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 Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
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 Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
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 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.
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