Volume 2, Issue 3 May/June 2014

ANNUALMEETING

MEMBERSHIPRENEWALS

YOUTH NEWS

Calendar of EVENTS

w w w . fa c e b o o k . c o m / E a s t T e x a s L o n g h o r n A s s o c i a t i o nON THE COVER...Cover Photo by: Alexandria Rivera, ETLA Youth Reporter

Next Issue July 2014 deadline is June 20th.But, don’t wait until the deadline, start sending the information in today!

E T L A N e w s l e t t e r

E T L A O f f i c e r s

E T L A Y o u t h o f f i c e r s

E T L A B o a r d o f d i r e c t o r s

e t l a Y o u t h a d v i s o r y b o a r d

7994 CR 1115Athens, Texas 75751

ETLASecretary@gmail.com

L o n g h o r n L o v i n g s ,Amy Weatherholtz�

ETLA Secretary

ETLA Fr iends & Fami l y , Did we jump from winter to summer with only a few days of

Spring? Sure feels like it! On a good note, we have receivedsome Spring showers & who doesn’t like rain? Helps with thegrass and hay production and grows some size & horns! 

I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who sent in information for this newsletter - it makesit so much easier & better!

Hope to see everyone at the 50th TLBAA Anniversary thisweekend in Ft. Worth, if not, I would like to invite everyone toour Spring ETLA Meeting on  May 17, 2014. Please remember to RSVP & invite your friends. (Find more detailson next page.) We know there is a conflict with the MilleniumFuturity in Glenn Rose that weekend and we will miss someof you, but wish you the best of luck.

As summer approaches and kids aren’t required to attendschool, I would like to challenge your youth to spend time outdoors & possibly in the longhorn pasture working with newshow projects. Capture their memories along the way andsubmit photos and stories.

Editors Note: I will try to publish articles from Mr. Darol Dickinson, with Dickinson Cattle Co., Inc. he has been gracious enough to sharehis knowledge and photos. You can find more of his articles at www.dickinsonlonghorn.net.

If you have an article or would like to see a particular topic, please send an e-mail to

ETLASecretary@gmail.com, this would be great advertisement for your local longhorn production.

Calendar of Events ETLA MEMBERS PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR UPCOMING EVENTS, ACTIVITIES, SALES TO BE LISTED HERE,DESCRIPTION AT NO CHARGE. SEND YOUR INFO TO ETLASECRETARY@GMAIL.COM

May 9-11, 2014TLBAA 50th Anniversary Celebration Weekend

Fort Worth, TXBanquet May 10th 6:00 PM-River Ranch at the Stockyards

The ETLA has a table reserved!$75.00 each/ $85.00 at the door- funds go toward the new

TLBAA Office and MuseumContact: Lana Hightower-903-963-7442 or 903-681-1093Longhorn and Lace Luncheon and Fashion show at 11:amon May 10th...Featuring clothing from The Maverick, Leddys and Pearls and Old Lace..Goodie bags for all who

are attending $40 at the door.

May 17, 2014ETLA Spring General MeetingMay 17th- 10:00 AM-

Pot Luck Lunch- Meat Provided by ETLAElection of Officers- Ranch Tour- Youth Meeting

and ClinicMarquess Arrow RanchBen Wheeler, TX

RSVP to Amy at ETLASecretary@gmail.com or 903-681-0353

June 11-15, 20142014 Autobahnanza

Will Rogers Memorial Center • Fort Worth, TXLarry Barker (817) 988-6110lbarker@abahn.com

www.autobahnyouthtour.com

September 26-28, 2014East Texas State Fair - Longhorn Show

The dates for the East Texas State Fair have been changedto Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 26, 27 & 28th.Haltered an Non-Haltered will show on Saturday andYouth on Sunday. Cattle must be in place by Friday at4pm. There will be less congestion loading and unloadingas we will be the only cattle breed showing on these dates.

For more information, contact: Lana Hightower903-963-7442 or 903-681-1093.

The cattle of the world, regard-less of their wide and diverse bodytypes and color patterns, are be-lieved to originate from Bos indicus(the humped cattle of Asia) or Bostaurus (the wild cattle of Europe).Annals of history trace the move-ment of African cattle accompany-ing the Moors to Spain and theirevolution into many cattle types.On the voyages of ChristopherColumbus, the Spanish firstbrought long-horned cattle to theAmericas in 1493. Descendants ofthese ocean voyagers were thefirst cattle population in NorthAmerica.

The English, in colonizing NorthAmerica, brought their native cattlein 1623, and as they moved westso did their cattle, pulling wagonsand plows and providing milk. In1821, cattle of North Carolina ori-gin began to intermingle with theSpanish and English cattle. Amer-ican Indians had developed theirown strains of cattle from theSpanish and English strains.

Mexico, Texas, and what wasthen the Louisiana Purchase be-came the major blending pot forthe evolution of this history-makingTexas Longhorn breed of cattle.Old-timers contend the big horns,speckled colors and body typeswere derived from importation to

the States out of the LonghornHerefords of England. Others be-lieve the blue and roan speckledstock reflected early Durham(shorthorn) introductions. TheSpanish influence was repre-sented by drab, earth tone colors.

Although "Mexican" cattle of thelong horned variety provided thebasic strain, historian J. FrankDobie documented that an infiltra-tion of cattle of mongrel Americanblood contributed to the evolutionof the Texas Longhorn. Dobie esti-mated the Texas Longhornevolved as 80 % Spanish influenceand 20% mongrel influence. Thus,the Texas Longhorn was created,imported to North America frommany different routes, defined andrefined by nature, tested by thecrucible of time and the elements.

Through the mid-1800s, theserange-rugged, big horned cattle

multiplied without the help of man.Traits were genetically fixed, andas a result of survival of the fittest,resulted in ecologically adaptedbovine families with extremelygood heath, fertility, teeth, diseaseresistance, and soundness of bodyand limb. They multiplied by themillions. In 1876, an estimated1000-head breeding herd was in-troduced into southern Alberta,Canada. By 1884, these cattlewere estimated to have multipliedto 40,000 head with natural birthsand importation.

A national convention of cattle-men in St. Louis in 1884 madeplans for a national cattle trail right-of-way from the Red River north tothe Canadian border, but theywere thwarted when Congressfailed to pass the bill. After this, thegreat trail drives began to dwindleas deeded, fenced property andrapidly developing civilization

Longhornhistory

By Darol Dickinsonwww.dickinsonlonghorn.net

cluttered the trails. In 1890, theUnited States Department of Agri-culture estimated the nation's cattlepopulation at 60 million head,mostly containing Texas LonghornBlood.

In the early 20th Century, pure-bred cattle breeds from Europe andAsia became available to fit the dif-fering desires of early ranchers.The foundation stock of introducedbreeds such as Hereford, Short-horn, and Angus were bred up topurebreds in this country from a na-tive Longhorn base. Because of thegreat mothering ability of the Long-horn and the popularity of this"breeding up", pure Longhorn bloodwas practically bred out of exis-tence.

By the dawn of the 20th Century,candles, had been the chief sourceof light for nearly 2000 years. Tal-low, the main ingredient in candles

is obtained by rendering animal fat.Soaps, lubricants and cooking alsorequired tallow. "Hide and Tallow"companies, as early beef process-ing plants were known, were amajor industry in the early days ofthe industrial revolution. Meat wasmostly an economic by-product.The demand for the tallow andhides was the driving force of thecattle business. Cattle geneticistswere selecting for the heaviest tal-low-producing animals. It is nowonder that the naturally leanLonghorn, with 80% less render-able tallow than the English breedswas not in demand. As a result ofthis high percentage lean carcass,the Texas Longhorn came close toextinction.

By 1930, much open range wasfenced, and southwestern cattlebarons zeroed in on their favoritebreeds of fat cattle. However, thehistoric Texas Longhorn was the

time tested choice of some seriousproducers. Although later tradingoccurred between Longhorn pro-ducers, six unique strains were se-lectively perpetuated by privateranch families before 1931. Severalearly producers were instrumentalin providing Longhorn geneticswhen the United States Govern-ment realized the near extinction ofthese creatures. The governmentherd, established in 1927 at the Wi-chita Mountains Wildlife Refuge,Cache, Oklahoma, was to becomethe seventh of the preserved TexasLonghorn families. These familygenetics established in the earlythirties and before are still main-tained by family members andfriends. Today producers of TexasLonghorns either raise their favoritefamily bloodline in a pure state ormix and select combinations ofseveral family bloodlines.

As trends continue to change, tal-low is now of low value. High pro-tein lean meat is a premium itemwith trends toward healthier foods.As producers capitalize on produc-ing desired products, longhorns areagain in favor. Investors not only inthe USA, but many export countriesare purchasing Texas Longhornbreeding stock and frozen semen.Large ranches are breeding Long-horns as well as back yard affi-cionados. Whether they are smallor large, herds are being developedto capitalize on the lean profitableTexas Longhorn.® Article and photos; Dickinson CattleCo., Inc. www.dickinsonlonghorn.net.

Submitted by: Alexandria Rivera, ETLA Youth Reporter

If you are new in the show world you probablyhave some questions, like, “Who can show?” “Howold do you have to be to show?” “What will happen ata show?” “What do we need to bring to a show?”

All of these are simple questions; ANYONE canshow! No matter what age you are there is something for you! Babies show as well as adults!Now of course, babies need someone to carry thembut they can show!

When you go to a show you will see people laughing and having a good time while they work withtheir cattle. Shows are always a great time! You spendtime with old friends and even make some newfriends! Now don’t think shows are a walk in the park,there will be some work to do with your cattle, makesure they are fed and watered and make sure they areready to walk in the ring!

You need to make sure you have PLENTY offeed and hay! You do not want to have to find yourselfdriving to the nearest feed store to get hay or feed!You need to have feed pans and make sure you havea water tub, not everyone likes for someone else’scow to drink from their tub. Make sure you have soap(Mane and Tail, Ivory Dish Soap, general livestocksoap), make sure if you use dish soap that it is a mildsoap, something for sensitive skin.

Have your own water hose, the morning of theshow the wash racks are pretty busy and not everyone has an extra water hose they can spare, beprepared! You may use Show Sheen on your calf ifyou choose; using any spray adhesives, gels,

horn/hoof polishes are NOT allowed! If you havesomething you want to use but aren’t sure if you areallowed ask someone there at the show if it is allowed.

When showing Texas Longhorns, the goal is tokeep them as natural looking as possible. You needto have show halters for your calf along with brushesto keep your calf looking slick! You will also need tohave a number clip which should be worn on your leftside, some people loop the number clip to their beltand some people just clip it to their belt, all dependson what is easiest for you! Be sure to have a showstick! You definitely don’t want to forget that!

If you ever have any questions, don’t be shy!Ask a fellow showman, they will be more than happyto help you! Everyone was new to showing at somepoint in their life!

shoW QUEstions - Just Ask

Photo by: Alexandria Rivera, ETLA Youth ReporterShayanne McClendon exhibited several head ofcattle at the Stillwater Shootout in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She is demonstrating if your calf stallsits okay to give it a tug and never give up.

Trace the Longhorn anddraw a body!

Active Youth Submitted by: Madison Ollive, ETLA Youth President

Freshman Volleyball, JV Basketball &

Varsity Tennis-My partner Molly Chamberlain and

I got 4th in District. One Act Play (I was the sound

technician) We got 3rd in District. UIL Pros-I got

first in my room and then got 6th in the District &

Number Sense, FFA I raised Broiler Chicken and

they got 35th out of 72. Livestock Judging

Team-We got 5th at Area, and are going to State

May 3rd. I am also a member of FCA.

Glen RoseSubmitted by: Alexandria Rivera,

ETLA Youth Reporter

The 2014 Glen Rose show was a huge success! Not onlywas it fun, it was run very well! The youth had a great time showing as well as just hanging out! There was the usual AdultShowmanship which is never something you want to miss!There were all kinds of crazy things brought into the ring; dogs,a wagon, kids on leads, anything you can think of can bebrought in!

The Glen Rose show is one show that you can alwayslook forward to! If you didn’t get to make it this year, be sure tomake it next year! You don’t want to miss the laughs and the exciting show!

Youth SHOW NEWS

Stillwater Shootout

Submitted by: Alexandria Rivera,

ETLA Youth Reporter

The Stillwater Shootout in Stillwater,

Oklahoma was again wonderful! The food is

always amazing as well as the fellowship amongst

Longhorn showers and breeders!

Every year they give out the Bill Ellis

Award, this award is given to a youth who is active

in the show circuit and is someone that helps with

anything as well as someone who is a good

example for the younger showman. This award is

accompanied by a scholarship that is given by

Denise Webster. This year the award was given

to Alexzandria Rivera.

The Stillwater Shootout is always a great

show to attend! Be sure to attend next year and

all the years to follow!

Submit your show experiences to ETLASecretary@Gmail.com

DID YOU KNOW?

Send you Longhorn fun ideas to ETLASecretary@gmail.com

LONGHORN FUN & GAMES

The first cattle to set foot inNorth America was the...

Texas Longhorn

Colorado YoungstersMeet Texas Role Model

Submitted by: Dr. Timothy Roddam, ETLA BoardMember & ETLA Youth Advisor

ETLA Board Member Dr. Timothy Roddam was recentlysurprised by a visit from four of his grandchildren who livesouth of Denver, Co and in the course of their Texas staymet up with TLBT exhibitor, Haley Calhoun of Athens, Tx.They knew Haley by reputation from Grandpa’s accountsof Haley’s multi-state show ring success after startingwith three Roddam heifers in 2010; now, they know her personally and hope to follow in her footsteps with longhorns they own (courtesy of Grandpa).

Pictured with Haley are Willie Brudenell; Alexis Roddam;Brianna McLucas; and Zachary Hughes. Grandpa is smiling from behind. The New TLBT Rocky Mountainquartet returned to Colorado excited over Longhorn cattleand inspired and encouraged by Haley.

Bruce and Connie Ollive are pleased to announce the engagement of their son,

Lanham Ollive to Amanda Barkley. The couple have not set a date.

Barkley & Ollive

Congratulations! Jamie Ollive and Tim Osborn were married in

December 2013 and celebrated with their family andfriends March 21, 2014 with a beautiful ceremony,

dancing, and dinner at Holly Lake Ranch. They are presently residing near Big Sandy.

Mr. & Mrs. Osborn

LOVE

The ETLA is Proud To Be A Sponsorof the 50th Anniversary Celebration.