Horse Country Series | Following the Trail: Longhorns, the Shawnee Trail, and the Fiesta Sale

Before Celina became one of the fastest-growing towns in Texas, millions of longhorns were already making their way through North Texas, leaving behind a legacy that helped shape the

state itself.

Descendants of cattle brought to the New World by Spanish explorers more than 500 years ago, Texas Longhorns became one of the enduring symbols of the American West. After the Civil War, they were often called the "currency of Texas," helping ranchers and families rebuild their lives and fortunes.

One of the most important routes for those cattle drives was the historic Shawnee Trail. From the 1860s through the 1870s, hundreds of thousands of longhorns traveled through North Texas communities like Addison, Plano, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, and the surrounding countryside on their way to markets and the railroads farther north in places like Shawnee, Kansas. Long before railroads and interstates, these cattle carved out a path that became part of the fabric of this region.

More than a century later, that story is still being written.

For forty-four years, legendary Texas businessman and rancher Red McCombs hosted the Fiesta Sale, one of the premier Texas Longhorn events in the country. It became much more than a cattle sale. It was a gathering of friends, breeders, and families who shared a passion for preserving the breed and the heritage behind it.

Before his passing, Red entrusted longtime friend and fellow rancher Rex Glendenning with carrying on that tradition.

Today, Rex and Sherese Glendenning have brought the Fiesta Sale home to Celina, continuing a legacy that feels right at home on the same ground where longhorns once traveled more than a century before. The ranch transforms into a beautiful celebration with continued traditions every first weekend in May to correspond with Cinco de Mayo.

"Each year gets easier and each year gets more fun," Sherese says. "The people in the longhorn community are just amazing people."

And that's really what makes the Fiesta Sale special. Yes, great cattle are bought and sold, but it's the people who keep everyone coming back. From seasoned ranchers to families with a handful of cattle, the annual event feels more like a reunion than an auction.

There's something fitting—even poetic—about that.

The trails may look different today, but the spirit remains the same.

Thanks to families like the Glendennings, the story of the Texas Longhorn, the Shawnee Trail, and the Fiesta Sale continues to thrive across North Texas, reminding us that some legacies aren't measured simply by land or livestock, but by the traditions and relationships passed from one generation to the next.