Big Al in his prime.

Big Al is the direct product of the best bull and cow of the breed in many breeder's opinions.  

His sire Dai 10 Mitsumaru, also the sire of original imports Hikari, Kaedemaru, and Kunisakae, was considered the greatest bull in the world by Japan at the time when Al and Marie Woods sent world class cattlemen Yukio Kurosawatsu and Bruce Hemmingsen to procure a shipment of "Japanese Browns" to America in 1993.  

Akiko was one of the top cows in Japan and it took considerable wrangling to buy out her existing contract and bring her to the states.

Since there was no way to get Dai 10 out of country, the decision was made to breed Akiko to him before she started quarantine in Japan.

The result of that calf, carried across the Pacific via plane en utero was none other than Big Al.

Eventually AL and Marie Woods' herd of Red Wagyu/Akaushi and their decendants were bought out by HeartbrandBeef.com and Big Al was a mainstay herd sire in their program for many years until his death at 17 years of age when he got loose and killed himself trying to breed cows. Today at Heartbrand headquarters, Big Al can be viewed in all his life size glory via full body mount in their front office loiter area.

Dai 10 Mitsumaru, sire of Big Al

HB BIG AL 502 (FB2998)

                      MITSUTAKE (FB401)
              DAI 2 MITSUMARU (FB426)
                      DAI 3 MITSU (FB4063)
  DAI 10 MITSUMARU (FB424)
                      DAI 5 SHIGEKAWA (FB4064)
              GODAI (FB427)
                      HATAURA (FB4065)

HB BIG AL 502 (FB2998)
                      DAI 2 SHIGENAMI (FB375)
              NAMIMARU (FB373)
                      DAI 2 MARUHANA (FB376)
  AKIKO (FB2120)
                      MITSUTAKE (FB401)
              MITSUKO B 9639 (FB438)
                      MITSU 1753 (FB406)

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