Corriente History

Longhorn cattle have been in our country longer than any other breed having been brought into Texas from Mexico way back in the 16th Century. But there is another breed of cattle with nearly the same history that was also influential in shaping today's cattle Industry, I'm Jeff Keane, stay tuned and I will fill you in after the break. Team roping is booming throughout the nation with Corriente cattle the foundation of the sport yet most of us have forgotten the Corriente breed's impact on the cattle industry as a whole, here's Susan Allen with a little history lesson. Jeff, Corrientes like Longhorn cattle arrived in the Americas around 1495 on Spanish ships. The breed was disease resistance with a long life span and most importantly the cattle like longhorns were able to survive the sea voyage. Initially Corriente cattle arrived in Florida, the West Indies, and Central and South America then migrated though out the Southern US and California flourishing until the 1800's when ranchers began breeding more modern European cattle. Direct descendants of those early Corrientes, can still be found today in Florida and Louisiana where they are known as cracker and swamp" cattle and are smaller than their Mexican cousins . Hey if they are smaller sounds like they would be good for roping, I'll bet most team ropers I know wouldn't be too excited about heading or heeling a swamp steer. I'm Jeff Keane.