Cattle : CORRIENTE

Country of origin : Mexico

Australian Status: CRITICAL

International status:

Arrived in Australia:

Australian Population: 2019; 100 (estimate). 2022: 130 females, estimate.

Distribution:

History: The term corriente means 'common cattle' or 'cattle of the country.' 

Hardy little cattle descended from Spanish imports from 1493 to South America and the West Indies. Almost exclusively bred and used for the rodeo sports of roping and bulldogging now. Needless to say some went to North America in colonial days where they bred in Florida and are now called Florida Crackers. Those in Louisiana are called Swamp Cattle. Corrientes are popular in North America for rodeo sports. In northern Mexico the little cattle of indiscriminate breeding were called corriente or criollo, and when the North American studbook started, they adopted the name Corriente.

Breed Traits : Horns, which are ideal for roping and bulldogging while young. The horns are heavy without being too long, until the animal is older.  Excellent shaped horns, and reliably similar; a breed pride. Go out sideways and slightly up. As the cattle mature the horns get quite lenghty, elegant shape, white with black tips, most mature to be are wide, slightly raised, aimed forward like a toro bravo.

Slim, small build. Very hardy. Good foragers. Easy calving. Fertile. Disease and parasite resistance. Bred for sport, not meat, so a more athletic build is sought. The effort has been to keep them from gaining height and substance. Ideal for conservation grazing; they don't pasture or eat native grasses too low. Average weight is two thirds of beef cattle. 

They have a visible mane on top of the neck. The tail tassle is very long. All colours except pure white, many are black or very dark. Interesting colour side patterns in some.

Despite their small size and not being bred for beef, the beef is tender and marbled and the flavour highly praised. Tests by three American universities found it more tender than Angus. Also far lower than Angus in cholesterol, fat and fatty acids, and higher in unsaturated fatty acids.

Organisation : None found in Australia. Some great photos of Corriente in central Queensland on Instagram Established Corriente

There's a registry in North America, started in 1982  the North American Corriente Association. 

Additional Notes:

Photo : from Pinterest, Corriente Cattle entry, no other source given

Page by Janet Lane

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