Ume

Ume was one of the nine red Akaushi foundation females imported from Kumamoto Prefecture in 1994 by Dr. Al and Marie Wood, and one of the seven retained to establish HeartBrand Ranch in Harwood, Texas, alongside Namiko, Akiko, Haruko, Fuyuko, Dai 8 Marunami and Ringo 117. The importation — with the bulls Shigemaru, Tamamaru and Hikari — is the origin point of fullblood Akaushi outside Japan. The females were bred to the leading Japanese Akaushi sires Namimaru and Dai 10 Mitsumaru before shipment. Ume's individual pedigree is not documented in the sources reviewed. As one of the tiny closed founder group, she is an essential maternal pillar of the Akaushi breed abroad.