Belted Galloway
A Belted Galloway in pasture
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| Conservation status | Watched |
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| Nicknames |
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| Country of origin | Scotland |
| Use | Beef |
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| Weight |
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| Horn status | Polled |
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The Belted Galloway is a heritage breed of beef cattle originating from Galloway on the west side of southern Scotland and adapted to living on the poor upland pastures and windswept moorlands of the region. The exact origin of the breed is unclear although it is often surmised that the white belt for which they are named and that distinguishes the breed from the native black Galloway cattle may be the result of cross breeding with Dutch Lakenvelder belted cattle.
Belted Galloways are primarily raised for their quality marbled beef, although they are sometimes milked and purchased to adorn pastures due to their striking appearance.
The origin of the white belt is unknown, but generally presumed to have come from cross breeding with Lakenvelder (Dutch Belted) cattle. A Polled Herd Book was started in 1852 which registered both Aberdeen-Angus and Galloways. Galloway breeders acquired their own herd book in 1878. The Dun and Belted Galloway Association was formed in Scotland in 1921, and in 1951 the name of the organisation was changed to the Belted Galloway Society and dun cattle were no longer registered. It also keeps and records pedigrees for Belted Galloways and oversees the registration of White and Red Galloways.
Currently in the UK there is a thriving breeding programme overseen and guided by the Belted Galloway Cattle Society. Belted Galloways were first brought to the United States by Mrs. McLean of East Kortright, New York. The "American Belted Galloway Breeders Society" was formed in the United States on 1 July 1951 by Harry A. Prock of Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania, Gordon Green of Quebec, Canada and Charles C. Wells of East Lansing, Michigan. It is now known as "The US Belted Galloway Society Inc."
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Wikipedia