Legacy
Texas Longhorn
By Will Cradduck, herd manager, Texas Historical Commission
F
ew things are as symbolic of the Lone Star State as the Texas Longhorn. Their enormously powerful yet graceful horns aptly represent Texas, and their legacy is revered
across the country. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) is proud to protect
these state icons. The agency preserves a genetically authen- tic group of Texas Longhorns near Albany at Fort Griffi n State Historic Site, where the Offi cial State of Texas Longhorn Herd is headquartered. This breed is distinguished by its size, lean build, wide range
of colors and markings and especially its curved horns, which can extend 120 inches tip-to-tip and are often used to protect its offspring. The Texas Longhorn is hardy, with a strong immune sys-
tem and stomach. It can eat a variety of plants other cattle fi nd inedible and requires less water to survive than other breeds. The Texas Longhorn breed has been part of Texas history for
centuries — even before the state won its independence from Mexico. In 1969, the 61st Texas Legislature designated the Texas Longhorns at Fort Griffi n State Historic Site as the offi cial herd. Texas Longhorns descended from cattle brought by Spanish
explorers and settlers. The fi rst signifi cant numbers arrived in the late 1600s. As settlements grew and more cattle arrived, the number of cattle that escaped into the wild also increased. It is from these animals that the Texas Longhorn began its color- ful history. Accounts from travelers crossing Texas in the early 1700s
include stories of the presence of many wild cattle, often mis- identifi ed as native species. These animals were considered
68 The Cattleman December 2013
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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