Other breeders called Holden. Some called Rowan. A few called Silas, though he usually passed them to Nessa because she understood the research language better than he did. Three operations had bulls labeled dangerous and scheduled for slaughter. One by one, they agreed to behavioral reevaluations before final disposal.
Not every animal could be saved. No one pretended otherwise. Some were truly too dangerous. Some facilities could not afford transformation. Some owners wanted simple answers and fast decisions.
But some listened.
One ranch in Montana moved a volatile bull from a small pen into a low-contact pasture system and saw aggression drop within weeks. A breeder in Alberta began testing enrichment protocols for young bulls before they reached full maturity. A veterinary conference invited Rowan and Nessa to present preliminary findings.
Nessa came home from that invitation glowing.
“I’m not even graduated yet,” she said.
Buck nodded solemnly. “Try not to become famous. Famous people are useless at fixing fences.”
This story touched a part of me that has hurt underneath several careers and 65 years of life. I'm 71 now. My family is a long established name there. My memories of ranching, accidents, rodeo stock, flash floods and family loss are different than the way life is lived today. This story is magnificent, thank you for sharing it. And maybe there's hope for some of us humans that just need space and understanding. It's been 40 years since I became a civilian after 11 years as a
U.S. Marine. This story and that bull have more meaning than some will ever know. Thank you once again. Job well done.