Where the Horns Used to Be:

The Rise of Polled Cattle at V8

There’s a rhythm to our year at V8 Ranch. After Houston wraps up in early March, we catch our breath — but not for long. By April 1, we’re back in the pastures, starting selections for Made for Magic.

Made for Magic XI is July 7–8, 2025. And just a week later, on July 14th, we’re sending Brahman heifers to the showbarn for Made for Magic XII (slated for October 2025). That’s how it goes around here — the planning never really stops.

After the high energy of July, October brings the second act. Two sales, just months apart. And then, from October to July, there’s a quiet stretch. Planning. Waiting.

So yes — my marketing wheels have been turning, as they should. But what makes this work so meaningful is that I’m not just promoting the cattle. I’m part of creating them. The calves we’re evaluating now come from matings my parents, my husband Luke, and I dreamed up long before they ever had ear tags.

And as we’ve been riding pastures, scribbling notes, watching calves grow into their potential — I’ve noticed something I can’t ignore:

We’re seeing a lot of good polled cattle.

And that’s new. But it’s not a surprise. It’s the fruit of a plan. The long game of bringing polled back to V8.

A New Chapter, Rooted in Cows

Polled cattle are Brahmans born without horns, due to a genetic variant that suppresses the horn gene. Animals that inherit two copies of the polled gene are called “homozygous poll,” meaning all their offspring will be polled, regardless of the mate’s horn status. This trait is especially attractive to breeders, as it eliminates the need for dehorning. It can also add marketing appeal in certain commercial cattle programs, where polled calves are in growing demand.

Polled cattle aren’t new to the Brahman breed — and they’re certainly not new to us. If you trace the pedigrees back, you’ll find the V8 brand quietly woven into more of them than you might expect.

We’ve had some influential ones over the years:

• Miss V8 490/3, born in 1986 — the 1989 International Champion Red Female
• Mr. V8 1/4 (P), born in 1990 — one of the early V8 bulls to carry the polled designation
• +Miss V8 98/6, born in 2001 — a cornerstone female found in many of today’s top polled pedigrees

All three — and many others — trace back to one source: Sugarland.

A lot of our roots do. My dad loved Sugarland cattle. He took frequent trips to their Florida cattle ranch and never stopped talking about what he saw: pastures full of National Champions — animals that were on top of the Brahman world in the show ring — but backed by real-world performance. That balance of phenotype and productivity was something he deeply admired. 

Their longtime manager, Greg Carlton, became one of Dad’s greatest mentors. Our family made a significant investment in Sugarland genetics, and even today, we’re still breeding to their bulls — horned and polled.

In our semen tank, tucked in among the rarest and most treasured old-school sires, you’ll find Sugarland bulls. And Dad tells me all the time — when he’s dead and gone, I’ll still have those bulls. And I’ll have his instructions on how to breed them, because he knows. Like 99% of the current Brahman breeders, they were before my time. I never laid eyes on them. But Dad did. 

And I love that he loved them so much that he saved them for me.

That kind of long-view thinking is what shaped our return to polled Brahmanscattle. We came back with intention — and a strategy rooted in everything we’ve always believed: it starts with the cow.

Because that’s how everything at V8 has been. 

Cows built this. Generations of strong Brahman females — powerful, productive, consistent. So naturally, if we were going to get serious about polled, we started by finding the best cows we could.

We studied. We searched. And we brought in what we believed were three of the best young polled females available at the time:

• Miss HMC Polled 129/1 “Lily” (PP) from HM Cattle Co.
• MS US Polled Britney 755/0 (P) from Salinas Ranch
• NC Polled Carley (P) from Candler Cattle Company

We had a plan: breed them to sires like +Mr. V8 380/6 “The Machine” and +Mr. V8 146/8 “Sloan” and create polled sons and daughters with the V8 look.

That was the vision. Take great Brahman cows. Use great Brahman bulls. And raise polled cattle worthy of the V8 brand—animals that proved it, not just wore it.

And while those cattle had the right look and the right genetics, the best part of the journey might’ve been the search itself. We got to know the Salinas, Candler, and Martinez families. We made new friends. And in the process, we were reminded that the cattle business isn’t just about pedigrees — it’s about people.

A NUMBERS GAME

I mentioned earlier that we had one polled International Champion — Miss V8 490/3 (P), all the way back in 1989. But if you look across the breed’s history — National Champions, International Champions — it’s overwhelmingly horned cattle. 

But here’s the thing no one says out loud:

It’s not because horned cattle are inherently better. It’s because the gene pool is overwhelmingly horned. 

When most of the breed is horned, of course, the odds favor them. It’s a math issue.

It’s like Blackjack. Horned cattle are the house deck. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t aces among the polled Brahman cattle. You just have to look harder — and when you find one, you hold on tight.

But here’s a part that makes me wonder:

Polled is a dominant trait genetically. So why is the Brahman population still overwhelmingly horned?

The answer is simple — and telling. It’s because breeders, by and large, haven’t used them.

All reasons aside — convenience, humane handling, marketing buzz — the market continues to choose horned cattle. That’s not an opinion. That’s what the numbers tell us. That’s what our own herd tells us.

So the horned gene keeps holding ground — not because it’s dominant, but because it’s trusted.

I remember sitting beside my mom at the 2021 National Brahman Sale, watching a breathtaking red-tinged polled heifer from Hondo Martinez bring $30,000. The energy in the ring was electric. It wasn’t the price tag that made that moment unforgettable—it was the pride and belief driving it. Hondo has built one of the most respected polled programs in the country – because he sells really good ones. We’ve always admired that.

Lately, we’ve seen a similar kind of excitement unfold around Red Brahmans. They’re topping sales. Generating buzz. But the best ones? They rise to the top not because they’re red — but because they’re good.

It’s a good reminder. When a headline trait — red, polled, black — becomes the whole story, we risk missing the point. These cattle deserve to be championed for what makes them great: structure, fertility, performance, breed character, and longevity.

So maybe it’s time we stop asking, “Is it polled?” or “Is it red?”

And start asking, “Is it good?”

Let’s Talk About Single-Trait Selection

When we let one trait carry too much weight, the rest starts to slip. And over time, it shows in the cattle.

Whether you’re chasing polled… or color… or something else entirely… when one trait becomes the only goal, quality slips.

Always.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I’m all for selection pressure. If you decide your herd needs better udders, put the pressure on. I admire that. But don’t forget about the feet while you’re doing it. 

Don’t let the underlines fall apart. Don’t lose the bone, the breed character, the maternal function that holds it all together.

It’s a delicate balance. It always will be.

I’ve seen programs that chased a single trait — whether it was polled, a certain color, or the latest buzzword — while letting other fundamentals slip. And if I’m being honest, I’ve caught myself leaning too far into one trait, too. It’s easy to do when you get excited about a direction.

Yes — that kind of pressure can produce cattle that carry the trait in question.

Some of those outliers might even serve a purpose in the right setting. Every herd has them.

But outliers should stay just that: outliers. 

They’re not the foundation you build a program on.

I’m reminded of what I’ve been taught — what I’ve heard for years from my parents and grandparents: go back to basics.

Quality above all else.

Put pressure where you prefer— but never at the cost of everything else.

A Bull That Changed the Conversation

We were quietly and confidently pursuing our polled goals through the female side. That’s always been our way — the magic is in the cows.

Then came NCC Municipal.

At the time, I was doing marketing work for NCC Brahmans in Australia. My friend and respected cattleman Brett Nobbs and I were working on our second bull sale catalog together when Municipal caught my eye.

We surprised a lot of people — Brett included — when V8 was announced as the buyer of this polled Australian bull. The plan was to use him in our ET program right away. If the calves were good, we’d bring him to Texas.

The calves were good. Really good. In fact, we’ve never had a sorry one.

But the second part of the plan never happened. As time went by, Municipal got older and heavier. The logistics and cost of bringing him to the U.S. became too complex. And then, NCC dispersed. The Vella family purchased the NCC herd, and as the quality of Municipal’s U.S. calves spoke for itself, they purchased possession of the bull and hold the exclusive rights in Australia today.

So while he’s never set foot in Texas, he’s made quite a mark — halfway around the world — on a herd he’s never even laid eyes on.

And the thought of Municipal grazing alongside some of those legendary Australian NCC cows just feels right. Full circle.

Coming at It from Both Sides

Originally, our plan was all female-driven: use great polled cows and mate them to V8 bulls like +380/6 and +146/8 “Sloan.”

Municipal changed it. Now the outcross was on the top side, and the rock-solid V8 cows were on the bottom. If he was ever going to work — this was his shot.

And work, he did.

The Data Says It All

Since the first Municipal calf hit the ground in March 2024, here’s what the herd sire distribution in our ET program looks like:

• +Mr. V8 146/8 “Sloan” – 39%
• NCC Municipal 5517 – 24%
• +Mr. V8 380/6 “The Machine” – 17%
• Mr. V8 891/8 “Pathfinder” – 9%
• Mr. V8 322/8 – 4%

It’s no surprise Sloan is first. But it’s worth noting that Municipal now sits between Sloan and 380.

That’s not just preference. That’s confidence.

Why He Works

When crossed with our V8 females, Municipal sires calves that look like V8s — breed character, eye appeal, and that front-end style we’re known for in the show cattle and seed stock world. But they’ve also got the extra punch: the muscle and mass we admire from the J.D. Hudgins side – that’s what they are known for. 

V8 brought the style. JDH brought the mass. And Municipal brings them together—in perfect harmony.

And then, there’s his dam, who must be that X factor. From the Philene cow family at NCC, one of the strongest polled lines in Australia. Her cow power brings another layer of maternal strength and outcross value we couldn’t have written better ourselves.

That’s why we believed in him. That’s why the calves are working.

And Dad called it from the beginning:

“Boy, you put a bull like Municipal on them — that’s going to be an outcross bull from both the top side, because of the scarcity of that Clanton Brahman semen in the U.S., and from that dam, who’s a complete outcross polled Australian cow — you’re going to get some hybrid vigor and a jump in those calves.”
— Jim Williams

Full Circle

Municipal hasn’t only made an impact at V8 — he’s also left his mark on the very Brahman herds where our polled journey began: the Salinases, the Martinezes, the Candlers.

It’s no surprise. We saw quality in their cattle, and they saw potential in Municipal. Progressive breeders tend to find each other. Now we’re seeing his influence in pastures beyond our own — and that’s a kind of success you only find in shared progress. That’s a good feeling.

Municipal calf raised by Candler Cattle Co.

Come Ride Pastures

If you’ve been thinking about where the Brahman breed is headed — about how we can raise cattle that meet the demands of tomorrow’s ranchers, consumers, and markets — I hope we’ll talk. These are the conversations I want to have. Not about people. About cattle. About how disciplined breeding and shared ideas can keep this breed moving forward.

And speaking of the future…

Remember those original three females?

• Miss HMC Polled 129/1 “Lily” (PP) — She’s raised standout calves by 380, 146, and Municipal. All of them polled. One of her Municipals might even be homozygous. Stay tuned.
• MS US Polled Britney 755/0 (P) — Her first son, a 380, Mr. V8 421/9 (P), is already collected and will serve as both an AI and natural service sire.
• NC Polled Carley (P) — Her first daughter is a keeper. Her calves by Municipal and Sloan are outstanding, with more on the way.

They’re doing exactly what we brought them here to do. A quiet reminder that progress takes time — and the right kind of cattle.

Why write this all down? Because I believe in history. In documenting where we are, and where we hope we’re headed. Maybe one day, someone will read this and see the turning point. Or maybe they’ll just see that we cared enough to try.

So come ride pastures with us sometime.

Let’s talk Brahmans — horned, polled, and everything in between. Let’s talk about what makes them better. Together.

Send me an email or contact our office to schedule a private tour.