Longhorn Pride

"So it is kind of like the Olympics, like getting a gold medal in the Olympics. Fort Worth that is the big show!" This according to Dave Haack. While Ernie Hottell chimed in, "It sure made it worth it."

The big show that the Hottells and Haacks are talking about is the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America-Horn Showcase.

The show is for registered Longhorns and is the only official horn measuring event for the Texas Longhorn industry.

Longhorn owners Ernie and Lea Hottell, Dave and Susan Haack, and Travis Hottell purchased Gabe, a Longhorn bull, as a 19-month-old and knew they had something special.

Gabe's horns measured 65½ inches tip to tip at the Fort Worth show, but his horns will continue to grow, and the partners hope that when Gabe is 2 years old, he will have a horn span of 75 inches. They plan on taking Gabe back to Forth Worth to continue competing in the Horn Showcase.

Officially, Gabe's total horn measurement was 74-7/8 inches, composite measurement was 140.375, and his weight was 1,105 pounds.

Gabe won all three categories for his age division: tip to tip, total horn and composite measurement. Gabe beat his competitors by 1.78 inches in tip to tip length.

Some breeders might oil the horns or feed special protein grain, but Gabe's horns are natural, with no special feed or oil.

In mid-November, the Hottells hauled Gabe to Fort Worth, a 950-mile trip one way. While the Haacks were supposed to attend the competition, they stayed home due to a family matter. But Dave and Susan have plans to attend the 2022 Horn Showcase and hope to continue the winning measurements.

While Gabe and the Hottells attended the big show in Fort Worth, seven satellite measuring stations were setup around the country, and owners/S could enter the Fort Worth show by attending one of the satellite stations and having their horns measured and then send the results to Fort Worth, it didn't matter Gabe beat them all.

The Longhorn venture is a relatively new business for the Hottells and the Haacks. It started because as a child Ernie Hottell had a dream of owning and raising Longhorns. Then about five years ago, Ernie got into the Longhorns and said he needed some pasture for the Longhorns he purchased, and Susan and Dave had the pasture, and Ernie said, "We got them talked into the Longhorns." And before long, the Haacks were also purchasing and raising the specialty breed. They all claim that raising the Longhorns is very addictive.

The Hottells and Haacks are true believers in the Longhorn breed as they describe the personality of some of their favorite animals. They boast about the docile nature of the horned beasts and the leanness of the meat, which is lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than regular beef.

Lea Hottell said, "You can feed them out of your hand and lead them around with cake. They start to be pets." The Longhorns are also known for their easy calving abilities.

Longhorns are also clannish, "Where you see one, you will see the whole herd." The Longhorn breed is very resistant to diseases and sicknesses.

Susan Haack said she has to be constantly reminded that it is a business, and she can get a bit attached to the steers. She is cautioned not to give them names.

Dave Haack indicated that key qualities that Longhorns are bred for are color, structure, horns, and disposition.

In the 1960s, the original Longhorn breed was confined to just a few ranches in Texas, but as a result of careful breeding, the Longhorn breed has made a comeback – and Gabe is an example of the return of the Longhorns.