by
Hannah Farber
| Oct 14, 2026
Austin McCollough has always thought Texas Longhorns were an amazing animal. That admiration turned into something more serious over the past couple of years, when he started digging into the breed in earnest and eventually built a herd of his own.
A Name That Speaks for Itself
When it came to naming the ranch, Austin and Ashley McCollough didn't need to look far. McCollough Longhorns carries the family name, plain and simple.
Along the way, Mike Lutt of Lutt Longhorns has been a steady source of help, one of the people Austin points to when talking about who's shaped his path in the breed.
Watching Them Grow, and Watching Them Play
For the McCollough's, the best part of the ranch is simple: being able to interact with their cows and watch them grow. That connection shows up in some unexpected ways too. Austin tells a favorite story about two of his cows, seven and eight years old, taking off running and jumping and playing like they were calves again.
Ask him for a favorite animal, and the answer is Lucky Lucy. He points to her slim, feminine build, her color, and her horn, along with a personality he genuinely enjoys. He'll admit there might be a little bias in that pick too. Lucky Lucy was his first Longhorn cow.
Building a Name Outside Longhorn Country
Austin and Ashley know they're not starting from the easiest position. Being located outside a typical Longhorn area means getting their name and their herd noticed will take real work. A strong website is a big part of how they plan to close that gap, giving buyers a way to find McCollough Longhorns no matter where they're searching from.
Why Hired Hand
The feature that stood out most to Austin was the populated pedigree system, the ability to look back down a bloodline and actually see photos of the animals behind it. For someone building a program around progeny, that visual history matters.
If you're a breeder building something worth noticing, Hired Hand Software can help make sure the people looking for what you have can actually find you.