Christa Whitlock began raising Texas Longhorn cattle for roping stock in 1991, while she worked at a state fish hatchery for the Missouri Department of Conservation.  Ralph worked as a Fish Biologist at a federal fish hatchery in Neosho, MO and met Christa during a hatchery meeting in 2001.  He immediately fell in love with not only his wife to be, but also her beautiful longhorn cattle.  The couple were married in 2003, purchased 30 acres of Missouri land, and began raising and improving their small herd and their newly acquired, unimproved land.  Since both had full time jobs off the farm, they needed to raise a hardy, independent breed of cattle, needing little attention and longhorns more than filled the bill.  They purchased their first registered Texas Longhorn bull and heifer in 2006, and founded their registered herd with three daughters of that cross.  The couple moved to Arizona in 2007 for one year, before settling in Tishomingo, Oklahoma in 2008.  In 2009, their daughter, Sarah, was born to the couple and now helps check, feed, and water the cows.  In 2010 the couple moved their entire herd from their 30 acre farm in Missouri to their newly acquired 75 acres in Pontotoc, Oklahoma.  In 2012, they began utilizing AI to upgrade and diversify their small herd.  Today, the Simmons Cattle Company is raising quality registered Texas Longhorn cattle that are of large frame, sound conformation, beautiful color, and of course long horned.  But they are also offering Lean Longhorn Grass Fed Beef to a health conscious local clientele.