• Longhorns are a truly distinctive breed.Joseph Sohm-Visions of America/Stockbyte/Getty Images
  
  The Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America describes the longhorn as "an old breed with a new future." The distinctive longhorn is an icon of the American West, and is still actively farmed today. It's prized for its lean meat, docile nature and adaptability to many different conditions. Several associations exist in certain regions of the United States to promote longhorn cattle.
  
  

Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America

• Based in Fort Worth, Texas, the association was founded in 1964 by a group of enthusiastic longhorn breeders. It aims to preserve the Texas longhorn as a distinct breed by helping ranchers to develop and maintain herds and by aiding research into the breed's ancestry. The association maintains a longhorn registry to keep track of purebred animals. It also runs a foundation to promote educational programs and works with livestock organizations.
  
  

International Texas Longhorn Association

• The ITLA publishes "Longhorn Drover," a quarterly magazine containing articles on both the history and the care of the breed. The association is based in Glen Rose, Texas, and also maintains a cattle registry. The group keeps a calendar of events for longhorn breeders all over the country, including cattle auctions, shows, county fairs and conventions. The association reports that the ancestors of today's longhorn were brought to North America as long ago as 1493.
  
  

Oklahoma's Texas Longhorn Cattle Association

• This association was incorporated in 1981 in Oklahoma City. The association claims to have been instrumental in establishing the Texas longhorn show circuit, when it held the first National Open Texas Longhorn Show and Exhibition in 1986. The Oklahoma association emphasizes the diversity of people interested in the longhorn -- those who show cattle, to those who produce lean beef for market and members who run ranches with roping and recreational cattle.