Composite breeds of cattle are built on the concept of breed complementarity – combining the desirable characteristics of two or more breeds of cattle in a way that simultaneously masks or lessens each breed’s weaknesses.

Doyle Sanders didn’t go to Turkey in 2016 with cattle on his mind. Well, that’s probably not entirely true; Sanders – who owns Dbl D Bar Ranch in central Texas and is a tireless advocate for the Beefmaster breed – is likely to have bovine on the brain at any given point in time.

JB Ranch in Immokalee, Florida, comprises roughly 10,000 acres in south Florida’s humid, subtropical climate. Russell and Liesa Priddy manage roughly 600 Brangus and Beefmaster cattle on the ranch, with calves being sold to operations in the Western part of the U.S. once a year.