Sweetbrier Epic Lad
Our lead bull, Epic Lad, is Canadian by birth, but reading through his lineage is simply reading a "who's who" of the best Highland breeders in the British Commonwealth. In Canada alone, Epic's genetics have produced Champions, Grand Champions, and Overall Supreme Champions in the Royal Agricultural shows in Ontario and the Royal in Toronto. Following the lineage a little further, one finds Champions in Scotland and Australia, as well. Notable names in Epic's lines include (but are not limited to) Douneside, Benmore, Sunset, Windrush, Glencoich, Scone Palace, Ormsary, and Glen Osprey-- all of which are valuable to breeding programs in the United States for the heritage traits they inject into American genetic brands. Stateside, Epic has proven himself worthy of his genetics as a primary breeding bull and desirable AI bull for American Highlands Ranch in Colorado. All of his calves have inherited beautiful balance in conformation with his signature stout frame, as well as good-natured temperaments and solid breeding histories, leading to a backlogged waiting list each calving season. Noble Bear Highlands acquired Epic from American Highlands in October 2023, and even after the long, cross-country haul, Epic disembarked the trailer with friendliness and easy-going flair, losing no time in settling in comfortably with his new cows and gently introducing himself to on-site calves. He has easily maintained phenomenal muscularity, handles bitter cold and Tennessee heat with equal ease, and never needs a second heat-cycle to smoothly execute his job. Of his 2024 calves for Noble Bear Highlands, more than 70% were heifers, and most of those have been retained. Talk about quality!
KHH Atlas Roan
Atlas is a huge chunk of a young bull whose size belies the fact that he’s only just turned two years old. One has to appreciate his length of body, correct legs and hip design, as well as breed character, as evident by his full dosan and powerful horn structure. In pasture, Atlas is easy to spot due to the smoothness and style of his movements, which are hallmarks of Scottish tradition in Highlands and proper breeding. In addition to his great appearance, virtually all of Atlas’s trainers and guests comment on his gentle, loving, and often perceptibly kind behavior— he’s the epitome of grass puppy! Post Atlas siring a number of calves with the same great heritage look and extraordinary demeanor, we decided to use him as a breeding bull, having seen that Atlas not only mimics his outstanding sire in both looks and personality, but also passes those desirable traits along consistently. Atlas’s sire, Triple R Ban Duncan, is the culmination of some of the finest Northwest, Canadian, and Scottish import bloodlines. As an AI sire, he is genetically backed by numerous notable AI sires whose outstanding offspring speak for the quality in their breeding. In fact, his precise breeding includes 10 high-quality AI sires from some of the best breeding programs in their given countries! Atlas has the works; not only is he powerful on paper, he’s also a solid and dependable bull in the pasture.
Lachlan Ruadh Du Loch Ness
Lachlan, our second Canadian import from northern Quebec, is the embodiment of a golden retriever as a young Highland bull. The obvious power and athleticism of his build means there’s no terrain, no environment that won’t suit our cheerful, intrepid boy— from the rugged Appalachian mountains and forests to any available mud in the valleys between. Lachlan is bright and friendly, happily accepting affection and noticeably responsive to human queues. He’s also quite the gentleman with his ladies, ensuring equal distribution of snacks and settling squabbles while also frequently doting on them or showing playful interest in their young calves. Like his proven sire, Zanni Des Orcades, Lachlan displays strikingly masculine, heritage features in the breadth and depth of his chest and shoulders, all covered in an abundant yellow coat. We’d comment on his eyes except that one can hardly see them for the fullness of his dosan, spilling over horns of incredible strength for his young age of two years. The perfection of his topline, efficiency of his feed conversion to good muscle coverage, and unmistakable breed character denote all the best hallmarks of careful science-backed Canadian breeding methods, programs like GOF and Sunset, and the nearness of the United Kingdom in his lineage. Lachlan most certainly contributes outstanding physical and genetic attributes much needed to reinvigorate American breeding programs.
