YouTube/ Guinness World Records

Meet the Alabama Longhorn That Set a World Record

There's a Texas longhorn named Poncho Via with horns so long, he made a Guinness World Record. And he is currently living in Alabama. Poncho's horns are the longest horns of any other living steer coming in at a whopping 10 feet, 7.4 inches. That's over double the width of a concert piano. 

Raised by the Pope family in the small town of Goodwater, Alabama, Poncho Via is now a local celebrity and pretty young to be record holder at 6 years old. Though I'm sure he knows his new record is an honor. Owner, Jeral Pope Sr, told NPR that generally, longhorns are much older when their horns get measured for records. 

"They were all 9 to 12 to 15-years-old when they were measured for the world record and Poncho's much younger than that," he said. "There's no telling how much he'll grow."

This video from Guinness World Records shows the gentle giant (and his glorious horns) up close and personal.

Read More: Texas Longhorn Rides Shotgun in Car, Because He's Got Places to Be

Generally, horns grow quickly when steers are younger and then eventually measure out. This means that Poncho Via's horns could grow even longer. He narrowly beat the previous record holder, Sato, but over an inch in length. I bet you're wondering how a longhorn steer with the world's largest horn spread actually gets around. According to Jeral's son Dennis, he manages just fine. 

"He can run through the trees on the farm...he knows where any post is, any obstacle, he just tips his head and goes on. It's amazing to see him run," Dennis told NPR.

Poncho's owners say that he has been a wonderful big pet and gentle giant to the family since they brought him home at 6 months old. The family noticed pretty early on that the horn span of Poncho was growing faster than Dennis' steer Moo's horns. They've been measuring him closely for years. We'll have to stay tuned to see if Poncho eventually breaks his own record down the line.

Now Watch: The 5 Best Log Cabin Kits to Buy and Build