by Caroline Gasperi, Castle Nugent Farms

Different strains of heat tolerant BOS Taurus cattle, variously known as N’Dama, Futa, Futa Longhorn, Gambia Longhorn; (they believe at least five strains including a “shorter” horned type, referred to on the island as African Milking “Short” Horn, a red and white color), were imported from North Africa in the earliest years of settlement of the island of St. Croix by Europeans. First such settlements were in the 1600s. The last fullblood importation of N’Dama was by George Elliot, Estate Longford, in the 1880s.

African longhorned cattle pulling a sugar cane cart in the1880s on St. Croix.

In the early 1900s, Bromely Nelthropp imported, via Trinidad, a fullblood, Red Poll bull originating from England. This bull’s sons, F-1s, on Nelthropp’s African Bos Taurus herd made the foundation for what is now the recognized breed, Senepol. The name was registered as a Trade Mark in the 1950s by the Kennedy-Lawaetz breeders.

In the 1970s, Mario Gasperi, who later became the first Executive President of the original Senepol Organization and one of its principal founder breeders interested the USDA in the future development of a registry based on performance records. At their suggestion, Gasperi wrote to Mr. Don Vaniman, the then Executive President of the Simmental Association and Dr. Ike Eller of Virginia VBCIA. These men came to the island and helped set up the breed association.

The original Virgin Islands Senepol Association, 1976. From left: Kiko Gasperi, Caroline Gasperi, Dr. Mario Gasperi, Henry Nelthropp Sr., Oscar Henry, Hans Lawaetz, Dr. D. Padda and Dr. Ike Eller.

Performance records were kept by VBCIA until moving to the College of the Virgin Islands and were continued on the island until 1989. As the college, now known as University of the Virgin Islands, had been very helpful in the record keeping of performance and genealogy but could not continue keeping the Association
records as it continued to grow and prosper, association business had to move on. Dr. Gasperi was in the process of moving the records to the Mainland before his death and later, Mr. Hans Lawaetz, the longstanding Chairman of the original board and well known island breeder helped the association make its final move to the U.S. after the devastation of Hurricane Hugo and Dr. Gasperi’s demise.

Nelthropp Senepol were known for their good temperament, heat tolerance polldness, milking ability and fertility and this tradition of selection is maintained by the island breeders of which there are still four functioning on St. Croix.

Traffic still stops today on St. Croix as a herd of Castle Nugent cows with young calves crosses South Shore Road at Estate Longford.

The cattle have been exported to the U.S. Mainland, Mexico and South America, and from Castle Nugent by embryo to Australia. The Mexican breed, Tropi Carne, is the first registered Mexican breed and is 5/8 Senepol. Recently, the cattle have found their way, through embryos, back to Africa and will be compared to the Bonsmara breed and other African cattle. The Senepol Cattle Breeders Association maintains its records through SCBA, Senepol Cattle Breeders Association now situated in the state of Georgia.

For more information about Senepol cattle or to request a brochure, call or send address to:

Castle Nugent Farms
Phone/Fax (340) 773-1508
POB 969
Christiansted St.Croix VI 00821

...or come visit us in America's Paradise
and see for yourself!
Castle Nugent Caribbean Guesthouse