Posted on June 29, 2011 - by Russell
TLBAA World Show and How we got where we are.
Jet Jockey-1988 World Show Grand Champion Bull
I recently attended the TLBAA World Show in Ft. Worth as one of several judges for the TLBT Gold Merit Contest. Congratulations to all the winners and participants on a job well done. I know it takes a lot of time, money and hard work to get to the World Show and the TLBT National Show.
I have watched the World Show grow and change since its debut in 1988. Not all the changes have been for the better, but we’ll get to that a little later on. I still have fond memories of participating in the first World Show. I will forever cherish the friendships that have been foraged over my many years of showing and participating in the World Show. Even though I was in Ft. Worth for only a day and half it was great to visit with old friends and stroll down memory lane.
That first show was actually called the “Texas Longhorn Exposition”. It was comprised of three separate TLBAA shows: The new World Show, the Texas Gold Heifer Futurity and the TLBT National Youth Show (which was started in 1983). Coordination of these shows was handled through the TLBAA office and qualifying shows for the World Show and National Youth Shows were organized by TLBAA Affiliate Associations and were held around the country. In order to compete in the World Show and the TLBT National Show you had to have qualified by winning a 1st or 2nd place at a qualifying show. Qualifying was not an easy thing to do, but when you did it you could be proud of that accomplishment and you would be invited to the show in Ft. Worth. The cattle in the Texas Gold were nominated by their owners to compete in three classes for what at the time was one of the largest futurity premium pots ($50,000) of any cattle breed in the United States.
The 1988 Texas Longhorn Exposition was a huge success and was run almost entirely with volunteer workers. The Texas Gold had 60 heifers competing in three classes and representing some of the top breeding programs. The competition was strong at TLBT National Youth Show with 59 exhibitors, 90 heifers competing in 7 classes, 43 bulls competing in 4 classes, 12 steers competing in 3 classes and total youth show entries of 145 head (of which I exhibited 5 head). In that very first World Show all females were shown non-haltered with the bulls being the only haltered classes. The competition was amazing. Of the 142 females entered 24 were in class one and no class had less than 19 head. The mature cow classes 6 and 7 saw some of the legends of the breed like YO Samson Josefine 706 “Favorite” 
(sold for over $200,000, dam of numerous high-selling offspring), Archer 382 “Pepper” (ET Donor & dam of $24,000 heifer), Wichita Gold 3369 (ET Donor and High-Seller), Anita 75/8 (Donor & 1/10 interest $33,000), Red Lucy (Donor & $75,000), Archer 87 “Tar Baby”( Donor & $28,000 also the dam of JK Sterling), Measles Supreme (Donor), CF Lady Mandy (one of the longest horn WR cows), Miss Dixie 4 (dam of R3 Dylan) and Vice Versa (full sister to the $60,000 Impressive bull) go head-to-head. In the three bull classes there were 52 entries. The total entries for the World Show were 194 with 79 exhibitors. The judges for this first of its kind Exposition were Longhorn Breeders. A three judge system was used for the TLBT and World Show with a five judge panel for the Texas Gold Futurity. All judging was based on our breed standards and resulted in champions that represented the standard very well. Several of the Champions from this show went on to have an impact on this breed. The most noteworthy of these was the Grand Champion Bull, Jet Jockey.
As the World Show continued to grow and develop a female haltered division was added along with additional age divisions. After a few more successful Longhorn Expositions the association was able to get Texas Longhorns accepted into National Stock Shows like Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and many more. This did not seem like a bad thing at the time. With this acceptance into Stock Shows came the introduction of our breed to millions of people and the use of professional all breed judges (Beef Judges) because the Stock Shows hired the judges they felt were qualified to judge several different breeds. These shows also became qualifying shows for the World Show and the association started using these professional judges at the World Show. Thus the change in our breed began, especially when it came to show cattle. These judges had little to no concern about the traits or our breed standards that make a Longhorn a Longhorn. All they were looking for was weight per day of age and making the Longhorn fit the box standard that other breeds use. At one point all cattle were weighed upon arrival at the World Show before being allowed to compete. These beef judges have been and continue to be used today. You may be wondering how these judges are changing our breed. All of us like to win when we compete in any kind of competition because winning is the ultimate goal. When exhibitors see that it takes a beefy and in most cases an over-conditioned animal to win then they will naturally start making a change in that direction in order to be more competitive. It’s just human nature. After years of this you can see the change which has resulted in a lack of breed characteristics and traits that have helped the breed survive for centuries. When we do not pay attention to our breed’s traits and characteristics we are opening our breed up to being infused with the blood of other breeds either knowingly or unknowingly.
It’s time for the association to once again require that long time Longhorn breeders judge all the TLBAA shows in order to protect the purity and integrity of our great breed.
The use of beef judges on the show circuit is not the only issue that has ignited undesirable changes in our breed. The TLBAA Horn Showcase and the TLMA World Horn Championship must take and share some of the responsibility for some of the negative changes to our breed. Much like with the creation of the World Show, the creation of a horn measuring contest seemed like a good idea at the time, after all the name of the breed is Longhorn. Horn length has always been an issue, but with the creation of a measuring contest it has become the main focus of many breeders and they are willing to spare no expense to own the biggest and “the best”. There is nothing wrong with breeding for longer horns as long as you still have a functional Longhorn that exhibits all the other Longhorn traits. Much like what we have seen happen on the show circuit, the exhibitors at horn measuring contests are slowly changing the breed by focusing on only one Longhorn trait, horn length. They focus on becoming more competitive which means they are going to breed for more horn length and base. But what we must remember is that Longhorns are not the only breed with long horns. One of the other long-horned breeds is the Watusi. If we do not keep the other characteristics of the Texas Longhorn in mind we are opening the purity of our breed up to being infused with the genetics of some of these other big-horned cattle. In my opinion this is already happening, because I am seeing more and more big-horned cattle that do not look phenotypically like a Longhorn. In my opinion I am seeing Longhorns that are showing signs of Watusi influence not only because of their extreme horn and base, but also because of their poll, head shape, eye set, hips and tail head. This introduction of non-Longhorn blood may or may not have been done intentionally.
If the association is going to continue to host and sponsor their measuring event then it is time that the association starts using modern technology to test for Watusi markers in all cattle entered in the contest. One of the purposes and objectives of the TLBAA as explained in Article I of the TLBAA handbook is “to promote breeding practices to preserve the purity”. I believe it is time the association steps up and takes action in order to protect the purity and integrity of our great breed. Time may be running out and we may be fast approaching a point of no return.
I am not against or opposed to the Horn Showcase or the World Show. They are good events in a lot of ways and generate a lot of exposure for our breed. I just think it is time the association focuses on protecting the integrity of the breed at these events. We need to be aware that unwanted changes to our breed have been quietly taking place right under our noses for many years. We shouldn’t let these changes continue to happen or go unchecked. As stewards of this great and historic breed our job is to protect the purity of the Texas Longhorn and to promote the functional traits that make it a viable breed.
