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Santa Elena was
established in 1959 with the purchase of 987 acres in Houston County, Texas and
250 registered Red Brahman cattle from the Fondren Estate herd. During the first
ten years of operation, all cattle, with the exception of herd replacements,
were sent to Venezuela. Many of these individuals were used to establish
Lecuna's renowned Red Brahman herd in Venezuela.
 Santa Elena expanded during this time as 2,700 acres were added and the number
of mother cows jumped to over 450-all produced from ranch production. The only
outside females brought into the herd until 1987 were six heifers purchased in
1961 from the C.E. Yoakum herd. The Santa Elena foundation herd, purchased from
the Fondrens, was developed through the use of primarily Estrele and later
Arauto bloodlines. Later, Manso-influenced bulls were added to the herd and the
resulting conformation is still evident as well as the uniform dark red color.
From the beginning, beef conformation and a dark red color were of prime
importance in our program. Many years of selective breeding were implemented to
develop the herd of good, productive, beef type Red Brahmans that now call Santa
Elena home.
In 1970, Santa Elena Ranch made the VL branded cattle available to Brahman
breeders and commercial cattlemen in the United States. Since that time, the
ranch has enjoyed a reputation of producing honest breeding cattle of high
quality and beefy conformation that are a powerful influence to a registered
herd or commercial cattle operation. Much of the herd's progress and
breeding-up is attributed to Steve Allen, who served as ranch manager for 27
years.
In May 1991, Alfredo and Josephine Muskus became the sole owners of Santa Elena
Ranch. The ranch is a progressive operation in every area. One of the most
positive influences to our herd is Sophisticated Millionaire 80/3, a great Red
Brahman bull that is doing a super job in our herd. Performance records are of
utmost importance and are kept on every Santa Elena animal. Recently an embryo
transplant facility for on-the-farm use was added. Santa Elena has been a
leading exporter of Brahman cattle, selling animals to more than 18 countries
during its operation.
In addition, Santa Elena runs commercial cattle and feeds Red Brahman sired
cattle in the Texas Panhandle. Cattlemen are continually impressed with the
gains these cattle achieve and the carcasses they hang. Alfredo and Josefina
recognize their cattle must work for all segments of the industry and that is
why they emphasize quality and beefiness as selection criteria.
As you can see, the Santa Elena Ranch has stood the test of time and looks
forward to a bright future through careful, reputable and select production. We
are aiming to be part of the beef business for a long time to come.
Visitors are always welcome and the ranch is conveniently located right off of
I-45, just minutes south of Madisonville, Texas.
We have quality cattle, embryos and semen for sale at all times and your
inquiries are welcomed.
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Contact Us
Alfredo & Josephine Muskus
7020 Hwy 75S
Madisonville, Texas 77864
936/348-6897
936/348-3900 Fax
jlecuna@santaelenaranch.com
Certified Brucellosis Free Herd
Brahman Herd Improvement Records Member
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