The Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America (TLBAA) is a North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

n organization of ranchers who participate in the breeding and husbandry of Texas Longhorn

Texas longhorn (cattle)

The Texas Longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, which can extend to tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows, and tip to tip for bulls. Horns can have a slight upward turn at their tips or even triple twist. Texas Longhorns are known for their diverse coloring...

 cattle. Based in Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas

Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...

, the organization was founded in 1964 to serve as a registry for the longhorn breed. It has grown into a promotional organization for the longhorn breed, to "protect the unique heritage of the Texas Longhorn, to preserve the purity of the breed, and to promote Texas Longhorns as a distinct breed while encouraging its future through promotion, education and research." As part of its efforts, the organization sponsors competitions among Texas Longhorn breeders in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, including a World Show each June in Fort Worth. Since its founding in 1964, its membership has grown from 12 to over 5,000. The organization also publishes a quarterly trade journal for breeders called Texas Longhorn Trails.

Past presidents of the organization include John T. Baker of Liberty Hill, Texas

Liberty Hill, Texas

Liberty Hill is a city in Williamson County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,409 at the 2000 census, and 1,491 in the 2005 census estimate.-Geography:Liberty Hill is located at , about 29 miles northwest of Austin....

, owner of the Sunrise Ranch. Baker, who currently serves as a judge for TLBAA competitions, supplied the last two Bevos

Bevo (mascot)

Bevo is the name of the mascot of the sports teams at the University of Texas at Austin, a Texas longhorn steer with burnt orange coloring. The shape of the Longhorn's head and horns gives rise to the school's hand symbol and saying, Hook 'em Horns...

 (XIII and XIV) to the University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...

.

Competitions

TLBAA competitions are generally identical in format, although the length depends greatly on the size of the competition, with the World Show being spread out over three full days. The competitions are divided into two categories, haltered and non-haltered. Bull

Bull

Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...

s compete only the halter show, whereas heifer

Heifer

Heifer may refer to:*A young cow before she has had her first calf*Red Heifer, in Judaism is a heifer that is sacrificed and whose ashes are used for the ritual purification*Heifer International, a charitable organization...

s compete in both haltered and non-haltered competitions. Each category is divided into classes by age, starting calves and going up to three years of age. There are sometimes "mature" classes for animals older than three years. Winners in each age class then compete against each other, divided first by junior and senior classes, where junior and senior grand champion and reserve grand champions are awarded. These winners then move on to the overall competition, where an overall champion and reserve grand champion are awarded. On some occasions, there are also steer competitions, although these are usually much less formal then the bull and heifer competitions. At the larger shows, there are sometimes "get of sire" and "produce of dam" competitions, in which progeny of bulls and heifers, respectively, are judged in groups of threes. The larger shows also feature "youth shows", which usually take place before the halter and non-halter shows.

The organization's World Show is held each year in Fort Worth at the Will Rogers Memorial Center

Will Rogers Memorial Center

The Will Rogers Memorial Center is an public entertainment, sports and livestock complex located in Fort Worth, Texas . The complex is named for American humorist and writer Will Rogers. The WRMC is the home of the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo...

. Qualification for the World Show is accomplished through points accumulated in the World Qualifying Show Circuit, a series regional competitions throughout the winter and spring, often held in conjunction with county fairs and other livestock shows. Grand Championship at the World Show is considered the highest honor for a breeder.

Judging

In TLBAA competitions, animals are always escorted by handlers (usually the owner of the animal, or a family member of the owner) into the judging ring. Judging is based completely on the animal itself, and not at all on the handler (the exception in the youth competition, where the handler is judged on skill and knowledge). Animals are judged on three criteria: color, horn, and competition. Color refers to the general pattern of the hide. Horn refers to the overall shape and character of the animals horns. Composition is a looser category referring to the overall disposition of the animals torso and presentation. This latter category is considered to be the most variable among the individual judges.

In most competitions, it is considered incumbent on the judge to comment on each animal as it exits the arena in turn, explaining the basis for his or her decision (the majority of judges are men). By etiquette and tradition, the judge tends to favor the positive characteristics of each animal, gently pointing out qualities that might improved.

In the get of sire and produce of dam competitions, the animals are judged (in groups of three) for the strength of the parent animal in passing on certain desired genetic traits. The parent animal itself is not displayed. The three progeny animals but be from different dams or sires, respectively.