I have always felt that a great oppertunity was lost when the Longhorn was at its peak population, and nobody thought to select improved strains.
Consider the breeds we bred from native African cattle which are both environmentally adapted and sought after by the modern markets for their meat quality. The selection for better conformed Longhorns is resulting in some impressive adapted cattle, low maintenence adapted breeds are always a good basis for profitable crossbreeding programs, it will be interesting to see how the increased cost of feeding affects the demand for breeds capable of thriving off forage.