I've always found it interesting what genetics people use and their reason for using them. Leader 21st and his descendants seem to be the rage for some people today and I don't have a problem with that. Many of the people using these genetics tout them as easier fleshing, more moderate, etc., while they put down the poplular 'show' genetics of today. What many people don't know, or are perhaps too young to remember, is that the only reason for Leader 21st's popularity in his day was the show ring. He was promoted as a growth freak, a huge bull in the day of belt buckle cattle. In fact, I remember Bob Gordon saying in one of his sale catalogs how he bought Leader 21 for a low price because of this extreme size. One of his sons, Kinnaber Leader 3rd, was known as 'George the Giant.' When the indusrty decided they wanted bigger cattle, or at least the show ring decided it, Leader 21 became all the rage. In the late 60's, you couldn't beat them. Leader 6th sired some good cattle for the Thomas family in Canada, but never became a household word until R. Lee Johnson got ahold of him. Thomas Durham 76B, Thomas June 68B, etc. won a lot of trophies for Mill Brook Farm. I just find it interesting that the throwback cattle people want to use today are only widely known because of the show ring honors they won in their day. There were easier fleshing, more muscular, better milking cattle than the Leaders available in the 60's, but Leader 21 became widely known because of their popularity in the show ring. Again, I have no problem with people using Leader 21st or any other genetics they want to use. We used a lot of Leader 21st and Leader 9th 40 years ago and thought they were great, though I don't think they were ever our best mother cows. They had growth in their day and show ring appeal and that's what the people that used them wanted.
