22 Nebraskaland • November 2025
he sight of Texas longhorns
on the High Plains isn't all
that uncommon, but this herd is
special. Not only do the cattle
— with their signature horns that can
span 8 feet or more — look at home
grazing among the scenic Pine Ridge
at Fort Robinson State Park, they
also have special ties to the American
cowboys' long cattle drives of the late
1800s.
Rob Lemmon, Fort Robinson's
superintendent, said the cattle
grazing at Nebraska's largest state
park represent one of just two
registered longhorn herds in the world
with careful documentation on the
Cattleman's Texas Longhorn Registry.
"We DNA test all of our bulls to make
sure we're keeping the bloodlines
correct," Lemmon said. "They are
purebred Texas longhorns just like the
cattlemen drove back in the day."
Longhorns serve as an iconic symbol
of the Wild West, even if they are
not native to the continent and their
heyday in the United States was short-
lived. The hardy species that was
introduced to the Americas from Spain
more than 500 years ago and roamed
mostly feral in Mexico for ensuing
generations, proved ideal for cowboys'
long, arduous drives north to railheads
and pastures in the late 1800s and
helped feed the masses on the East
Coast. Ogallala served as an important
railhead, receiving about 100,000 cattle
annually between 1876 and 1885.
When the railroad came to Texas,
less mobile but faster growing breeds
featuring more meat gained favor with
cattlemen.
Even if the breeding wasn't watched
as closely as it is today, records exist
of longhorns grazing at Fort Robinson
T
