Equine
NCTC’s Outstanding Equine Program
By Janis Blackwell
I recently had the privilege of visiting with Becky Terrell, one of the instructors in the equine department of North Central Texas College in Gainesville, Texas. Last month my article was dedicated to the return of the rodeo team to NCTC, but there is so much more going on there for students who are interested in horses and the horse industry that this part two article is necessary to adequately cover the program.
The equine department is a division of the agriculture department and has existed since the late 1970s. Becky Terrell and Cathy Luse are the professors responsible for teaching and coaching the equine classes and teams.
Becky’s relationship with horses began in her hometown of Stillwater, Oklahoma’s 4-H program. As she grew up, she moved from 4-H to the American Quarter Horse Association’s youth program where she competed in both English and western events. She attended Oklahoma State University where her original plan was to enter vet school, but an accident which resulted in a serious head injury changed those plans and resulted in her attending Texas Tech University and majoring in animal science where she was recruited as part of the equine judging team.
She finished her undergraduate studies at Texas Tech and then was recruited to Colorado State University where she began teaching some starter level riding courses. Upon graduating from CSU with a master’s in reproductive behavior in horses, Becky became a breeding manager on several reputable farms and eventually was accepted as a trainer when her employers became aware of her ability.
After training for others and eventually for herself, Becky settled back in the Gainesville area where she saw that there was a position open at NCTC in the equine department.
At NCTC, Becky is responsible for teaching equine science, reproduction, one training course, one riding course and in addition coaches the horse judging team which she believes enhances critical thinking skills. Over the years, Becky’s horse judging team has been very successful both as individuals and as a team. Becky considers herself very blessed to be able to work every day with horses and young people. In her words, “It’s like not working at all because you’re doing what you love”.
To read more pick up a copy of the June 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Phillip Kitts
The mystique and imagined glory of the rodeo road call many young people’s names. As they grow up, they watch the greats of the sport run from rodeo to rodeo and occasionally land on the television giving the perception of the rockstar lifestyle.
No, the glory of the rodeo road is not as grand as, say, the National Football League or the National Basketball Association, but being an athlete competing in front of the yellow chutes of Vegas is just as big a deal, and in every way, can be compared to competing in a Super Bowl.
However, things sure are different in the rodeo world. Let us take a minute and talk about what seem to be simple things in life that impact rodeo and rodeo athletes that in no way would make a difference to the big-money sports.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Garrett Metcalf, DVM
It is common for horse owners to have a horse with a wound or laceration at some point in their life. Sometimes small lacerations can be perceived as benign, inconsequential problems that do not need immediate veterinary attention and are managed by the owners or trainers initially. Unfortunately, these simple-looking wounds can involve very important anatomical structures that can lead to serious infections that can be life-threatening or, at best career-limiting, for the horse.
Large wounds tend to get all the attention from owners or trainers because when they occur they are so obvious and visually appalling that medical attention is sought almost immediately. Those types of large wounds can be devastating, but they often involve the upper body regions of the horse, which heal better and often don’t involve structures such as joints or tendons.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Phillip Kitts
Have you ever wondered what the rodeo looks like for contract personnel in the winter?
This month we will look at what the winter months look like from the rodeo photographer’s perspective.
To understand the time and demands that go into a career as a rodeo photographer, let’s start at when the season gets busy. Not all rodeo photographers work the same. There are many varieties in their career field. They can vary from the few weekends here and there to the full-timer who travels more than 30 weekends a year.
The full-timer that spends most of their year working usually hits the road in late winter. Yes, the winter months are slower but the photographer who has cemented themselves into the field usually books a few during late winter.
Rolling into the spring it begins to get busy. Depending on the photographer, spring can start with an every other weekend type schedule all the way to every weekend through the summer. In 2023 there were photographers that had 20-plus weeks straight going from rodeo to rodeo.
When late fall rolls in things begin to slow down, even for the go-getter who books everything they can.
To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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