Old Reliable: Sweetheart the Longhorn Cow Has Produced 20 Calves in 20 Years

A longhorn cow named Sweetheart gave birth Monday to her 20th calf in 20 years, maintaining a perfect streak for her Cheyenne rancher that includes a set of twins along the way.

Jeff Ketcham, who runs the 100-acre Walkin’ K Ranch east of Cheyenne, bought Sweetheart as one of four longhorn heifers at a Colorado sale in 2006. She earned her name from a heart-shaped tuft of hair in the middle of her forehead. Twenty years later, she’s still going strong.

“Not only is Sweetheart reliable but easy to handle,” Ketcham told Cowboy State Daily. “I’ve never had to pull a calf. I’ve never had to doctor them either.”

The streak is remarkable not just for its length but for the breed. While Angus and Herefords typically produce calves for eight or nine years, longhorns are known for their longevity and hardiness.

“Longevity is in their genes,” Ketcham said. “They’re just a real hardy breed.”

Two of the original four heifers—Sweetheart and Buttons—still roam the ranch. According to The Cattle Site, Texas longhorns are the only cattle breed in America that adapted without human aid, entirely through natural processes. Heifers can conceive while still nursing and produce a living calf without assistance before 16 months old.

Ketcham raises the calves and sells the females to longhorn breeders nationwide each summer. The male calves go for meat. His location helps: he grazes the cattle behind Cheyenne’s Frontier Mall, where passersby stop to take photos. A few have even asked to paint his bull. The visibility means his cows are always sold by summer’s end.

He’s also encouraged neighbors to try the breed. Jim Canterbury now raises longhorns thanks to Ketcham, with all his bloodlines and bulls coming from the Walkin’ K. He’s waiting on three cows to calve this spring.

“They’re a lot of fun to raise,” Ketcham said. “They have great dispositions. They’re easy to handle.”

Given her genes and track record, there’s no reason Sweetheart won’t make it 21.