by Darol Dickinson

The Oregon Trail has been documented in word and film for ever, but now a new Western comedy "MIRACLE WORKERS - OREGON TRAIL" TV Series will be on TBS first airing July 13. These big productions don't just happen -- they are years in the making.

Tad Griffith, stunt actor, producer, coordinator, called DCC hunting two well trained Texas Longhorn oxen back last fall. He had searched all over and could only find Shorthorn and Devon oxen in New England. These breeds were not authentic to the period of the Oregon Trail era. Texas Longhorn, like many efforts of the early American pioneers were native and available for all utility uses. Many wagons were pulled by Texas Longhorns.

I was tasked with the job to find a correct pair of oxen to pull the lead wagon in this film. It was a series of calls with no success, until I called Premier Longhorns in Stillwater, OK. Dee Dee Strauss knows all the oxen and riding steers all over the country. She knew about a pair of steers trained to pull named Liberty and Justice owned by Larry and Claudia Heidbreder of Washington, TX.