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Texas designated the longhorn as the official state large mammal in 1995. "Their long, polished horns sometimes ran six feet from tip to tip...they were lean and lithe, alert as a deer, half-wild, half-savage, half-human." - from "The Saga of Rodeo" by cowboy writer Chuck Walters.

Longhorn bull with a very short horn span - 40 inches, but weighed over a ton at three years old - photo © Texas Longhorns.com (used by permission)
"Most bulls today have horn spans of 50 inches or more - 60 inches is now considered normal; many bulls are over 70 and even a couple over 80 inches." - Kirk of TexasLonghorns.com.
"In 1493, Columbus brought Spanish cattle to Santa Domingo. Within 200 years their descendents were grazing the ranges of Mexico. Translating wild cattle into hard cash was an epic struggle between man, beast and the elements - from this grew the romantic legends of the Western Cowboy. ...In the quarter century following the Civil War, 10 million head were trailed north...Longhorns have ideal characteristics - they can go incredible distances without water; rustle their own food; fend for themselves; swim rivers; and survive the desert sun and winter snow..." - condensed from Longhorn History: Texas Longhorn Breeders Assoc.

Texas Longhorn bull photo © the Department of Animal Science,
Oklahoma State University: Texas Longhorn (used by permission)
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