Farm & Ranch
Mike Lee: World Champion Bull Rider
By Dani Blackburn
On a hot spring day down a county road in Whitesboro, Texas, bulls are bucking and cowboys are flying like ragdolls. The majority end up in the dirt before the buzzer sounds. Amidst the bustle of the day while no one is watching, a 5’9” cowboy in the far chute lowers himself onto a gray spotted bull. Soon all eyes are turned to him and the arena falls quiet for the first time all day as world champion bull rider Mike Lee emerges from the chute atop the beast.
While fans held their breath in anticipation of each ride all afternoon, the arena almost has a calming presence as Lee seems to effortlessly ride the full eight seconds. For a bull rider, anything else would mean failure. The 36-year-old turns right back around for another eight second ride, this time on a black bull, in a display to all there why he is considered one of the best and most consistent bull riders in the history of the sport.
Bull Rider and a Man of Faith
Bull riding is a feat few dare to attempt, and one that seems to require a drive from within that only those who do it understand.
“I think if you ride bulls, it has a lot to do with your background that you grew up in. Then again, I have known some city people who have done it, too. I guess it is the curiosity and the adrenaline rush,” Lee said. “For me, it is more once I get in the chute, my mind kind of shuts down and it is just me and the bull. It feels like freedom.”
To read more pick up a copy of the June 2020 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Rayford Pullen
Fall is here which means winter is closing in on us and before we officially get into winter, we need to make sure our factories are either producing or will be producing in a few months.
We have been pregnancy testing our cows this fall and if they are not bred or nursing a calf, we are bidding them adios. With annual costs somewhere between $900.00 and $1,000.00 per cow, those cows not producing a live weaned calf are costing us quite a bit.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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