Farm & Ranch
Rejuvenating a county’s tradition: Wichita County Mounted Patrol Arena
By staff writer Jessica Bartel
The smell of dirt and livestock, the bright lights of an arena and sound of a large crowd on a Saturday night resonates with so many rodeo competitors and rodeo fans. The Wichita County Mounted Patrol Arena was the stage for many large performances such as the Red River PRCA rodeo and the Ranch Round-Up. Present Wichita County Mounted Patrol President Mike Kephart said, “I remember the day when this place was it! It was a big deal! Cars would be everywhere. People would park all the way to the Wichita River bridge.”
The arena was organized and built by a committee in 1957. Its top contributors were Cletus Shank and Dr. Ted Alexander. Alexander and a group of 15 horse lovers met in the Wichita County Courthouse and organized a riding club named the Wichita County Sheriff’s Patrol. Later, in 1967, the Sheriff’s Patrol changed their name to Wichita County Mounted Patrol.
On March 23, 1958, the first charter was written and the Patrol was incorporated as a non-profit and charitable organization. The committee combined to preserve the western heritage and bring top competitors and rodeo athletes to Wichita County. To read more pick up the April 2014 issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch.
By Tressa Lawrence
Ranchers across northeast Wyoming and the surrounding areas saw record moisture levels in 2023. The year 2024 has seen significantly less moisture to date.
By Lindsey Monk
People are finishing up brandings. Here, Danny Walter is shown getting it done.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM
On July 6, 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) posted in the Federal Register a proposal that radio frequency identification tags be used as official identification for cattle and bison. Following a period for public comment, the USDA APHIS released a statement on April 24, 2024, with the amended animal disease traceability (ADT) regulation for cattle and bison. The full press release may be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/aphis-bolsters-animal-disease-traceability-united-states. Under the new rule, cattle and bison will need to be identified with tags that are both visual and electronic.
The USDA defines ADT as knowing where diseased and at-risk animals are, where they have been, and when the animal disease event took place. A system that allows for efficient traceability of livestock in the United States is essential for animal health and reducing the economic effect of a foreign animal disease outbreak and other diseases on livestock producers as well as others whose well-being depends on livestock production.
To read more, pick up a copy of the July issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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