In Yavapai County, Arizona, encompassing Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, Camp Verde, Sedona, and surrounding areas, an ambitious couple sought to create a cattle breed capable of thriving in the challenging Arizona environment.

In 1940, Francis Bard and his wife sought out to develop this unique breed. They purchased a herd of King Ranch bulls, including both Santa Gertrudis and Africander, to breed with their native Arizona cows.

Then in 1942, the Bards bought a herd of purebred, unregistered Hereford Cows to cross with the Africander bulls. They wanted to cross the Africander with the Hereford to capitalize on the Hereford's early maturity, strong hindquarters, close sheath, and adaptability to range conditions. 

The Africander bulls had a big role to play in the hardiness of the Barzona breed. Originating from South Africa, the Africander has a high tolerance to heat, high resistance to ticks, high level of fertility under harsh conditions, are efficient when finding forage, have desirable hide, pigmentation, and coat, and they have a calm and quiet demeanor. In addition to these traits, the Africander is known for their meat quality and heaviness of their beef along with their excellent milk production. 

The Santa Gertrudis breed was established by the King Ranch in South Texas in 1910. The ranch initially experimented with crossing Shorthorn and Hereford cattle with Brahman, ultimately favoring a combination of 3/8 Brahman and 5/8 Shorthorn. A notable bull calf, “Monkey,” distinguished himself for his conformation and genetics, siring over 150 sons. In 1940, the U.S. Department of Agriculture officially recognized Santa Gertrudis as the first beef breed developed in the United States.

In 1946, the Bards hired on E.S. "Jack" Humphrey to manage their breeding operations. Under his guidance, the genetics of Africander, Hereford, Angus, and Santa Gertrudis were combined.