A History of the Simmental Breed

The Simmental is among the oldest and most widely distributed of all the breeds of cattle in the world. 

Since its origin in Switzerland, the breed has spread to all six continents.  Total numbers are estimated between 40 and 60 milliom Simmental cattle world-wide.  More than half of these are in Europe.  The spread was gradual unitl the late 1960s.  Records show that a few animals were exported to Italy as early as the 1400s. 

During the 19th century, Simmental were ditributed through Eastern Europe, the Balkans and russia, ultimately reaching South Africa in 1895.  Guatemala imported the first Simmental into the Western Hemisphere in 1897, with Brazil following suite in 1918 and Argentina in 1922.

The breed made its most recent appearance in North America when Canadaian, named Travers Smith imported the famed bull 'Parisien' from France in 1967.  Semen was introduced into the United States that same year, with th first half-blood Simmental calf born in February 1968.  The American Simental Association was formed in 1968. 

Simmental spread to Great Britain, Ireland and Norway in 1970 and to Sweden and other Northen European countries short after.  The first purebread bull imported into the United States in 1971 and Australia received Simmental semen in 1972. 

The World Simmental Federation was formed in 1974. 

The breed is known by a variety of names including 'Fleckvieh' in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as many other European countries.  'Pie Rouge', 'Montbeliard' and 'Abondance' in France and 'Pezza Rossa' in Italy.  The Simmental name is derived for their original location, the Sime Valley of Switzerland.  In German, Thal or Tal means valley, thus the name literally means 'Simme Valley' .