A seven-year-old Texas longhorn from Alabama, USA, has earned a place in the record books thanks to its massive horns.
From end to end, Poncho Via’s shelf measures 323.74 cm (10 ft 7.4 in), more than twice the width of a concert grand piano, as confirmed on May 8, 2019.
It means that this superlative steer not only owns the largest horn extended on a live steer , but has blown all previous contenders out of the water to claim the record for the largest horn extended on a steer as well.
Poncho lives on a ranch in the small town of Goodwater, southeast of Birmingham, Alabama, where he has been raised by the Pope family since he was a baby.
The Popes have been avidly following this record category for several years. His “Could we have a record?” The moment came about when Poncho was about four years old, after they noticed that his steer’s horns didn’t curve upward like those of most longhorns, but instead grew straight.
The family instinct that Poncho might be a record holder was confirmed last month, when Guinness World Records approved his rack measurements. His horn tip extension surpasses that of the previous record holder, a longhorn steer named Sato from Texas, by just over an inch.
Poncho owner Jeral Pope remembers the first time he saw this striking breed: “My wife and I went somewhere out west, riding in a hay wagon. At the top of the hill, silhouetted against the sky, were three or four longhorns. They stood out like anything on the top of that mountain, it was the prettiest thing. I told my wife, we have to have one of them.”
“He was six months old when I got him. I called him Poncho Vía, after the [1960s] film and television character [based on the early 20th century Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa].”
Not surprisingly, Poncho has become something of a local celebrity in Clay County, as Jeral explained: “All my neighbors around here, whenever they have company, come to see the longhorn. He’s just a big, gentle character. They all bring [food] with them: he likes apples, carrots and marshmallows.”
While his horns may look intimidating, the family insists their steer is a big softy at heart. “He’s just a great mascot,” said Jeral’s son, Dennis (aka Jeral Pope Junior). “He’s had so many people over the years come and see him, giving him treats, that he’s become a great, wonderful pet.”
Learn about more record-breaking corral residents in our dedicated animal records showcase.
For Dennis, the record is not just praise for Poncho, but a testament to his father’s vision and community spirit: “[Dad] likes to bring that positive influence to his family and the community. Poncho brings a chance for a different level of 15 minutes of fame.
“Unfortunately, this is one of the poorest counties in the state of Alabama, [but] it now has [the] fame of holding the world record for longhorn steers.”
George Jones, another family member who works on the ranch and helps care for Poncho, reveals that the longhorn has mellowed with age: “When he was younger… [he] only had small horns, but he got frisky… bucking, snorting and carrying… But he has mellowed out as the years have gone by… and he practically walks where he wants to go these days instead of running.”
While Poncho never intentionally hurt anyone with his horns, the unwieldy appendages have occasionally proven to be a disadvantage, as Jones knows all too well. “One day, I was fishing and Poncho came up behind me…” he begins to say sadly.
“He took a bottle of water out of my pocket with his tongue. He’s there playing with the bottle and I reached out and scratched him a little…
“That went on for a while and I guess a horsefly swooped on him or something [because], all of a sudden, he turned his head and I went flying towards the pond. He just completely threw me into the water.”
Claire Stephens of Guinness World Records, senior records manager in the US who handled Poncho’s application, had great interest in this particular record given its provenance: It was exciting to see a record holder come from my state! native of Alabama!
“Although we are used to seeing really surprising things, this really stood out because it is so striking and visual.
“It’s always nice to be the one to break the good news of achieving a record to someone, and the Pope family has been so helpful and enthusiastic in showing Poncho Via’a’s record to the world. It’s clear that Poncho and the Pope family really bring the local community together, and one of the best things about GWR is being able to celebrate things like this with the world.”
More horny beasts
Poncho isn’t the only farm animal to have left his mark on GWR thanks to his phenomenal helmet…
LURCH : Another steer in the GWR hall of fame is Lurch. This African watusi’s horns may not have spread as far as Poncho’s, but in terms of girth, they represented the largest horn girth ever on a steer . At their thickest point, Lurch’s horns measured 95.25 cm (3 ft 1.5 in) round!
JERICHO : Surpassing even Poncho’s (although admittedly curlier), the longest horns on a yak belong to Jericho, owned by Hugh and Melodee Smith of Welch, Minnesota, USA. As of December 23, 2018, its horns measured a combined length of 346.4 cm (11 ft 4.3 in).
RASPUTIN : Not wanting the American cattle to steal the show , GWR traveled to Zlan, Austria, in February 2018. There we met Martin Pirker and his Valais blackneck, Rasputin, whose 140cm wingspan (4ft 7 ,1- in) rack has been authenticated as the largest horn spread on a goat .
JACOB SHEEP : When it comes to the number of horns, the sheep surpasses the bovine. Jacob sheep have up to six horns, the most horns on any animal , although even the most common set of four (example above) is still impressive.
Incredibly, in the Late Cretaceous, a relative of Triceratops known as Kosmoceratops richardsoni had up to 15 horns! These were distributed around its head, including the nose, eyebrows and neck frill, and easily represent the largest number of horns on an animal .
