Texas Longhorns Give Taste of Old West
Texas Longhorn Cattle can be found at Dickinson Cattle Company just north of Barnesville only a couple of miles off I-70 at one of the largest cattle breeding ranches in the United States. Today consumers desire leaner beef, which makes Texas Longhorns a good choice.
Darol and Linda Dickinson had their first ranch in Colorado over 50 years ago. They have always had a serious dedication to profitability, value breeding, and competing. In 1980, their bull named “Impressive” sold for $60,000, a record at that time. They have shipped cattle via “Air Mail” all over the world in specially made cattle crates.
Winters were cold in Colorado and Darol was looking for another place for his ranch. In 1993 while driving on I-70 through the eastern part of Ohio, he saw some reclaimed strip-mine land that would make great pasture. He could picture his colorful Texas Longhorns grazing on these hillsides like a scene from the Old West. He’ll tell you today, “Ohio has the greatest ranch land country in the world.”
The Dickinson family consists of founders Darol, the General Manager, and Linda plus their four children. Joel (president) is herd manager and lives on the ranch. Kirk (treasurer) works there, keeps their website up to date, and lives close by. Chad (vice-president) lives in Texas where he is a contractor so he built the house and store at the ranch and also does marketing. Their only daughter Dela (secretary) lives back in Colorado and handles Longhorn events for them there. Dickinson Cattle Co. is owned and operated by this Christian family.
Driving into the ranch on a gravel road gives one a feeling of traveling back to the Old West. Humorous signs along the way signify that the owners have a sense of humor. Examples are “Do not brake for coyotes” or “Hopalong Cassidy rode here.” The sign on the door of their store says “Vegan Rehab Center.”
That strip-mine land has been developed to now include up to 1600 head of cattle in 43 separate, fenced pastures on 5,000 acres. However, there’s more to Dickinson Cattle Co. than just the cattle. First stop should be their Longhorn Head to Tail store.
A door from their Colorado home now serves as the entrance to their store. Darol had gone to a friend’s ranch and saw John Wayne going through a beautiful door into the office. Shortly thereafter, Darol had an identical door built by Taso Wood Works in New Mexico for the door of his home.
Longhorn Head to Tail is not a typical Appalachian shop but a unique Western Horn Emporium. The timber in the store including walls and jewelry case came from lumber on the farm when trees were cut during fence building. Watch a video about the ranch and its herd sires. Then browse the store to see soft-tanned hides, Longhorn skulls and horns from real Texas Longhorn steers grown on the ranch., and many interesting items made from the hides and horns including jewelry, which is hand-made there. It’s like a museum! Perhaps the most important thing there is their frozen beef section.
Their Longhorn grass-fed, lean beef raised right there on the ranch can be purchased in the form of steaks, roasts, ground beef, jerky, and more. This meat is inspected and they try to keep it as natural as possible with no steroids, hormones, or implants added. A sign by the meat freezer says ”Antibiotics – Get them from your Doctor not your beef.” They even have beef pet food for your special pets at home. All natural beef halves are available upon request. The store is open throughout the year from 10-5 except on Sundays.
You might want to take a Longhorn Head to Tail Bus Tour from April through October and see their breeding stock and herd sires. The tour takes about 75 minutes and includes close-up viewing of the cattle. The rugged ranch bus bounces across rough Appalachian pastures so guests can get a close-up view of where the cattle roam. Purchase special cow-candy to feed the animals. These tours are available for groups of 10 or more paying age guests by appointment. If you have a small group give them a call for possible times they might join a booked group.
The main business at Dickinson Cattle Co. is breeding and developing a superior quality of registered cattle. When the nearly 400 calves are born in the spring, they only keep ten that may be used in their private herd someday. Dutch BueLingo Cattle and African Watusi Cattle can also be found on their ranch. They have five cowboys to assist with herd management.
Choice of a bull is of utmost importance. The ranch usually has ten main herd sires. They try to select bulls that have perfect form and are of varied colors. Solid color bulls and calves are not as popular in the Longhorn community. Dickinson Cattle Co. has had many champion bulls including Texas Champions as well as World Champions. If you don’t want to purchase a bull, perhaps contacting them about semen might be a way to get started.
While many are very cautious around the Longhorn cattle because of their long horns, which can be up to eight feet from tip to tip, they are really very gentle and every bull can be led with a halter. Children often enjoy riding them and they even pull large loads.
Call 740-758-5050 for more information or visit their website at www.longhorntours.com. Take a drive back to the days of the Old West and visit Dickinson Cattle Co. on a bus tour from April to October before stopping for some tasty lean beef at their Longhorn Head to Tail Store, which is open all year except on Sundays. Don’t forget your camera!
Gypsy Road Trip 