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August 2017 Profile: A Shared Vision – Chrystal Hall

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By Jessica Crabtree

Have you ever made a life altering change? You may have not experienced one, but know someone who has. Did it bring them stress and discomfort, as well as freedom, happiness and fulfillment? To change the course of a life takes courage. Chrystal Hall is a testament to life altering change, one she says wasn’t even by her doing, but God’s.

Hall was born and raised in the rural Oklahoma town of Ada. Her father worked as a cop, raising his family on a small farm with cattle. “My dad hated horses, even called them ‘hay burners,”‘ Hall laughed. She was brought up with a small town raising where everyone knew everyone. She attended the rural school of Latta and graduated with 33 in her class. Hall’s father Don Henderson was in a band, playing at the local legion or just in the family’s living room for entertainment. “I can remember, as a kid, mom and dad played old 45’s and 33’s of Conway and Loretta. I can remember singing those songs to the top of my lungs,” Hall reminisced. The Henderson family was complete with Hall, her mother Sherill, father Don and two brothers and one sister.

As small towns have, Ada was no different with a rivalry between the schools of Byng and Latta. “I went to Latta and my husband Dewayne went to Byng,” Hall said. Oddly enough, there were several bumps in the road almost pushing Dewayne and Hall together. “My first car wreck was with Dewayne’s grandpa and I bought my first car from Dewayne,” Hall giggled.

The two dated and married in 1981. Hall developed a love for horses prior to meeting Dewayne, “When I met [Chrystal] she was riding an old horse and roping saddle. I broke her to ride a barrel saddle from the rope saddle,” he explained. Furthermore, Dewayne increased the level of horses Hall was riding, “I would get horses straight off the track, have [Chrystal] ride them 60 days then sell them.” Hall admitted it took her two or three years to learn the proper ways to ride such horses.

As the couple grew together, so did Hall’s ambition to compete in the arena. Placing all her, experience in running barrels, Hall’s resume grew as well as her barn of horses. Having had stumbled upon her “one” named “Wild Thing,” aka “WT,” Hall struggled to find the next “one” after selling WT. “He was automatic! A horse that anyone would want,” Hall said. Dewayne adding, “He was a freak of nature.” Setting the standard for all horses after very high, Hall even stated, “He lit a fire in me.”

Thereafter, Hall spent years trying to replace what she had in WT. Working in the oilfield and running various horses at jackpots, Hall was content. That was until an opportunity arose with a horse in Texas.

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

 

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Country Lifestyles

Nominations Open for National Golden Spur and Working Cowboy Awards

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Ranching and Livestock Industries Seek Nominations for Top Awards

Nominations are now open for the National Golden Spur Award and the Ranching Heritage Association (RHA) Working Cowboy Award.

Nominations can be submitted at goldenspurhonors.com or paper forms can be downloaded from the site and mailed. Nominations for 2024 recipients will be open through May 1.

“The National Golden Spur Award is the most prestigious national honor given to one person by the ranching and livestock industries,” explained Jim Bret Campbell, executive director of the Ranching Heritage Association and National Ranching Heritage Center.  “The addition of the RHA Working Cowboy Award has allowed the industry to recognize those folks who take care of livestock on a daily basis.”

National Golden Spur Award

The National Golden Spur Award is presented in recognition of exceptional accomplishments by an individual. Established in 1978, the award has been conferred upon iconic industry leaders whose unparalleled devotion to land and livestock has earned them notable respect and admiration from their peers.

Presentation of the National Golden Spur Award is a joint annual recognition given by six of the leading national and state ranching and livestock organizations: American Quarter Horse Association, National Cattlemen’s Foundation, Ranching Heritage Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas Farm Bureau, and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

The National Golden Spur Award recipient is selected by a committee of ranching and livestock industry leaders and contributors. One recipient is chosen annually from this national pool. The winner is recognized at the National Golden Spur Award Honors event in Lubbock, Texas, and honored with the “The Rancher” bronze-sculpture presentation piece.

Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award

The Ranching Heritage Association (RHA) Working Cowboy Award recognizes outstanding individuals who make a living primarily in the saddle, caring for livestock and the land on a daily basis. The recipient must be skilled in all aspects of ranch work and respected by the ranch crew and ranching community.

The RHA Working Cowboy Award recipient is selected by a committee of ranching peers from nominations received.  One recipient is chosen annually from this national pool.  The winner is recognized at the National Golden Spur Award Honors event in Lubbock, Texas, and presented with a pair of custom spurs and a $5,000 cash award.

For additional information about the awards, past recipients, and 2024 event, visit goldenspurhonors.com.

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Country Lifestyles

100 Percent Cowboy

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By Dal Houston

A couple of weeks ago I was out of town on business, and while I was stopped at a red light, directly in front of me was a pickup with a large sticker covering the entire rear window that read, “100% COWBOY.”

As I looked at this sticker, my mind immediately began considering what this person was hoping to communicate, as opposed to what it actually communicated to me. Before getting to the heart of this story, I want to be clear that it does not affect you nor me in the least whether some person in some other community is or is not a “cowboy.” Nor does it matter whether you consider being a cowboy a good thing or a bad thing. What I find interesting about this scenario is it is an interesting example of human’s attempts to try to get attention to frame themselves in a seemingly favorable light.

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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Country Lifestyles

When a City Girl Goes Country: Bucket List Dreaming

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By Annette Bridges

I can not say sitting on a bull was ever on my bucket list, but it was fun to be reminded of the occasion. Our daughter came across this gem of a photo of her mamma when unpacking a storage box that had not been opened in many years.

Seeing the photo made me wonder if there are other daring adventures or feats I should add to my to-do list. I certainly do not believe it is ever too late to learn something new or experience something never done before.

When I think about the word dare, my first memories recall hearing it as a child. It might have been a moment when I was facing some obstacle, or a hill to climb, and a friend would exclaim, “I dare you to!”

Back in those days, hearing that exclamation would have sparked my determination to prove I could do whatever I suspected my friend, or brother, thought I could not or would not do.

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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