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Legacy of Brinks Herd

In Texas, for the last 15 years at Camp Cooley Genetics, the mighty Brinks Brangus cowherd has remained a stalwart of the breed. The legacy of this cowherd and its owner, Klaus Birkel, has consisted of breed leading genetics, record setting sales, innovative technology uses, unmatched contributions to the genetic progress of the breed, leadership in services to our customers, peer recognition in the form of the 2003 IBBA Breeder of the Year and the 2004 BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year award.

1968: In this year the summer olympics were held in Mexico City, the movie rating system debuted with G, PG, R, and X ratings, and the ‘Big Mac’ was invented.

Elsewhere, 300 multi-generation purebred Brangus cattle were purchased in the Riverby Dispersal, by L.D. Brinkman, thus establishing the Brinks Brangus herd soon identified by the “LB” brand.

1972: In this year the Watergate scandal broke, Atari released ‘Pong’, Mash was a hit TV show, and the first paid cable network (HBO) went live.

Glen Brinkman begins the Brinks New Genetics Herd. This is the foundation upon which today’s Brinks genetics is built.

1976: In this year Charlie’s Angels was a hit TV show, Apple Computer company was formed, Rocky and King Kong were two of the popular movies.

Brinks became the first Brangus herd to use embryo transfer to increase production of proven females.

1984: In this year Ronald Reagan was the President of the USA, the summer olympics were held in Los Angeles, Geraldine Ferraro became the first female Vice Presidential nominee and the Cosby Show was on TV.

In 1984 the Brinks herd starting setting records in the Brangus breed. Exacto of Brinks sold for $635,000 for 1/3 interest in Brinks Bull Sale. Exacto was a key influence in Brinks Brangus’s rise to the top. He is, perhaps, the most recognized bull in the breed.

1986: In this year Halley’s Comet returned, the Soviet Union launched the Mir Space Station, Coca-Cola celebrated their 100th anniversary and Lonesome Dove was published.

Brinks becomes the first Brangus herd to use ultrasound to measure rib-eye area size. Today, Transformer of Brinks is still the number one bull in the breed for REA. In 2008,18 of the top 25 REA bulls are Brinks cattle, with Bright Side of Brinks 789G5 being 4th, and Lead Gun of Brinks 222K14 being 5th.

1993: In this year, the Waco, TX siege occurred, the first World Trade Center bombing happened, President Bill Clinton signed NAFTA into law.

Klaus Birkel, owner of Camp Cooley Genetics in Franklin, Texas, purchases the entire Brinks Brangus herd and moves them from Kansas to the ranch in Texas.

1993: Camp Cooley Genetics funds intramuscular fat (IMF) research at Iowa State University. IMF scores are recorded on every yearling at Camp Cooley Genetics. Today Camp Cooley’s Brinks Brangus bulls are 1st - 4th in the breed for %IMF. Today 29 out of the top 50 Brangus bulls for %IMF are of Brinks breeding.

1995: In this year, the OJ Simpson trial took place, the Sony Play Station was released into the US, the Million Man March occurred in Washington DC, Sweden, Austria and Finland joined the European Union.

Camp Cooley Genetics dedicates 1,000 commercial females to one of the largest carcass research projects ever conducted by a private individual.

1996: Research results prove we can identify and propagate Brinks Brangus sires at Camp Cooley Genetics that are as good as, or better than, the leading Angus sires for carcass merit. Carcass data was collected from 450 head of the resulting progeny, concluding that, of the 19 Brangus bulls tested, 17 came back with a sheer force equal to, or better than, the tenderest Angus sire measured.

1996: In June 1996 George Strait’s ‘Blue Clear Sky’ was a #1 hit song, the Disney movie, Aladdin, was released, major league soccer started, and the Chicago Bulls won their 4th NBA Championship.

Camp Cooley held a mature cow herd dispersal selling 2/3 of the total cow herd and retaining only the newest genetics and most exciting young females. These females are the foundation of today’s Brinks Brangus herd.

1997: Transformer of Brinks becomes International Grand Champion. He later became the 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 Brangus Show Sire of the Year. Today he is still the number one REA EPD bull and a ‘Summit Sire’. Some of today’s great sires trace back to Transformer. For instance, Bright Side 789G5, and Blackhawk of Brinks 607M12 are Transformer sons and 607L11, Singletary of Brinks 675R, and Washington of Brinks 302S47 all trace back to Transformer.

1997: In this year, the Green Bay Packers win the Super Bowl, The English Patient wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Mother Theresa died, the 2nd largest cash robbery in U.S. history occurrs in Charlotte, NC where $17.3 billion is stolen from Wells Fargo, and the first color photograph appears on the cover of the New York Times.

Camp Cooley Genetics expands internationally with Camp Cooley - El Bagual in Argentina, Camp Cooley-Las Brujas in Mexico, as well as joint ventures in Brazil, and Bolivia.

1998: In this year, Dale Earnhardt wins the Daytona 500, Apple Computer unveils the iMac, Google, Inc. is founded, Jesse Ventura is elected governor of Minnesota, and Sonny Bono dies.

A cooperator program is established to offer Camp Cooley Genetics customers marketing alternatives to realize the added value of Brinks Brangus genetics.

2001: In this year, 9-11 happens, Dale Earnhardt is killed, Barry Bonds breaks the home run record, the USA Patriot Act becomes law, the Xbox is released in North America, Pope John Paul II sends the first papal e-mail.

Camp Cooley Genetics celebrates 10th Anniversary under the ownership of Klaus Birkel and the P.R.E.P program is initiated.

2003: In this year, the largest hailstone ever recorded falls in Aurora, NE, Martha Stewart is indicted, Johnny Cash dies, Saddam Hussein is captured by the U.S. 4th Infantry Division and the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107 crashes.

Camp Cooley Genetics is named IBBA Breeder of the Year.

2004: In this year, NASA’s MER-A and MER-B land on Mars and confirm there once was water there, a whale explodes in Tainan City, Taiwan while being transported through the town to a university for a necropsy, the National World War II Memorial is dedicated in Washington DC, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan died, and a tsunami hits Thailand.

Camp Cooley Genetics is named the BIF Seedstock Producer of the Year.

2005: In this year, George W. Bush is inaugurated for his second term, Pope John Paul II dies and Pope Benedict XVI replaces him becoming the 265th pope, Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles wed, Disneyland celebrates its 50th anniversary, Lance Armstrong wins a record 7th straight Tour de France, Hurricane Katrina hits LA – AL, Hurricane Rita hits the U.S. Gulf Coast, the Chicago White Sox win their first World Series since 1917, the first human face transplant takes place in France.

Camp Cooley Genetics, along with Texas A&M, begin feed efficiency trials on 120 heifers per year. Along with our partners in the commercial industry, we feed and gather carcass data on 10,000 head of P.R.E.P. steers. Plus, 795H sells for $40,000 to Mike Weathers and 302H6 sells for $45,000 to Rocking Bell Ranch and Chimney Rock Ranch.

2006: In this year, the Pittsburgh Steelers win Super Bowl XL, St. Louis Cardinals win the 2006 World Series, the US dollar bill gets redesigned, winter Olympics are held in Turin, Italy, Steve Irwin is killed by a stingray, Milton Friedman dies, former U.S. President Gerald Ford dies, and Saddam Hussein is executed.

At Camp Cooley Genetics, the first DNA marker technology is used in the Camp Cooley cowherd. Half interest in Csonka of Brinks 30R4 is purchased by The Oaks Farms for $65,000. Camp Cooley markets 1,500 bulls.

2007: In this year, the San Antonio Spurs win the NBA Finals, South Lake Tahoe burns in a wildfire, the I-35W Mississippi River Bridge collapses, Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s homerun record, Tiger Woods wins the PGA Championship – his 13th career major, Drew Carey replaces Bob Barker on The Price is Right.

It is also a record setting year at Camp Cooley, where half interest in 535K14 is purchased by David Wood for $49,000 and half interest in Singletary of Brinks 675R is purchased by David Wood for $140,000.

2008: Camp Cooley markets 2,500 bulls to commercial and registered breeders alike. The registered cow herd is dispersed.