Country Lifestyles
September 2017 Profile— A Master Among his Companions – Bob Hooker
By Jessica Crabtree
As you watch the man of average height and stature with a straw hat and boots maneuver amongst his working Border Collie dogs, it is apparent almost immediately the bond between trainer and dog. As he goes about, you hear the horseman and dog trainer murmur cues or lightly whistle. When stepping out into a pen of goats, a sequence begins, almost as fluent as a dance, a dance between dog and trainer. From it, in a calm tone, the trainer Bob Hooker says cues such as “come by,” “away” and “walk up” or “steady.”
Retired and residing in Weatherford, Hooker spends the majority of his time training his working dogs, all of which are Border Collies. “I can trace the Border Collie back to 1570 and maybe even farther. It is the only [canine] breed that has never had a physical characteristic manipulated,” Hooker explained. Aside from their pedigree, Hooker stays loyal to the breed for their agile temperament and mindsets, even saying, “They are sensitive dogs. You can hurt their feelings really easy.” Hooker’s interest in canine companionship started way back as a boy growing up in Sherman, Texas. Later on in life he would meet people who would influence his love for training.
Raised in the Grayson County town, Hooker had one sister and one brother. The three children were raised around horses and ponies, and plenty of them. “My dad [Howard Hooker] imported horses here from South America, mostly Argentina and Chile. At one time he had 350 horses,” Hooker explained. As a youngster, Hooker helped his father, learning various parts of the horse industry. Taking a liking to horses, Hooker worked several years for veterinarian, Dr. Roy Riddle. No stranger to hard work, the young man managed to work alongside the vet as well as earn extra money washing dishes at the school cafeteria and riding colts for the assistant vice principle. “I remember at about 12, my dad saying to me ‘you need to get you a town job,”‘ Hooker laughed. That was followed by his first paid position as a youth, stocking at the local grocery store.
With a work ethic and a desire, after graduating high school, Hooker set his sights on college in the early 1960s enrolling at Tarleton State University. Soon after arriving, Hooker found work. “It was hard times, then. I had to earn money as I could to pay for school. It took me a while, but I finally did it.” While at Tarleton Hooker began riding colts at Whit Keeney’s, the first man to introduce Hooker to working dogs.
To read more pick up a copy of the September 2017 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
Hooker while director at Redlands Community College in El Reno, Okla. (Courtesy photo)
Hooker and Border Collie during a demonstration at the race track for a cowboy symposium. (Courtesy photo)
Hooker with his wife, Lynn of 30 years. (Courtesy photo)- 01
By: Martha Crump
Most cattle producers can tell you quite a lot about balancing cattle diets for energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals based on the specific needs for their herd and type of operation.
A key factor, and one that is often overlooked, is that how your animals perform is also directly affected by their water intake.
Now many of you may already be thinking “well of course water is necessary, anybody knows that!”
In many years, as September marches into October, we are beginning to experience some return of rainfall. But as many of us know, that is not always the case. Often we are still experiencing hot and dry weather, and water supplies are dwindling.
When we find ourselves experiencing those types of fall conditions, it is critical to not only understand the daily water requirements for cattle, but also the impact that the quality of water can have on herd health and development.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Annette Bridges
A friend and I were recently talking about our husbands. She made a comment that I felt also perfectly described me and my hubby.
“He slows me and I hurry him. I’m sure that is why we do well together,” she said.
“Precisely!” I thought. Why?
Because when two different worlds collide, it can be magical.
No matter what those two different worlds are- a man and a woman with very different personalities, beliefs, or backgrounds, two partners with contrasting passions, strengths, or talents, or when a country boy marries a city girl.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Watauga, Texas, a suburb of Fort Worth, is known for its rich history as a railroad stop, but over the course of the last year, one teen girl has put it on the map for agriculture as well. Emma Harvey has lived in Tarrant County her entire life. Despite being highly involved in her local 4-H chapter, she still felt there was more she could do. In the spring of 2023, she stepped up to the plate to take over the title of Tarrant County Teen Miss Agriculture USA.
“It all started when I put in an application for the teen title here in Tarrant County,” explained Harvey.
The Miss Agriculture USA program is a national non-profit, age-inclusive pageant program that offers both competition and non-competition titles to women dedicated to the promotion of agriculture.
Read more in the October issue of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available online and in print. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive NTFR in your inbox each week.
Photo by Hannah Claxton.
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