I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.

-Psalm 77:11

3x great grandfather Andreas Polnac, Sr., 2x great grandfather Andreas "Andy" Polnac, Jr, & Andy's older brother

OUR FAMILY’S TEXAS LONGHORN HISTORY

Following the Civil War, beef was in short supply north and west of Texas. But in the brush country of the southern and western parts of the state, Longhorn cattle had been growing wild and plentiful. As a result, while steers might sell for $2/head here, north of the Red River prices as high as $100/head could be had.
Back six generations in our family, Andreas Polnac, Sr. owned—and with his wife and six sons—operated a cattle ranch in Snyder, Scurry County, Texas, on the MacKenzie Trail where Longhorn cattle were the staple of his herd. Taking advantage of the marketing opportunities provided by the War, Andreas and his boys would drive their cattle on the MacKenzie, then due east to cross over the Western Trail near Abilene. Continuing east, they would ultimately reach the stockyards at Fort Worth where the cattle would then be taken north on the famed Chisholm Trail with so many other Texas herds. Having no desire to leave Texas and also having a ranch to operate, our family would return to Snyder after selling our Longhorns to the drovers headed north from Fort Worth. Each time, the 460-mile round-trip would take roughly one and a half months, with the trip from Snyder taking much longer than the return trip from Fort Worth, so as to afford the cattle with ample time to graze and keep up their weight along the way.
In the late 1800s our girls’ Great-Great Grandfather Andreas “Andy” Polnac, Jr., was 12 years old when he was first allowed to go with his father and older brothers on the great cattle drives. From the ages of 12 to 15, he walked the twice annual 230-mile trek from Snyder to Fort Worth on foot. If their camp cookie was feeling especially kind, he might allow Andy to ride on the chuck wagon in exchange for dish-washing duty later in the evening. In his later years, Andy Polnac recalled to our girls’ grandfather (who was then a young boy), how excited he was to turn 16 years old, because that meant that he could finally ride a horse rather than walk during the drives east! He recounted how his excitement was short-lived, however, when he realized that as the youngest cowboy in the outfit, he had to ride drag until he got more years under his belt…
While each subsequent generation of our family has raised various breeds of cattle throughout west, central, and the Hill Country areas of Texas, at Gang of 5 Longhorns we proudly honor those pioneering men and women who’s respect for the land, fear of God, and love of cattle first blazed the trails and laid the firm foundations that we build upon today. We are grateful for them and for all of those in the Texas Longhorn business who continue these great traditions.

In Remembrance: Sarajevo (“Sara”); 1983 - 2004

Brad Westmoreland purchased Sara in 1983 as a 6th grader. She was a days-old calf who had mistakenly been bought at auction by Sam Nix—a family friend—who at the time thought he was bidding on her mother. She obviously came without any papers, but the best as could be determined, Sara was a Charolais/Longhorn cross. Mr. Nix offered to sell her to Brad for the amount he had paid for her at auction ($50.00), and the deal was accepted. Sara was a proud but well-behaved cow who lived to be 21 years old, led the herd most of those years, and successfully raised 20 calves—a tribute to her Longhorn genetics. At Gang of 5 Longhorns we fondly remember Sara…the great cow who started it all.

The Story of Our Family’s Brands

The “pistol 5 pistol” brand—now used by Gang of 5 Longhorns—was developed as a family to both be instantly recognizable as a Longhorn cattle brand and to serve as a reminder that we are all in this together as a Gang of 5.

The “Flying W” brand belongs to Gary and Juaneze Westmoreland. For decades it has denoted that the quality Simmental, black Angus, and Sim-Angus cross cattle sporting it have originated from their Wildflower Ranch in Falls County, Texas.

The “Circle Z” was used by O.Z. Lemens and Camilla (Polnac) Lemens (granddaughter of Andreas Polnac, Sr.) with their cattle operation for generations in Somervell County, Texas. Their ranch, now known as the “Indian Springs Ranch,” is named for the natural springs that served to sustain the indigenous Native American people who are known to have lived (and died) in the limestone canyons unique to that part of the Texas Hill Country. As of 2021, the ranch house on the Indian Springs was 127 years old—one of the first habitations in Somervell County, Texas. The Indian Springs is now the primary home of the Gang of 5 Longhorns main herd.

The “W5-connected” was the first brand used by Brad and Anne Westmoreland for their commercial cattle operation that originated in Bell and Falls Counties in the 1980’s and then moved to Hamilton County, Texas in the 2000s. It originated in memorial to the first 5 cows that Brad ever owned outright as a boy: Sara, Sesqui, Star, Sanman, and Little Bit.