Founding fathers of the Santa Gertrudis breed and SGBI were visionary in their inclusion in the breed association constitution of the mandate that the herdbook forever remain open to the inclusion of new genetics, providing the basis for an ongoing grading-up program still being utilized today. In February 1995, The SGBI Board of Directors approved a proposal presented by the Chairman of Breed Standards to create a new Santa Gertrudis strain or gene pool by reconstructing the original 3/8 Brahman x 5/8 Shorthorn animal currently recognized as a pureblood Santa Gertrudis. This proposal was entitled, the “Nu-Gen” Project. Registration Number 1 in the Santa Gertrudis herdbook belongs to the King Ranch bull known as Monkey and he became the foundation herd sire for the breed, with every purebred Santa Gertrudis animal in the world tracing back to that one superior individual. The final step in the Nu-Gen project will be the mating of Nu-Gen cattle to registered, purebred Santa Gertrudis, in keeping the genetic tracings back to Monkey intact. The resulting calves qualify to be awarded purebred registration status and entered into the breed’s herdbook.

Initial funding for the long range project was provided by Mrs. Ann Upchurch of Grey Rocks Ranch in Selma, Alabama; and Dr. Burton McDaniel of MC Ranch in Ringgold, Georgia. Unfortunately, Mrs. Upchurch passed away in March of 1996 just days after the first Nu-Gen F1’s were inspected at MC Ranch. Prior to her death, however, Mrs. Upchurch had given her younger partner Dr. McDaniel the charge “to keep the project alive.” McDaniel has provided the day to day intense management of the project, supported completely by the other members of the Nu-Gen committee. Dr. McDaniel has forged ahead, keeping the project free of impure shortcuts and moving forward under the guidelines of the SGBI Board mandate.