The Texas Longhorn: Shaped By Nature.
Other breeds of cattle, like the Hereford and Angus, were created
by selective crossbreeding. The longhorn's evolution began in 1493
when Columbus made a return voyage to the New World and dropped off
a load of Spanish cattle at Santo Domingo.
A couple of hundred years later cattle were driven across the Rio
Grande into Texas to provide meat for the missions. By the time of
Republic of Texas, wild cattle roamed all over the state, as wild
as buffalo or bear or any other creature eking out a hardscrabble
existence from an often unforgiving land.
English cattle were brought here by some of the early settlers, but
some of those cows wandered off or were chased off by Indians. The
various bloodlines contributed to what would become known as the Texas
Longhorn, a creature every bit a match for the state that created
it.
"Ahhhhh"
Photo courtesy John Stankewitz 04-25-2006
istorian
Joe B. Frantz wrote of the Longhorns: "They were built for travel,
because they had strolled their way a thousand miles from Vera Cruz;
and they grew long horns because they had to learn to fight off predators
in the brush.
"In the days of the Republic of Texas and thereafter they cross-bred
somewhat with cattle brought in from the Old South, which helped their
beef content without destroying their mobility.
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