PROFILE: David Strickland developed an interest in the reproduction and breeding of cattle while growing up on the family farm in Nebraska. He was working at the United States Meat Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Neb. in 1972 when he married Deborah Bartley, who introduced him to the greyhound industry. In 1988, the Stricklands moved to a farm near Abilene, Kan. where David continued to raise purebred cattle and learned how to artificially inseminate his herd with frozen semen through a course offered by Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.

HISTORY: Strickland’s father-in-law, Don Bartley, introduced him to the greyhound stud business with David’s first greyhound being Torch Fire. Strickland soon realized the process of using frozen semen in the artificial insemination within his cattle herd also would be advantageous in greyhound breeding. He set up a laboratory and received training in using a quality extender to properly store the frozen semen. Realizing the importance of monitoring progesterone levels of the females, he purchased the equipment to do so, ensuring the best possible breeding dates for the visiting broods in his Prairie Brood Care facility. He opened a surgical center manned by a full-time veterinarian when surgical implants proved to provide a higher percentage of successful matings.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The use of frozen semen in artificial insemination of greyhounds, as well as the practice of surgical implantation, became standard procedures in greyhound breeding thanks to the efforts of David Strickland. He managed to convince breeders to try the new technique despite skepticism resulting from prior unsuccessful attempts of using frozen semen in straws. The procedure he championed allowed easy access to top sires, no risk of overbooking, the collection of semen before or while racing, and the establishment of a proven producer at a younger age. In addition, frozen semen could be shipped to a female anywhere in the country to be artificially inseminated rather than shipping the female to be bred naturally. David and his son, Michael, incorporated the stud business under the name Strickland Sires in 1996 and within just a few years stood seven of the Top 10 stud greyhounds in America including Fortress, who held the record of 49 breedings in a single month. Breeding as many as 100 broods per month from 1997 through 2000, Strickland Sires had several greyhounds netting career earnings over $200,000 each, three earning over $400,000 and one surpassing $555,000 in earnings.