masculinity or femininity according to sex. Broad, slightly convex forehead, straight profile. | Long and narrow, dish face. Short. | Wry. |
| a. Horns | Horned or Polled | ||
| b. Ears | Medium to large size, slightly drooping, open forward. | Small upward pointing. | Vestigial ears. |
| c. Eyes | Clear, moderately hooded, strongly pigmented. | Recessed; prominent. Fat polyps. Excessively hooded. | Entropian. |
| d. Muzzle | Broad and large. | Narrow. Smutty nose. | Wry nose. Black. Overshot or undershot jaw. |
| 3. Neck | Smooth attachment. Good extension. | U neck, very short. | |
| 4. Shoulder | Free moving, smooth and well-muscled. Females: smooth, with moderate muscling. Males: thick, well defined, heavy muscling. | Open or prominent. Straight. High. | |
| 5. Brisket | Moderately broad. | Excessive fat, downward sloping. Narrow. | |
| 6. Heart Girth | Deep, broad, full. | Pinched. | |
| 7. Back | Broad, strong. | Sway back. | Roach back. Fish back. |
| 8. Loin | Broad, full. | Narrow, weak. | |
| 9. Ribs | Well sprung. | Flat sided. | |
| 10. Hips | Broad, somewhat rounded on top. | Prominent. | |
| 11. Rump | Long, broad, moderate slope - hip to pin. | Square. High sacral bone. Recessed tail insertion. | Short, narrow, droopy. |
| 12. Tail | Smooth insertion, good switch, thick and long. | Short, thin. | Extremely short. Tail deformities e.g. wry. |
| 13. Hind Quarters | Broad, muscular, wide between pins. Females: deep with moderate muscling. Males: thick and well-muscled. | Narrow, high twist. | Double muscling. |
| D. COLOUR | |||
| 1. Coat | Solid Santa Gertrudis Red (light or dark). | Occasional white hairs falling short of roan condition. Dilution, light or dark spots in other areas. Very light red. Blackish red. Birth marks. | White spots out of underline. White hair not allowed to extend to more than 25% of the underline forward of the front legs, behind or back teats or testicles, or outside the underline. Fawn or cream colour. Brindling or roan condition. Black hair. |
| 2. Skin | Red pigmentation. | Some black. | Solid black. |
The Breed
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