05/21/2026
Thanks to the Canadian Shorthorn Association
One thing we are learning while registering calves out of sires that have never been used before in the United States is this: sometimes the process takes a little extra teamwork, patience, and asking a LOT of questions.
Both the American Shorthorn Association and the Canadian Shorthorn Association use DigitalBeef, which is an incredible system that allows breeders access to pedigrees, EPDs, DNA/genetic testing records, registrations, performance data, and more. It’s a massive tool for keeping the breed moving forward.
But every once in a while, communication gaps happen , especially when dealing with genetics and cattle crossing international borders for the first time in a registry system.
Back during the 2025 ASA Annual Meeting, it was mentioned that new staff members were being cross-trained. So this likely was just one of those situations where something simply hadn’t come up yet. The Mom was initially told we would need to DNA test Prospect Hill Galahad 16G and Prospect Hill Clay 56C in order to register calves in the United States.
Now, we both knew that Prospect Hill Shorthorns runs a very solid program, and according to the Canadians, these bulls HAD already been DNA tested.
Thankfully, the Canadians came through in true neighborly fashion and coordinated getting the DNA information and records transferred over to the American side. Crisis averted.
Because without those records? We were about 45 minutes away from laughing ourselves into another dimension while joking that our calves were about to get registered as “appendix” or “half-bloods,” which somehow led directly into a full Harry Potter theme discussion.
“You’re a wizard, Ziggy but unfortunately you’re only percentage Shorthorn until the DNA uploads.”
The educational takeaway:
If something doesn’t seem right, ask questions. Then ask more questions. Registries, databases, DNA records, and international transfers are incredibly complex systems run by real people, and sometimes things simply need another set of eyes.
In the end, everyone involved worked together to get it sorted out and we definitely gained a better understanding of how much coordination happens behind the scenes to keep accurate cattle records moving across borders.
Also shoutout to Canada for saving us from accidentally creating the Hogwarts House of Appendix Shorthorns.
