Equine
The Legacy — Nitas Wood Bloodline
By Corsi Martin
The cutting horse breeding industry took a blow on Oct. 4, 2018, in the form of the death of an incredible stallion and top producer in the world of cutting, Nitas Wood (Zach T Wood x Nita Quixote). After years of health complications, which caused the sire much pain at the young age of 23, Nitas Wood was laid to rest in the comfort and peacefulness of his home with Mike and Tammy Jones.
The $6 million producer sired champion after champion, providing the sport of cutting a real “run for the money.” Woody Be Lucky (aka: “Freak”) has ball parked a lifetime earning of roughly $700,000, making him the top money-earning horse that Nitas Wood has produced to date. Although quite a bit younger, Woody Be Lucky’s kid sister, Junie Wood, is following proudly in his footsteps with a lifetime earning of $525,000 and title of 2014 Horse of the Year.
The champions in the Nitas Wood family date back to 1999, when his career as a producer first began as a four-year-old.
“We only had two foals from his first crop,” said Don Crumpler of Crumpler Brother’s Cutting Horses. “Could I Wood I and Wood U Jazz came first. When we saw how great Could I was, we were excited to continue breeding him.”
Nitas Wood had an outstanding pedigree. Being a product of Zach T Wood and the Crumpler’s mare Nitas Quixote, Nitas Wood was destined for greatness. The Crumpler’s initially raised the young stallion, but later sold him.
Although the outstanding sire is no longer with us, his legacy is proudly carried on by his son, Brother Tuff Wood. Brother Tuff Wood is not only a product of the late Nitas Wood, he also has Quixote blood on both sides, which is what makes him a solid candidate for excellence.
To read more pick up a copy of the December 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
Equine
The Danger of Lower Limb Wounds of Horses
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.
Equine
A Rodeo Photographer’s Journey
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.
Equine
Where Legends are Made
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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