Star Lake Cattle Company
History

Star Lake Cattle Company began breeding registered Hereford cattle in central New Hampshire in 1985. In 1992, we moved the herd to Skiatook, Oklahoma, closer to the industry’s center.

This period sparked our passion for quality cattle breeding. Between 1992 and 2003, we were the top Hereford cattle breeder in the United States. Our cattle won multiple championships in Denver, Fort Worth, Louisville, and Kansas City.

After many successful years in the Hereford business, we made the tough decision to disperse the herd and sell the ranch in Oklahoma. Fortunately, the new owners continued to build the Star Lake legacy. Today, it’s almost impossible to think about Hereford cattle without thinking of Star Lake.

After moving back to New Hampshire, we shifted our focus to a small group of Highland cattle we had purchased from a local breeder in 1997. With their superior carcass quality and adaptability to the harsh New England climate, Highland cattle were a perfect fit.

Today, our small herd has now grown to over 100 head. We’re devoted to breeding the most effective and productive cattle while remaining faithful to the special characteristics of the breed.

In 2010, Star Lake began an extraordinarily successful show career, quickly making the STR brand a powerhouse on the show circuit. Our first National Championship came in 2012, at the National Western Stock Show, with Summit Ranch Whitney. STR Enchanted gained notoriety as the only Highland female to have won Grand Champion at the National Western for three consecutive years, and Star Lake Morgan is the only Highland to have won four Grand Champion Cow/Calf titles at the National Western. Since 2010, Star Lake has exhibited or bred more National Champions than any other breeder. See our show results page for more details!

In 2019 Star Lake partnered with a farm in England to launch a genetics program in the UK. The goal was to move Highland genetics between the United States and UK to diversify STR genetics. Embryos from Star Lake donors were shipped to England and the first STR calves were born there in 2020. Star Lake is currently working with Dexter and Carolyn Logan of BlairLogan farm in Alva, Scotland where we have a small herd of Highland cattle and recipient cows.

In 2023 Star Lake purchased Seamus of Benmore, the Overall Champion Bull at the Spring Show and Sale in Oban, Scotland. We recognized the quality of this bull, both from a structural and phenotypical perspective, and have now imported his semen to the US. Expect to see the first calves in the United States from Seamus of Benmore in 2025!