**The History behind the Iconic Great Plains Breeder Services**

**1975-1980**: Great Plains Semen Service was established in the mid-1970s. Following a company reorganization, the Great Plains Breeders Service facility was constructed in 1982-1983 to serve seedstock producers in Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. At that time, Fort Collins, CO, and Elgin, TX, were the nearest bull collection facilities.

**1981-1985**: In August 1981, Dr. Russell Killingworth joined Shamrock as an associate veterinarian, working alongside Dr. Danny Vaughan at the Shamrock Veterinary Clinic. Recognizing the potential of artificial insemination to enhance genetics quickly, they increased the pen capacity from 10 to 40. By the fall of 1983, with Dr. Killingworth’s leadership, the team began performing conventional embryo transfers. Soon after, they built a small feed mill to mix their own rations for the bulls and recipients. In 1984, an air-conditioned barn was constructed to allow for continued collections during the summer heat. They also implemented advanced technologies, including a video camera and display screen connected to an evaluation microscope, enabling customers to visualize samples. During post-freeze evaluations, VCR recordings of each collection were made.

**1984-1985**: A second collection facility was built in Lone Grove, Oklahoma. Great Plains Breeders Service/Taurus was established to market semen from company-owned or leased bulls. This marketing arm ceased in the late 1980s, and the Oklahoma facility was sold. Dr. Vaughan, a pilot, also provided on-site semen collection for distant customers with multiple sires.

**1986-1998**: A pivotal move occurred in 1986 with the hiring of the ambitious Jim Bob Nall. In 1987, Dr. Vaughan retired from veterinary practice, and Dr. Killingsworth leased the veterinary clinic facilities from him. During this period, Jim Bob Nall took charge of the custom collections, while Dr. Killingsworth transitioned into a consulting role, focusing on sample collections for health testing required for international shipments. By 1989, the semen-marketing arm, Taurus, had dissolved, and the custom collections side of the business began to thrive. In August 1994, Dr. Killingsworth embarked on a teaching career while continuing to consult on embryo transfers and bull collections. By early 1998, Jim Bob and his wife Diana purchased Great Plains Breeder Services.

**1998-2024**: As times changed, Bonsmara cattle were introduced to the U.S. from South Africa, providing Great Plains with the opportunity to collect and ship worldwide. The custom collections side flourished, allowing Great Plains to work with some of the most well known bulls in the world, including Witch Doctor, Meyer 734, Full Flush, Double Vision, Double Stuff, Made Right, Yellow Jacket, and Carpe Diem. The formation of the PBR increased the demand for genetics in bucking stock, leading to the collection of legendary bulls such as Houdini (and its clones), Bushwhacker, Mossy Oak Mudslinger, Grasshopper, and Hopper II. As with all things, there comes a season of change. In February 2023, Jim Bob Nall decided to sell Great Plains. A unique group of cattle experts—Tony Small of Flying Cow Genetic, Kevin Green, and Zeb King—joined forces to purchase the company. This extraordinary group is working diligently to merge the old with the new by introducing technologies such as in vitro fertilization, CASA testing, and a data management system to Great Plains. They are developing a custom system that maintains the same quality standards as ABS. With Flying Cow serving as an ABS collection facility on the embryo and IVF side. With Great Plains, following the standards set forth by ABS the semen is now based on Morphology, Motility and Progressive motility.