CROSS PLAINS, Texas (KTAB) – A Big Country man with a long family history in the cattle business is bringing a new breed into the United States.  The Hungarian Grey Steppe Cattle is a unique breed and there are only 31 in the Western Hemisphere and 23 of them can be found just down the road in Cross Plains.

“In the last chapter in my life if I can make a difference in the American Livestock industry and bring something beneficial to the American beef industry then I’ve achieved my goal in life,” Hungarian Grey Steppe owner, Wally Danos said.   

Danos grew up in the cattle business and has a long family history in the livestock industry.

“It’s fed my family for five generations,” Danos said.

His grandfather even helped develop a special breed of cattle in 1925.

“My grandfather assisted in the development of the Brahman cattle. So I have a lot of history in the pureblood cattle business but I never had the opportunity to be a part of it until now,” Danos said.

Last year, Danos was in Atlanta when he received an interesting phone call.

“From a friend of mine that is a livestock dealer in Sparta, Tennessee and he said have you ever heard of Hungarian Grey Steppe cattle and I said no I don’t have a clue,” Danos said.

Danos immediately researched the breed. 

“That was at eight o’clock at night and at four o’clock the next morning I was in Whitehouse, Tennessee to purchase the cattle,” Danos said.

He knew he wanted to bring these cattle to Texas.

“These are a true primitive breed of cattle with a unique gene reserve resistant to parasites and most infectious cattle diseases so they’re extremely beneficial to the American livestock industry and the American cattle industry,” Danos said.”

Now Danos is trying to develop this unique breed just like his grandfather did 90 years ago.

“What’s the chance that two men from the same bloodline are going to get the opportunity to develop two new breeds of cattle in America and God had a hand in it I know,” Danos said.

He started a foundation for the cattle.

“The foundation is for the preservation and propagation of this breed and the development of it,” Danos said.

He is also in talks with several universities to research the cattle.

“We have five universities that are interested but Texas A&M is the one really stepping up to the plate right now,” Danos said.

He also gets to leave his mark on the industry he is so passionate about.  To learn more about the Hungarian Grey Steppe Cattle you can visit the foundation website.