THE LONGHORN CATTLE OF TEXAS A. Lopez, WASH., DC 7-25-14 The Longhorn originated from a hybrid of two ancient cattle from Spain. Genetic analysis shows that the taurine are descended from domesticated wild aurochs from the Middle East, and indicine, from a domesticated aurochs from India, 85% and 15% respectively. Texas Longhorns are direct descendants of the first cattle in the New World. They were brought to Hispaniola in 1493 by Christopher Columbus, and in other expeditions between 1493 and 1512. There were three different breeds; Barrenda, Retinto and Grande Pieto. Over the following two centuries, the Spanish moved the cattle north, arriving in Tejas at the end of the 17th century. These were either let loose or became feral and their descendants acclimated to Texas climate. During the early days of the Texas Republic, settlers obtained feral cattle from the borderland between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande and bred them with eastern cattle. This resulted in a tough, rangy animal with long legs and horns that extended up to seven feet. Interbreeding also altered the color which may be bluish-grey, various yellowish hues and browns, black, ruddy and white. The white may be very bright or speckled. Portuguese breeds, the Alentejana and Mertolenga, are their closest relatives. The breed was saved from extinction in 1927 by the U. S. Forest Service. A small herd was moved to a Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Lawton, Oklahoma. Later, J. Frank Dobie and others gathered small herds in Texas state parks. Their longevity, resistance to disease and ability to thrive in Texas quickly revived the breed as beef stock. Ranchers today keep them because of their historical link to Texas.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 21:03:35 +0000
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