Drag Iron Obituary
4/12/2007 -- 6/23/2022
On April 12 in the year of our Lord 2007, 15 years and two months ago, a pale-colored, speckled bull weighing 64 pounds was born to Shining Victory, a coming-age 3, tri-colored daughter of Victory Lap.
The calf was Drag Iron--a result of the first artificial inseminations by the famous bull Jamakizm. His home was the rugged Appalachian foothills of Dickinson Cattle Co, LLC., in Barnesville, Ohio. His bed and his breakfast were Kentucky Blue, Timothy, Orchard grasses, and clovers.Drag Iron as a week old baby.
This little bull slicked off to become a beautiful tri-color brindle of dark chocolate and gold verticals interspersed with white specks and spots. He packs the DCC Paint Brush D holding brand and ID # 18/7.
Joel Dickinson, the calf’s breeder and owner, named him Drag Iron. These words had never before been used for sire registration. They gave him a unique name to follow his famea perpetual genetic acknowledgement.
As Drag Iron matured, his huge body and massive horn spread became well known in the Texas Longhorn industry. He soon weighed over a ton with more than 80" of horn tip-to-tip, later to develop to 2260 lbs. and 90" tip to tip at his passing.Drag Iron as a weanling bull calf Fall 2007.
Twice Drag Iron was entered in horn-measuring competitions. He won TLMA World Champion horn in September 2013, and in 2014 won all three World Champion divisions. He was never entered in any futurities or judged Texas Longhorn shows. In 2021 he was named Champion ITLA Get Of Sire.
Drag Iron traveled extensively compared to many bovine. He traveled to four semen collection centers in Ohio, Michigan and Texas. These were enlightening adventures. His longest travel experience was from Ohio to the Glendenning Ranch where he enjoyed 8 years as the standing herd sire at Glendenning Farms.
After his first breeding season as a yearling, semen was collected. It was used by producers in the USA and exported to New Zealand and Australia. Drag Iron is also considered by many in Australia to be the leading sire of the highest quality Texas Longhorns in their stud books. He is AI-enrolled by ITLA as semen sire #2031 and TLBAA AI certified #989.
Drag Iron's first crop of calves arrived in Spring of 2009. Although optimistic, no one realized at the time how he would sire long, twisty-horns, rapid weight gain, and beautiful brindle spot patterns. Today many believe he is the leading sire of consistently beautiful, high-selling females. As Larry Gribbins says, "He can add spots to a bull frog." His progeny did not go unnoticed.
Drag Iron serviced cows at DCC for 8 full years. Meanwhile, in Celina, Texas, Rex and Sherese Glendenning were searching for the next really great bull to follow the legacy of their sires G-Man and Heavy Hitter. On September 29, 2015, Rex and ranch manager Larry Smith III arrived at Dickinson Cattle Co intending to buy Drag Iron--and Rex did just that!
Drag Iron at maturity.
Drag Iron’s career accelerated and expanded with the elite Glendenning herd. This second Texas career took him to a new level as a sire of high-value cattle. Hundreds of new fans got to see him in person while he worked in Texas.
Data shows totals of 729 Drag Iron registered progeny in ITLA and 697 in TLBAA, with hundreds more young cattle to be registered in the future.
Preceding Drag Iron in death were his sire Jamakizm and both grand sires Shadowizm and Victory Lap. Surviving him are 13 years of natural-service progeny including the 110" tip to tip, many-times-horn champion Silent Iron, as well as Elon, Iron Span, White Dragon, Reneger, 9 Iron, Dragoon, Pretty Lady, Running Iron, Jest A Drag, Dragon Smile, Annex, Dragon Pearl, Drag Dance, Iron Queen, Chard Iron, Drag A Mile, Iron On, Iron Dance, Noah, Dragon Fire, Dragon Lady, Dragon Ice as well as the new standing herd sire at Glendenning Farms, BUCK WINN—and hundreds of grand and great-grand progeny.Drag Iron - Spring of 2019 at Glendenning Farms with his herd.
Informal burial services were held on June 23 at the Glendenning Ranch in Celina, Texas, with family and close friends in attendance. Drag Iron was laid to rest at the original homeplace of Buck Winn, one of the renowned Texas 9 Artists. The site is surrounded by 100-year-old native trees.
In condolence, do not send flowers or contributions. You can participate in the great Texas Longhorn world-wide cattle industry if you just watch for--and honor--Drag Iron’s descendants as they are born, compete and continue to have such a profound impact on our Longhorn industry.
The progeny of this great bull will continue as a result of the miracle of AI, which began his own life. His semen will be available for years to come for those who adore his acclaimed style. Drag Iron will live forever in his family’s pedigrees.
Psalms 112:9c "... his horn shall be exalted with honor."