The Longhorn cattle breed has a long and prestigious history, dating back prior to the livestock pioneers of the 18th century. It was, for a period, the improved breed of choice in the Midland Counties. But the breed gradually fell from favour and, by the early 1970s, only 6 significant Longhorn herds remained in the UK. However, the Longhorn was one of many rare breeds to benefit from the growth of the rare breeds movement in the 1970s, led by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. A number of factors have helped the breed to recover, including: an active breed society providing registrations and analyses based on these, promoting the breed, organising sales and shows and providing an important social framework for breeders and supporters; creation of a semen bank; niche marketing of meat and hides and the use of the breed in conservation grazing.