"Cowboy Tuff Chex"
This guy just sold for $165,000 at the Fort Worth Stockyards. He has a record horn span of over eight feet. "Cowboy" will not end up in a hamburger. The new owners said he will be the VIP of their longhorn breeding ranch.
Longhorns are descendants of the first cattle in the New World, brought by Christopher Columbus and the Spanish colonists. When the Spanish moved the cattle north through the area that would become Texas, some escaped or were turned loose on the open range. They remained feral for the next two centuries and evolved into tough hombres, able to survive in drought conditions on poor vegetation.
As the Texas frontier gave way to established farms, modern ranchers turned to "fatter" breeds that gained weight quickly. The Texas Longhorn stock dwindled, until the breed was saved from near extinction by enthusiasts.
In the 1960's, our Uncle Mark bought two Longhorns just for the fun of it, and they ran around on his Colorado hobby ranch scaring people. He was always ahead of his time, and now I realize they were probably rare back then.
What a delightful cattle breed. They look intimidating, but Longhorns are so gentle and intelligent they are increasingly being trained as riding steers for children, ladies, and of course, cowboys. But save your money-- trained Longhorns cost more than horses. Who knew?
No comments:
Post a Comment