A Little Luck and a Lot of Passion | October 2025

By Cheryl Kepes

Photos courtesy Willis family

Sunnybrook Farms focuses on developing high-quality Belted Galloway cattle for customers across the country.

When Terry and Julie Willis lead their cattle off a trailer to an event, heads turn. The stocky, immensely fluffy cattle with their signature white ring of hair encircling their mid-section regularly receive double and triple takes.

Belted Galloways, called Belties by people familiar with the breed, were introduced to the United States from Scotland in 1939. The animals’ distinctive white belt contrasting against their black, red, or dun hair color regularly sparks attention and impromptu conversations.

The Willises were first drawn to the Belted Galloway breed due to the animals’ phenotype. However, after more than 20 years of producing Belted Galloways, Terry and Julie have developed a deep appreciation for the longevity, meat quality, and disposition inherent in the breed.

As owners of Sunnybrook Farms in Belvidere, Illinois, the couple has accumulated decades of experience in the cattle industry. From the days the Willises’ twin sons, Chris and Steve, competed nationally with Sunnybrook Farms’ Angus herd, to raising and marketing steers of various breeds, to their 24-years of leading the Belted Galloway breed, the Willises are quick to express their gratitude for the path they have forged in the industry.

New Direction

Terry and Julie Willis explain their foray into the Belted Galloway breed simply as fate. The longtime Angus breeders first fell in love with Belties while following behind a young, Belted Galloway bull, Uphill Cabot, on the way to tie-outs at the World Beef Expo. “He was the chunkiest little thing and square, sound, and meaty and he just caught our attention. The Belties are just really interesting,” Julie Willis explained.

Upon returning to the Expo the following year, Terry and Julie found themselves in the exact same scenario. “As fate would have it, the next year, we were following them to tie-outs again. And this time, when we got the tie-outs done and I headed back to the barn, I looked up and Julie is standing there talking to Jerry Stephens with Uphill Farm about the Belted Galloways. And the next thing I know, we’re getting into the breed,” Terry Willis recalled.

That was 2001, and their devotion to the breed has directed them to national status ever since. Sunnybrook Farms has built a reputation of producing top Belted Galloway genetics. “Our motto is, ‘We don’t breed show cattle, we show breeding cattle.’ And that’s really the crux of our whole program. Our cattle have to perform in the pasture as well as the show ring. A heifer is only a show heifer for one year. And she’s a cow the rest of her life,” Terry stated.

Building a Beltie Herd

From the beginning, Terry and Julie determined they would start their Beltie herd with the best genetics possible. “Our idea was, if we’re going to be in this breed, we want to start out with as high-quality cattle as we can afford or find. That was a lesson we had learned with the Angus. It just takes too long to run a breed up program in cattle,” Terry shared.

The couple sought out older foundation females from well-established Belted Galloway operations on the East Coast and Midwest. Due to small breed numbers, at times top genetics can be difficult to come by. But time and time again, the Willises seemed to be at the right place at the right time, creating valuable connections, and making excellent breeding and purchasing decisions.

Sunnybrook Farms operates with a core group of 30 elite cows. Terry and Julie have found through the years that a smaller number of excellent genetics proves more profitable for their operation. The Willises primarily utilize their own herd sires, occasionally employing ET and AI work.

Stealing the Spotlight

In little to no time, Sunnybrook Farms stole the spotlight on the national stage. The Belted Galloway Society acknowledges top females and bulls through its Lifetime Point Awards. Cattle accumulate points and earn breed rankings through success in the show ring.

The Willises hold the title of highest point female in the breed with their foundation female Sunnybrook Elaine. Sunnybrook Elaine was the Belted Galloway national show female of the year. Her progeny has excelled in the show ring as well; she’s produced 17 national show award winners of the year. Her daughter, Sunnybrook Alexis, claims the second spot for the top number of points for a Belted Galloway female.

Additionally, two of Sunnybrook Farms’ bulls, Countyline Connor bred by Jay and Liz Dausman, and HCS Flannagan bred by Ellen Sims, earned the number one and number two highest point positions. The Willises have garnered the Belted Galloway national breeder of the year and national exhibitor of the year for more than a decade straight.

One of their most cherished accomplishments with their Belted Galloway cattle occurred when their cow/calf pair placed in the top five of the supreme drive at the World Beef Expo. A Belted Galloway had never placed in the supreme drive at the World Beef Expo in 30 years, but the Willises won fourth in 2022 with Sunnybrook Rosa and her daughter Sunnybrook Rita.

“We show against the other breeds at a lot of shows, and we do very well against them. The judges have been very complimentary of our cattle, especially at the national level. It makes you proud, and you feel like you’ve achieved something,” Julie shared.

Leaning on Cattle Know-How

When contemplating the reasons for success, Terry and Julie shy away from taking the credit for their accomplishments. But their years of cattle know-how has positioned them to make solid breeding decisions.

“There are a few things that have been fate. But Julie really knows how to pick cattle. She has that end of it. My end of it is the pedigrees. We put it all together and it works,” Terry explained.

The couple also leaned on their years working in the Angus breed to guide their management decisions with their Belties. Terry created his own production records system. Since the Belted Galloway breed does not have an EPD program, the Willises track their herd birthweights, weaning weights, yearling weights, calving dates, and other data with their own system.

Additionally, they monitor the carcass quality through data collected each year from the processing plant they utilize for their steers. Sunnybrook Farms has a continual waiting list for customers wanting beef. The bulls that don’t make the top of the Willises’ list are processed each year. “The meat quality is outstanding. It has very high tenderness, and a unique flavor. If you’ve ever had it, you won’t go back,” Julie said.

Herd Management

Sunnybrook Farms operates its cattle herd on a limited number of acres, capitalizing on the Belties moderate size and ability to efficiently convert a roughage diet. Though it varies with their stage of production and time of year, the cattle receive creep feed, silage, hay, and graze on corn stalks. The Willises plant and harvest 80 acres of corn and soybeans on their farm.

The Willises halter break every animal on their farm. The cow herd calves in the spring and fall with a few cows calving outside of that window. Terry and Julie like to have different age show calves, so their customers are not competing directly against each other.

Sunnybrook Farms has sold its genetics to customers in all 50 states and Canada. The Willises say Belties are able to thrive in many different climates and topographies. The Belties make it through the winter well with their double-coated hair. In the spring, Sunnybrook Farms shears all its cattle to keep them cooler in the summer months.

A Look Ahead

Terry and Julie look to the future with much enthusiasm. They are seeing a growing demand for Belties and an increasing acceptance and appreciation of the breed from other producers. “We think the future for the Beltie breed is bright. There are more and more people starting to recognize the breed and the value of the breed. We’re seeing more and more interest from some of the breeders of other cattle wanting to get into the Belties,” Terry said.

Looking ahead, the Willises plan to continue focusing on producing high-quality genetics. They’ll rely on a little bit of luck and a lot of passion to keep their operation at the top of the breed.

Upcoming Sale:

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Online with SConlinesales.com

learn more www.sunnybrookbelties.com