Shorthorn Country: Shorthorn Breed History, American Shorthorn Association and Content
Profile updated November 2026
Shorthorn Country is the breed magazine of the Shorthorn cattle world, published through most of the year with digital editions posted by SCI - Stephanie Cronin, Inc. It serves members of the American Shorthorn Association, whose roots go back to a first national convention in 1872 and to the earliest imported cattle in America.
| Breed association | American Shorthorn Association, 7607 NW Prairie View Rd., Kansas City, Missouri |
|---|---|
| Association roots | First national convention, 1872 |
| Digital publisher | SCI - Stephanie Cronin, Inc. |
| Frequency | Most months, with a combined May/June issue |
| Recent issue | December 2025 |
| Association size | 18 staff; about $2.06 million revenue in 2024 |
| Official website | Shorthorn Country on Issuu |
History of Shorthorn Country
Shorthorns are among the oldest cattle in America. Their predecessors were brought to the United States in 1783, with more imports in the early 1800s, and the breed spread west, where it helped improve range herds that were then built on the Texas Longhorn. Shorthorn breeders held their first national convention in 1872, the date the American Shorthorn Association gives as its founding.
The breed peaked in 1918 with about 118,000 registrations. Registrations today run at about 14,000 a year. The association's 150-year history has been compiled with help from Dr. Bert Moore, known as Mr. Shorthorn, who spent 43 years on the animal sciences faculty at North Dakota State University.
Shorthorn Country grew up as the breed's print marketplace and news magazine, carrying the sale advertising, show results and association news that keep a national membership connected. In recent years its issues have been produced and posted online by SCI - Stephanie Cronin, Inc., with editions running monthly through much of the year.
Shorthorn Country Today
Shorthorn Country continues in print and digital form, with recent editions including February, March, April and December 2025 and a combined May/June issue in some years.
The American Shorthorn Association, based in Kansas City, Missouri, has about 18 staff and reported about $2.06 million in revenue for 2024. Its registry work, junior programs and commercial marketing supply much of the news that Shorthorn Country reports to breeders.
What Shorthorn Country Is Publishing Now
Sales and seedstock
Sale advertising, consignment listings and herd features from Shorthorn breeders across the country.
Shows and youth
Junior national and open show results, with photos of champion cattle and young exhibitors.
Association and heritage
Association outlook columns, registry and genetic program updates, and pieces on the breed's long American history.
Shorthorn Country Editors and Staff
Shorthorn Country does not post a masthead online. Names connected with the magazine and breed include:
- SCI - Stephanie Cronin, Inc. - Publisher of Shorthorn Country digital editions
- Dr. Bert Moore - Shorthorn historian, retired North Dakota State University animal science faculty
Readers can reach the breed association at 7607 NW Prairie View Rd., Kansas City, Missouri 64151.
Who Reads Shorthorn Country
Readers are registered Shorthorn breeders, junior exhibitors and their families, and commercial producers interested in Shorthorn genetics. Cattle and calves are the largest share of U.S. animal receipts, about 37 percent in 2021 according to USDA's Economic Research Service, and the Shorthorn's long history makes it part of the foundation of many American herds.
Shorthorn people can trace pedigrees back further than most families can trace their own, sometimes to 1783. For a lighter read between herd books, farm.FM offers farm satire and farm humor in a deadpan rural voice, plus ranch humor for anyone who has explained roan coloring to a city cousin. Its farm jokes are younger than the breed, but only just.
For context, farm.FM is the nation's first satirical farm site and the home of Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers. Its contributors each keep an archive, and this one is a good sampler of ranch humor and farm jokes.
Shorthorn Country Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Shorthorn Country, December 2025 - a recent issue.
- Farmonline: U.S. Shorthorn historian - Bert Moore on the breed's American history.
- Association Insight: American Shorthorn Association - address, founding and financials.
- USDA ERS: Animal product receipts - the economic weight of cattle.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - federal cattle inventory statistics.
Shorthorn Country FAQ
Who publishes Shorthorn Country?
Its digital editions are published by SCI - Stephanie Cronin, Inc., for the Shorthorn breed community.
Where is the American Shorthorn Association?
At 7607 NW Prairie View Rd. in Kansas City, Missouri.
How old is the Shorthorn breed in America?
Its predecessors arrived in 1783, and breeders held their first national convention in 1872.
How often is Shorthorn Country published?
Most months, with some combined issues such as May/June.
With American roots reaching back to 1783, Shorthorns still have their own regular voice in Shorthorn Country.