Back about thirty years ago, Joyce Kimble fell in love with a pair of scrawny Longhorn heifers— one red, the other a red and white paint. Joyce was visiting her close friends, David and Estelle Moore on their Home Place Ranch near Karnes City, Texas.. David had just rolled up to the pens with these two calves in the trailer, having purchased them from Graves Peeler for $100 each. Joyce visited the Moore's often over the next several years and continued to watch as the red heifer grew into a beautiful and gentle Longhorn cow with lovely Texas-twist horns. She eventually started calling her Red Mama.

Then in December 1981, Joyce lost her husband, very suddenly and unexpectedly. Six months later, David's wife, Estelle, died; and then four months later, David Moore passed away. Joyce's son, Scott, inherited half of the Home Place Ranch, along with a few cows and Red Mama. Scott Kimble was in his first year of chiropractic college, and another son, Patrick, still had two-and-a-half years left with his college work. Joyce's daughter, Janis, also a chiropractic doctor, was in practice with Joyce in the offices at Karnes City. Joyce and Janis were faced with a tough task—to keep two medical practices going along with keeping two young men in college.

Just as longhorn cattle helped the Texas economy recover after the Civil War, Texas Longhorns also played a major role in helping the Kimble family heal from their losses.“If you'll be the muscle, I'll be the money,” Joyce told Scott one weekend when he was home to visit. “I want us to start raising some Longhorns. We'll study at the sales and shows, and in about a year we'll start our own herd.” Scott jumped at the chance to be involved with the cattle, and sister, Janis, quickly climbed on the wagon, too.

The Kimbles spent time visiting and learning from some of the best breeders round—Red McCombs, Chico Wright, Walter Scott, Alan Sparger, Betty Lamb, the YO Ranch, and the King Ranch. In 1983, they made their first purchase at the Legacy Sale in Houston, where they acquired YO Wichita Jackie 1355. Since they had no bull, they studied AI procedures and embryo breeding programs. Joyce had seen (and was impressed by) the legendary bulls, Monarch and Classic, at the Red McComb's Ranch. She also visited Jean Wickland and saw her bull, Bold Ruler. With semen purchased from these three bulls, YO Jackie was bred and produced heifer calves over the next few years forming the foundation stock for their herd.

It was only after Scott completed chiropractic college in 1987 that they got really serious about building bloodlines. That same year, Joyce and Janis were introduced to Mike and Laney Wiese and their famous bull, Overwhelmer. They bought semen and AI'd the young Ruler's Jackie, YO Wichita Jackie's daughter, sired by Bold Ruler. That pairing produced the current Kimble senior herd sire, Overwhelemer's Jack. When Jack was bred to Classy Jackie 3, the Kimbles' hard work and years of planning started to prove true. That mating produced the now four-time, TLBAA World Grand Champion Steer, WOW KCC. Joyce explains their vision in the simplest of terms,“Our goal has been to raise beautiful Longhorn cattle - always keeping the integrity of this unique breed intact.”

Today the cattle company in Karnes City bonds together three generation of the family. The Kimbles, and the Kimble cattle, are also fortunate to receive the counsel and assistance of long-time friend and professional herdsman, Benhardt Ahrens—a true Texas cowman in every respect.“We never did any of this for the money,” says Joyce. “I had to have something in our lives to help us heal.” Their herd has grown dramatically over the years and has become a multi-faceted family operation with the Kimble Cattle Company now running approximately 160 head of breeding-age Longhorns and over 240 head of crossbred commercial cattle.

The Kimble family: (at left) Dr. Janis Kimble-O'Brien and husband, Sean O'Brien; (center) Dr. Scott Kimble with his wife, Maclynn, and their daughter, McKenna (holding Bandy), and (at right), Dr. Joyce Kimble and Benhardt Ahrens.

The KCC Longhorns are exhibited regularly at local and national level shows and are quite often represented at some of high-end Longhorn sales around the country. Healing can come at us in many forms. And, sometimes the most basic bonds deliver the richest rewards. The love for that little red heifer over thirty years ago and a mother’s need to nurture her family has served as the catalyst for building one of the most well-respected legacies in the Longhorn business today.

You can contact Kimble Cattle Company in Karnes City, Texas at (830) 780-3151 or (830) 780-3502.