By Martha Crump

Ask any red-blooded, dyed-in-the-wool Texan what constitutes good “cool weather food,” and the top five answers will always include chili! Do not—and I will repeat this advice—do not enter into any debate regarding whether or not beans should be found in real chili (although a true connoisseur will tell you they do not!). You will get as many different points of view as there are recipes out there as to what constitutes perfect chili, and honestly, as long as those recipes don’t include fake meat or ground turkey, I’m of the opinion that you should cook it however you personally like it.

As I am writing this article for October at the end of August, it has turned a bit cooler as a very early, mild little front is moving through the area. Cooler weather always makes me look forward to those favorite recipes we can’t wait to cook. This is Texas, of course, and you never know what the weather will do through the fall. I remember seasons where it stayed hot until Christmas, and others where I observed record snowfalls in October. But I can guarantee that when the colder temps do arrive, chili will be on the menu at our house, accompanied by a steaming hot cast iron skillet of homemade cornbread. It is truly a Texas thing, y’all!

Ironically, while also attempting some decluttering, I came across an email sent to me over 20 years ago, and it was about chili. Not believing in coincidences and not one to waste an opportunity, I’m sharing a bit of old chili humor. The reason this struck home was that it reminded me of something that really happened to a dear girlfriend of mine.

I have a delightful British friend named Kyle, whom I was fortunate enough to meet while she and her husband were stationed at Shepherd AFB in Wichita Falls. As she and I were visiting my folks down in the Texas Hill Country, we had an opportunity to go to a sanctioned chili competition. This would be her first experience with a cook-off.

Being a petite blonde bombshell with a sharp wit and a killer accent, she stood right out in the redneck crowd when we were getting our tickets to sample the goods. By then I was used to everything taking extra time, as everyone wanted to hear more of her accent, so I settled in for the conversation that I knew would follow.

A good 15 minutes later it was established that not only had she never been to a chili cook-off, but that she had no preconceived expectations of what made the best chili. Apparently, judges with a clean slate and no personal chili recipes are a hot commodity. And, as luck would have it, they were short one judge.

Being a gal that seizes life by the horns (I think she was a Texan in her past life), of course she readily agreed, and our day was off to a great start! The rest I’ll leave to the imagination of the reader, but suffice it to say it was a delightful day, full of explanations regarding Texans, Texas slang, Texas customs, Texas behavior, and generally all things redneck.

Later, when I received the chili joke email from a cousin, I thought immediately of Kyle and her brief stint as a chili cook-off judge. Please note that Kyle is not a beer drinker, so as her translator, I volunteered my services. Yes, the names on the joke were changed by me, and as with so many things on the worldwide web, the author is unknown. But whoever it was, this is too true for them not to have had at least some personal insight! Who knows, they just might have witnessed a Texan and a Brit at a chili cook-off!

Notes From an Inexperienced Chili Taster Named KYLE

“Recently I was honored to be selected, as an Outstanding Famous Celebrity in Texas (an English foreigner), to be a judge at a chili cook-off. The original judge called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judges’ table asking directions to the beer wagon when the call came in. I also suspect that everyone else knew better than to volunteer. I was assured by the other two judges that the chili wouldn’t be all that spicy, and besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted this as one of those fun things you endure when you’re a visitor from England.

Here are the scorecards from the cook-off:

Chili #1: Mike’s Maniac Mobster Monster Chili
JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.
JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.
KYLE: Holy smokes, what is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway with it! Took me two beers to put the flames out. Hope that’s the worst one. These Texans are crazy.

Chili #2: Arthur’s Afterburner Chili
JUDGE ONE: Smoky (barbecue?) with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeño tang.
JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.
KYLE: Keep this out of reach of children! I’m not sure what I am supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. Shoved my way to the front of the beer line. The bartender looks like a professional wrestler after a bad night. He was so irritated over my gagging sounds that the snake tattoo under his eye started to twitch. He has arms like Popeye and a face like Winston Churchill. I will attempt to NOT offend him in any way.

Chili #3: Fred’s Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili
JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.
JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of red peppers.
KYLE: This has got to be a joke. Call the EPA, I’ve located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I’ve been sneezing drain cleaner. Everyone knew the routine by now and got out of my way so I could make it to the beer wagon. The bartender pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. He said his friends call him “Ted.” Probably behind his back they call him “Tank.”

Chili #4: Bubba’s Black Magic Chili
JUDGE ONE: Black beans with almost no spice, and no sign of meat. Disappointing.
JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Might be acceptable as a side dish for fish or other mild foods, but not a real chili.
KYLE: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Ted was standing behind me with fresh refills so I wouldn’t have to dash over to see him. When he winked at me his snake sort of coiled and uncoiled… My eyes are watering, but I think it’s kinda cute.

Chili #5: Linda’s Legal Lip Remover
JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.
JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef; could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.
KYLE: My ears are ringing and I can no longer focus my eyes. I belched and four people in front of me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed hurt when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Ted saved my tongue by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. Sort of irritates me that one of the other judges asked me to stop screaming.

Chili #6: Vera’s Very Vegetarian Variety
(Judges’ rules state entries with no meat do not qualify; Vera is 80, so judges accommodated her by tasting. Thank you Lord! Relief from flaming meat.)
JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian chili. No meat, but good balance of spice and peppers.
JUDGE TWO: Very good flavors. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb for meatless.
KYLE: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous flames. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Ted. I asked if he wants to go dancing later.

Chili #7: Susan’s Screaming Sensation Chili
JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.
JUDGE TWO: Ho-hum. Tastes as if the cook threw in canned chili peppers at the last moment. I should note that I am worried about Judge Number 3. She appears to be in a bit of distress.
KYLE: You could put a hand grenade in my mouth and pull the pin and I wouldn’t feel it. I’ve lost the sight in one eye and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My clothes are covered with chili which slid unnoticed out of my mouth at some point. Good! At autopsy they’ll know what killed me. I’ve decided to stop breathing. It’s too painful and I’m not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I’ll just let it in through the hole in my stomach.

Chili #8: Helen’s Mount Saint Chili
JUDGE ONE: This final entry is a good, balanced chili, neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge Number 3 collapsed and pulled the chili pot on top of herself.
JUDGE TWO: A perfect ending. This is a nice blend chili, safe for all, not too bold but nicely spicy enough to declare its existence.
KYLE: Mum? Is that you?!? Where am I???

Please enjoy your cold-weather chili responsibly!

The next meeting of the WFACW organization will be on October 15th at The Forum, 2120 Speedway, Wichita Falls, TX. Members attending the midday meeting are welcome to bring their lunch and enjoy eating and visiting starting at 11:30, followed by the business meeting at 12:00 noon.

September and October kick off membership recruitment for the Wichita Falls Cattlewomen. We invite anyone interested in promoting beef to please join us for the meeting. You can check us out on Facebook as well, where meeting times, events, humorous glimpses of agri-life, and industry information are constantly being posted. We are very involved in our community as well as with our state and beyond in supporting beef cattle production, and education about all things “Beef”! The best part is, you don’t even have to own cattle to be involved.

Now’s the time to check us out. And I promise, while we won’t serve you chili at the meeting, there’s always lunch afterward—where we will make fun of you if you order anything of the “fowl” variety.

By Krista Lucas Wynn

It takes a leap of faith to move thousands of miles away from home to a new country, and that is exactly what Kaue Flora did in order to further his relatively new bull riding career. The 25 year old left a tight knit family life and a full time job in Sao Paolo, Brazil to move with his wife and young daughter to Gainesville, Texas to pursue a bull riding dream.

            “Growing up in Brazil was very good,” Flora said. “I was able to graduate as an agricultural technician and practice this profession for a period of time. I started riding bulls after my brother passed away because he had a dream of being a world champion here in the United States, and I am striving to one day become a world champion.”

            Kaua, Flora’s younger brother passed away in 2022 from an accidental drowning. Flora got on his first bull shortly after, in honor of Kaua, and never looked back. He even started off using his brother’s used equipment and was able to win his first professional rodeo in Brazil. His family encouraged him to continue the journey of bull riding, which led to him making the move to Texas.

            “My family is very important to me,” Flora said. “Everything I do is thinking of them, and I want to be able to honor them and give the best to them.” The move has come with its adjustments, but Flora has kept his head down and adapted quickly.

“When I moved to the United States, what I had to adapt to the most was the culture here, including the food,” he said. “I love this country though.” The adjustments have not just been in the way of living but also in the caliber of competition and bulls.

“You really have to be an athlete in both countries to ride. You have to prepare yourself physically and psychologically,” Flora said. “However, here the bulls are more difficult. They are faster, and there is a greater degree of difficulty.”

Flora has risen to the occasion in his new environment, already making his name known in the Professional Bull Riders ranks. In June, he competed on Team Land.com at the Next Gambler event held in Taylor, Texas. Flora successfully rode two bulls to be named the Next Austin Gambler.

 He was the only cowboy to ride both bulls, earning him a spot on the PBR team, Austin Gamblers. The Gamblers are the reigning PBR Teams world champions, coached by PBR hall of famer, Michael Gaffney and features a star studded roster, including three time world champion, Jose Vitor Leme.

Unfortunately, the saying in bull riding is it is not not if you get hurt but when, and Flora experienced this first hand shortly after his big win. He suffered a serious injury to his lower abdomen in July, where four muscles detached from bone.

“I’ve already had surgery and am getting the necessary rest and physical therapy I need,”

he said. “I am focusing 100 percent on my recovery so I can return to riding next season in pursuit of my goals.”
            Flora will no doubt return to the arena and will be a name to watch for in 2026. With the support of his home country, his loving family and guardian angel, Kaua, he will see how far his bull riding dreams can take him.

By Tony Dean

The threeawns are a rather large family of grasses in North Texas grazing lands.  There are up to 11 different species, about half of them annuals and the rest perennials.  They all have at least one common identifying trait which is the presence of three hair-like awns arranged like helicopter blades above each small seed.

As its name indicates, Annual threeawn must come up from seed each year. Bunches grow from 6 to 20 inches tall and can branch at the stems.  The seeds mature in late summer, and once mature become rigid and capable of attaching themselves to any object that touches the plants.  If you have walked through pastures in low-quarter shoes, you probably got a few threeawn seeds in your sox. The stiff .seeds can get caught in mouths and eyes of livestock and contaminate wool and mohair

 This grass does have one redeeming value.  It is considered a pioneer grass because it is an aggressive invader and quickly establishes on areas of bare or depleted soil, thereby furnishing at least some cover on the land to protect against erosion. It is also called Oldfield threeawn or Prairie threeawn. 

Annual threeawn can be considered a DECOM grass, standing for “don’t ever count on me”.   Don’t be fooled by a few green leaves in early spring, it will soon become more of a liability.

Proper grazing management is a good way to eventually reduce the amount of Annual threeawn in a pasture. If the better grasses are healthy and increasing, they will begin to crowd out the Annual threeawn.