![The Bethels have lived at Leahton Park, 10km from Charters Towers, since 1998. Picture by Steph Allen. The Bethels have lived at Leahton Park, 10km from Charters Towers, since 1998. Picture by Steph Allen.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/227607942/3a1ff685-ebd3-48c2-91e9-e3ff4886486f.jpg/r0_0_3468_3024_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
LEAHTON Park has continued to make its mark in the Texas Longhorn record books with the fastest growing horns in history.
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Charters Towers producers Mick and Lynda Bethel said their three-year-old prize heifer, Madonna, has made history with her horns reaching 2.3m from tip to tip, faster than any cow on record to reach that mark.
"She's in a league of her own," Mr Bethel said.
"Access to all those good U.S. genetics has allowed us to breed cattle of a really high quality.
"If we didn't stick religiously with the AI, we wouldn't have been able to achieve that. We're reaping the rewards for what we've done in the past."
The Bethels have been at the forefront of Texas Longhorn breeding for decades, growing the longest horns in Australia, with an assortment of trophy steers on track to challenge the horn length of the late JR, who held the Guinness World Record for the longest horns in 2013.
One particular steer, Newt, is currently the longest horned animal in the country - part of a select group of steers whose horns reach over 100 inches.
"Newt isn't far behind JR. His horns are longer than what JR's were when he broke the Guinness World Record," Mr Bethel said.
Mr Bethel said it could be another couple of months to see whether Newt will claim back Leahton Park's record.
Leahton Park is also home to two American Bison, Sardo Negros, African Ankole Watusi, Indian Gyr, Scottish Highlanders and Asian Water Buffalo.
The couple have a custom-made crush to accommodate their animals' expansive horns (which they are trained to manoeuvre as weaners) and a 'Love Shack', where Mrs Bethel tracks and inseminates all of their females through artificial insemination.
The extremely fertile animals are separated when they are young to prevent "babies from having babies".
![The Bethels have lived at Leahton Park, 10km from Charters Towers, since 1998. Picture by Steph Allen. The Bethels have lived at Leahton Park, 10km from Charters Towers, since 1998. Picture by Steph Allen.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/227607942/c58b2706-584b-429b-8342-289bf71b45cc.jpg/r0_0_3817_3024_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
They currently have one 3.5 year old bull with enough out-crossed blood for use over a quarter of their females.
"He's superbly bred and one of the best Longhorn bulls bred in Australia," Mr Bethel said.
"We'll use him for another year or two and see if we can move him onto someone else while he's still young."
The Bethels keep their animal numbers limited to 120 head on their 1100 acres, selling females and quality bulls to other breeders, with a market also for their display steers.
"Because we've been going so long, we would've bred more full-blood Longhorns than anyone else in the country," Mr Bethel said.
"There are other breeders who have more [Longhorns] than us some of their genetics have certainly been sourced from here. We're taking them to the next level and making them more accessible to other breeders. That makes us proud."
![Mick Bethel says Leahton Park was named for the couple's two daughters, Stacey and Caitlin. Picture by Steph Allen. Mick Bethel says Leahton Park was named for the couple's two daughters, Stacey and Caitlin. Picture by Steph Allen.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/227607942/9638f704-5c3c-4911-8602-7b0bba0d7954.jpg/r0_0_4032_3024_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The couple started with frozen embryos from Semkin Longhorns, Oklahoma through a partnership with a Longhorn breeder from New Zealand, Patrick Holt, later sourcing embryos from another breeder in Ohio.
"We focused right from the start on full-blood Longhorns...and because of the fact we've used the best of the best genetics from America over the years, that's allowed us to breed cattle on par with some of the best in [America]," Mr Bethel said.
Mr Bethel also runs a custom-made saddlery, Bethel Saddlery, another nod to his lifelong love of the "wild west".
"There's that whole cowboy connection. Texas only evolved because there were Texas Longhorns," he said.
"It was almost like joining the dots. It was destined to be. I got fascinated with the breed."
![Leahton Park has Texan-inspired attractions that are a feast for the eyes. Picture by Steph Allen. Leahton Park has Texan-inspired attractions that are a feast for the eyes. Picture by Steph Allen.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/227607942/90b8ecf9-faa9-47b8-ba39-c7318e963942.jpg/r0_0_4032_3024_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
After opening their gates to tour groups in 2009, the Bethels began a new branch of their business, retaining their cattle for tourism or for other breeders, and instead focusing on turning over tourists - some of which have never seen horned animals before, as the polled trend continues.
Their tourism season is when the park comes to life - keeping them busy with tours from the start of May to October.
Thousands of guests visit to the park to get up and close with the cattle, visit the gift shop, sample classic bush tucker and billy tea and pay a visit to the Gallery of Horns - dedicated to the late JR.
"People are coming [from all over Australia and overseas] to see what we do here. It's been a lot of fun," Mr Bethel said.
While Longhorns produce quality, lean meat, without the numbers there is not a commercial viability for their meat.
"At the end of the day you have a produce that can be utilised apart from their meat," Mr Bethel said.
"If you want to eat them yourself, you have that skull and horns...[there are] processors willing to process Longhorns."
Mr Bethel also polishes and sells his Longhorns, skulls and hides.