Introduction

The Peeler Texas Longhorn foundation herd is located in Atascosa County, Texas and is owned and managed by Justin Alonzo Peeler.


The Peeler Texas Longhorn herd began with Graves Peeler.  With his work for the Texas Cattle Raisers Association when the association was just beginning, Graves travelled range and ranches of south Texas and northern Mexico.  He assembled a herd of longhorns which he believed were true to the wild, natural, pure longhorn breed.


Graves Peeler was the brother of Alonzo M. Peeler, Sr.  Alonzo Mr. Peeler, Sr. was Justin Alonzo Peeler's great grandfather.  Therefore, Graves Peeler was Justin Peeler's great-great-uncle.  Graves had no children of his own (none that anyone knows to speak of, at least).  In Graves' older age, he lived with Justin's grandmother, Dorothy Peeler Rugh, until ailing health moved him into a nursing home where he passed away in 1977.  Graves gave his niece, Dorothy, a herd of his Peeler Longhorns.  When Dorothy passed away in 1994, she left the herd to her grandchildren.  With the desire to keep the Graves Peeler Longhorn herd together and pure, Justin Peeler made the decision to purchase his siblings interest from their grandmother's estate.


Since 1994 and upon Justin's taking ownership and control of the herd, the Peeler Texas Longhorn foundation herd has remained as the original, true, naturally selected longhorns were, living in sync with nature.


The Peeler Texas Longhorn foundation herd now lives on Justin Peeler's part of the original A M Peeler Ranch near Christine, Texas.


For more information on Graves Peeler and his herd, be sure to visit the International Texas Longhorn Association website, the Texas A&M Kingsville South Texas Archives or read Lawrence Clayton's book, Longhorn Legacy: Graves Peeler and the Texas Cattle Trade.