BY KEN O’TOOLE - Tillamook Headlight Herald
 

TILLAMOOK — You want to see some Texas Longhorns up close? No problem.  The two-dozen long-horned cattle are grazing in a field far from the patio, but Bob and Carmen Larson know how to get their attention. They lean out over the log fence and yell in megaphone decibels, “Comeboss, comeboss, Comeboss!”

Bob pounds on a grain bucket, like a drum.  Far down the pasture, horns  like extended antennas bob up from grazing and huge  brown bodies stir.

 “Comeboss, comeboss, Comeboss!”

They’re all heading up to the house now, some ambling, others trotting. They know the drill. It’s snack time.  Carmen says they would probably even respond to  “kitty, kitty, kitty!” 

It’s all in the tone of voice.  Bob greets them with the grain bucket and affectionate touches, chatting them up as they nuzzle closer for treats and attention. 

The Larsons, who started their herd last year, when they bought three cows, “and we just went stupid,” Bob says of the herd’s growth to 24, some of which are on loan.  Some of these will be featured in the Northwest Longhorn Association World Qualifying Show this Saturday, June 23, about 5 p.m., after the rodeo, at the Sue Durrer Barn at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds. It will be the first of what is hoped will be an annual show. It has been made possible with the help of local sponsors, Bob says. 

First- and second-place winners here would be eligible to go on to compete in the grand nationals at the World Show in Fort Worth, Texas, in November.  Youths in the Larsons’ 4-H group will be at the Tillamook competition, showing the Longhorns, leased from the Larsons, that they have been caring for and preparing to present for judging. The show, free to spectators, will involve cows and steers — a young steer will be raffled, too — and “you’ll see some of the greatest cows in the United States,” Ron says.

The Larsons speculate that the judge at the Tillamook show will “go for the heavy type” of animal, so they’’ be showing some of their heftier animals. Essentially, the Larsons say, judges rate  Longhorns on horns, coloring and confirmation, or body structure, as well as disposition.  Most of the Larson herd seem to have suitable dispositions. The horns make them look fearsome, but the way these cattle have been raised makes them more docile. Bob explains, “We’ve domesticated ours, so they’re easier to handle.”

Not everyone does that, though.

Carmen tells about the time the president of the Longhorn association visited their ranch outside Tillamook, and was astounded when their cattle came when they were called. Many other breeders, the Larsons say, possibly because their herds are larger, don’t nurture their cattle, or accustom them to being touched from an early age.  An exception to this docile streak, the Larsons have learned, is when a cow has just given birth.  The other cows circle protectively around the mother and newborn for about a week. It’s a time when they don’t tolerate human intrusion, a bit of information, Bob says, he discovered the hard way.

There’s a certain mystique to Texas Longhorns, the Larsons point out. They were first brought to the Americas by Christopher Columbus. They were famous for their endurance over long cattle drives. But about 80 years ago after they declined in popularity, the breed was near extinction. A government grant of $3,000 financed a roundup of remaining Longhorns and a project was begun to preserve and strengthen the breed, as well as increase its numbers.  By now, Texas Longhorns are known for ease in calving, high fertility, hardiness, vigor, leanness, resistance to diseases such as bovine bloat and pinkeye, as well as longevity — many can live 20 years or more.

With a focus on careful breeding, Bob says, “We don’t want to breed any old cow. We want to produce quality.”

In fact, that’s one of the main reasons behind events such as Saturday’s Northwest Longhorn Association World Qualifying Show. According to Bob, this kind of competition ultimately leads to improvements in the breed — “that’s why you show.”

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(Reprinted by permission of the Tillamook Headlight Herald  )