Country Lifestyles
Amber Crawford, Breakaway Roper
By Dani Blackburn
A 5’1” cowgirl backs her horse into the box and gives the nod for the calf in the chute next to her to be released. Her name is Amber Crawford, the event is the American, and just one year ago, she and her fellow competitors were watching from the sidelines.
The American in Arlington, Texas, is one of numerous rodeos to have added this fast paced, action-packed event to their lineup. Opportunities are on the rise for those in breakaway roping, including the Daddy of ‘Em All in Cheyenne, Wyo., the Pendleton Round-up in Oregon and the Days of 47 Rodeo in Salt Lake City, Utah. Not only are the events making room for female competitors, but the payouts also are on the rise.
“It has grown so much. Just five years ago I would flat out say I worked full time hours so I could rope. Now it is crazy because it is becoming where I can almost do the opposite; that is how much it has grown and the opportunities, if we promote them and do right by what people and rodeo committees are offering us, are going to keep growing,” Amber said.
The Springtown, Texas, cowgirl got her start in roping at an early age. Amber was born and raised in Combine, Texas, in Kaufman County, the daughter of Dickie and Fran Singleton. Dickie was a bulldogger and later on competed in team roping, while Fran competed in western pleasure, cutting and barrel racing.
“I have been on a horse all my life. I can remember those home videos of my parents throwing me on a horse with no shoes, no shirt, a diaper on and just taking off across the pasture. We have always been around horses. I
grew up riding barrel horses and going to the Josey Ranch. We lived out there, so any weekend they had a clinic or barrel race, we were there,” Amber recalled. “My sister started roping at a later age when she started competing in high school rodeo, and here I am at five or six wanting to do whatever she does, so I pick up a rope.”
To read more pick up a copy of the February 2020 NTFR issue. To subscribe 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.
By: Jelly Cocanougher
A delicate balance of hard work and nature’s ever-present influence. Even though there are a handful of skilled men working a set of pens, there is always a brave calf to cause a bit of a ruckus. Carefully con- veyed to the ground, the calf gets worked and set off to on a journey of growth. Cowboys understand that the dealings of unpredictable nature such as this young calf is part of the journey. Prowling the pastures for green grasses and hay so sweet, the calf is released back into the pastures, able to roam and be drawn to the nutritious offerings of the land.
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