The 2019 South Central Regional Shorthorn Show was held September 15, 2019 at the Tri-State Fair in Amarillo, Texas. The show was dedicated to Dale Hart who owns Hartsdale Polled Shorthorns in Friona. The South Central region of the American Shorthorn Association includes Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas and Louisiana. The other shows for the 2019 show season include the Kansas State Fair and the Tulsa State Fair.

Hartsdale Polled Shorthorns started in 1948 with the purchase of one polled Shorthorn heifer for an FFA project in Dale’s freshman year of high school. 90% of the present cow herd of 60 mother cows are descendants of this heifer. For many years the herd was maintained at 100 mothers. A severe drought between 2010 and 2013 forced the sale of 60% of the cow herd in 2013. All heifers have been kept since that time for building the herd back up. Cattle have been purchased at the Texas Shorthorn Association sale and the Fortune 500 sale in Oklahoma in recent years.

In the late 70s and early 80s, Hartsdale Polled Shorthorns consigned cattle to the 5-State Shorthorn sale in Guymon, Oklahoma. The Dual Purpose cattle were registered in the American Milking Shorthorn Society as well as the American Shorthorn Association. The Harts exhibited cattle on the county, state, and national level in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado and occasionally Arizona. In 2005 and 2006, the Harts exhibited the Grand Champion bull at the National Dual Purpose Shorthorn show in Hutchinson, Kansas with Hartsdale Texas Chess and Hartsdale Texas Big Red. Hartsdale Polled Shorthorns also exhibited the Reserve Champion female at the 2005 show. Some of the herd bulls used in the past include Willbro Harvestor, Ridgeview MM Chief P, QCC Impressive Jax P, Kahoa’s Wabash Harvey P and Cherry Plus Chess. Hart has also had some line breeding with homebred bulls with good success.

Dale has been a member of First Baptist Church in Friona for over 75 years, and was a 4-H leader for over 20 years. Dale and his wife Laura of 65 years have four children; Karene Bass and husband Troy of Canyon, Holly Campbell and husband Danny of Friona, Evelyn Romero and husband Joe of Amarillo and Jeremy Hart and wife Marla of Friona. The Harts have 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

(l-r) Texas Shorthorn Princess Harley Shelton from Lubbock, Laura Hart, Dale Hart, and Texas Shorthorn Lassie Queen Makenzie Laughery from Rockwall. (courtesy photo)