07/06/2026
CHARLES GOODNIGHT KEPT ONE LONGHORN STEER FOR 20 YEARS. THAT STEER LED 3,000 CATTLE UP THE TRAIL 8 TIMES.
Charles Goodnight was not a sentimental man. He blazed the Goodnight-Loving Trail. He brought the southern bison back from extinction. He ran one of the largest ranches in Texas.
And he wept when a Longhorn steer named Old Blue died.
Old Blue was Goodnight's lead steer at the JA Ranch in Palo Duro Canyon. He wore a brass bell around his neck. The cattle learned to follow that bell through any terrain — river crossings, rough country, unfamiliar pastures. When the drive ended for the day, Goodnight would call for Old Blue and the steer would bring the herd in.
Over eight seasons, Old Blue led trail drives from the JA Ranch in Palo Duro Canyon north to Dodge City, Kansas — roughly 1,500 miles round trip. He led herds of 3,000 head or more. He crossed rivers no one thought cattle would cross. He worked through weather that stopped lesser animals.
When the trail drive era ended, Goodnight kept Old Blue in retirement on the JA Ranch. Old Blue lived to the age of 20. When he died, Goodnight had his skull and bell preserved. They are still at the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas today.
There are ranchers who can still describe Old Blue in detail — not because they knew him, but because Goodnight talked about him for the rest of his life.
Is there a single animal from your operation that you'll never forget? 👇
📚 Sources: J. Evetts Haley, Charles Goodnight: Cowman and Plainsman (1936) · Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Canyon, TX (holds Old Blue's skull and bell)
