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Equine Superstars & Everyday Heroes – “The House that Tebow Built”

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By Janis Blackwell

Welcome readers to my new column and culmination of a long time desire. For a while I’ve wanted to write a column that features a different outstanding horse every month—outstanding for super athletic and competitive accomplishments or for just being the best everyday friend and partner to their human companion that they can be, fulfilling whatever need we have for them. NTFR agreed to allow me this desire, and so here we go.

This first article features an amazing steer wrestling horse owned by K.C. Jones, nine times National Finals Rodeo qualifier and two-time qualifier for the American. K.C. first observed the stout built, sorrel gelding while he was owned by Calvin Brevick. Calvin had acquired him from Chad Masters, who was using him for team roping. But as Calvin continued roping on him, it began to seem as though team roping wasn’t his niche. One day he decided to send him to Timmy Sparing at Stephenville to try on bulldogging. Timmy took him to K. C.’s where they ran him by some steers in the practice pen, and he did really well from the start. After a few days, it became evident that he liked and took to the steer wrestling.
K.C. liked what he saw and bought the horse. In K.C.’s words, “He’s just a big ole stout work horse.”

Having just read the biography of quarterback Tim Tebow, he realized the horse reminded him of the exceptionally strong player who was not only the strongest player on the University of Florida team, but was just a really hard worker. The sorrel gelding registered as Rastus Honey Twist, that K.C. describes as just a strong, blue collar type horse got tagged as “Tebow.”

K.C. said they got him on a good feed regimen and Tebow just continued to steadily improve his performance. K.C. credits him with an incredibly sound mind and exceptionally good behavior in the box, qualities that are absolutely essential for a winning bulldogging horse.

To read more pick up a copy of the July 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.

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Equine

The Danger of Lower Limb Wounds of Horses

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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.

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Equine

A Rodeo Photographer’s Journey

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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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Equine

Where Legends are Made

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By Krista Lucas Wynn

The format of the American Rodeo, now known in its entirety as the American Western Weekend, has changed quite a bit throughout the years. The inaugural American Rodeo was held in 2014 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It is now held at Globe Life Field, across the street, with two full days of reined cow horse, cutting, reining, and rodeo competition.
Rodeo cowboys and cowgirls have been working to qualify for the 2024 event since last January. It is a long road to the American, starting with qualifier events all over the country. If a competitor wins money at a qualifier, they then advance to the regional finals in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and Lexington, Ky.

Then, the top five from each event move on to the Contender Finals in Abilene, Texas, Feb. 10. There, the field will continue to be narrowed down to five in each event to compete at the American rodeo.

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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