With Paraguay recently designated as the host of the 2028 Brangus World Congress, the country’s role as a key supplier of top-quality meat on the global stage is highlighted. This underscores Paraguay’s status, as the country already boasts the reigning title of the World’s Best Brangus Bull, born and bred in Paraguay. Let us meet Paraguay’s champion bull: Don Ángel.
Paraguay’s champion bull Don Ángel
Paraguay’s prized bull Don Ángel hails from Agroganadera Pukavy, a ranch located in the heart of the Paraguayan Chaco. To be named champion bull, an animal must demonstrate an ideal combination of muscle structure, fertility, temperament, mobility, and breed standard. Don Ángel is praised for his symmetry, strength, and superior reproductive health, and was unanimously chosen by the four jury members, as the world’s best.
Behind the scenes, it takes years of careful selection, nutritional planning, animal welfare and scientific monitoring to produce a single global-level contender.
A bloodline of champions
Don Ángel’s victory follows a lineage of success at Pukavy. Previous Paraguay’s champion bulls include star Arasunu, crowned national champion in 2019, and King George, another standout Brangus bull who dominated, in 2022. These bulls are not only symbols of strength and aesthetic perfection. They are also part of a meticulous breeding programme that includes artificial insemination, embryo transfer and on-site veterinary laboratories.
According to Pukavy’s Director of Genetic Development, Darío Felipe Giménez, the focus is on quality over quantity. “Each animal we raise has the potential to impact global herds,” he told local press.
Genetic exports, and economic impact
The win of Paraguay’s champion bull Don Ángel is not just about one animal It signals a growing movement in the country’s livestock sector towards cutting-edge genetic breeding, international collaboration and national prestige. The win placed Paraguay on the map for buyers from Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, the United States and Canada, who have expressed growing interest in acquiring Paraguayan genetics.
In fact, shipments of Brangus embryos have already been sent to Argentina, with more deals reportedly in progress. This not only demonstrates confidence in Paraguayan livestock science, but also presents a new revenue stream for national breeders.
Don Ángel’s semen is now in high demand internationally. In the world of livestock, this represents prestige and profit. Each straw of semen can sell for hundreds, sometimes thousands of US dollars depending on the market, and embryos. Paraguay, once seen as a niche producer, is now being discussed alongside Argentina, Brazil and the US in conversations about elite global breeding.
Paraguay’s next champion bull?
This rising prestige will culminate in 2028, when Paraguay hosts the World Brangus Congress. The event will bring top breeders, scientists and industry leaders from across the globe to see firsthand the advances being made in Paraguayan herds. Preparations are already underway, and Pukavy’s continuous innovation is helping to shape the national narrative around livestock excellence.
With the same farm already advancing genetic development programmes and monitoring promising calves born this year, many believe it is not only possible but probable. In fact, Don Ángel may not be the last Paraguayan bull to earn international acclaim.
This story of a Paraguay’s champion bull is more than rural pride. It is a symbol of how innovation, tradition and ambition are redefining Paraguay’s place in the world of livestock science. For a small country with big dreams, Don Ángel may just be the beginning.
