Connect with us

Country Lifestyles

Clark Willingham to Receive National Golden Spur Award on Oct. 15

Published

on

Ranching and Livestock Industries Present Top Award to Texas Native 

Clark S. Willingham has been named the 2022 National Golden Spur Award recipient in recognition of his dedication to the ranching and livestock industries.

“This award recognizes iconic industry leaders whose devotion to land and livestock has earned them the notable respect and admiration of their peers,” said Jim Bret Campbell, executive director of the National Ranching Heritage Center at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. “It is the most prestigious honor given to one person by the ranching and livestock industries.”

Willingham will be honored during the National Golden Spur Award dinner at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Overton Hotel in Lubbock. He is the 44th recipient of the award, which was established in 1978 and is jointly sponsored by the American Quarter Horse Association, National Cattlemen’s Foundation, Ranching Heritage Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas Farm Bureau, and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

While Willingham did not grow up in agriculture, his decades of volunteer service demonstrate his dedication to the cattle industry. Under the guidance of his late father-in-law, H.C. “Ladd” Hitch, whose family homesteaded the Hitch Ranch in the Oklahoma Panhandle in 1884, Willingham became active in leadership roles for various industry associations.

Willingham is the past president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and served on the Operating Committee of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, the Board of Directors of the United States Meat Export Federation, and as Chairman of the Promotion Committee of the National Livestock and Meat Board. He is past president of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association, the Texas Beef Council, the Texas Agricultural Land Trust, and the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

“I love being associated with the industry and its great people,” said Willingham. “Being engaged with cattle associations gave Jane and me the opportunity to travel, experience new things and make a difference.”

Willingham also served as vice president, director, and co-owner of Stoney Point AgriCorp, a 3,000-head calf raising operation near Rio Vista, Texas, and a 7,000-head feedlot near Melissa, Texas. In addition, he supports the agriculture industry by assisting with tax and estate planning related to family-held businesses, especially farmers and ranchers.

Willingham continues to take an active role in state and national organizations. He currently serves on the NCBA Tax Committee and Audit Committee and Trustee and Treasurer of the National Cattlemen’s Foundation where he serves on the Environmental Stewardship Award Selection Committee. He is also the Board Chair of the Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Association.

A native Texan born in Houston and raised in Dallas, Willingham graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and received his J.D. and master’s degree in tax law from Southern Methodist University where he met his wife, Jane Hitch.

Married for more than 50 years, Clark and Jane continue to live in Dallas, where they enjoy spending time with their two adult children, their spouses and six grandchildren. Willingham is a member of the American Law Institute and continues practicing law in the areas of agriculture, income tax and estate planning with the firm Howell & Willingham PLLC.

To register for the National Golden Spur Award dinner, call Vicki Quinn-Williams at 806-834-0469 or register online at ranchingheritage.org. Reservations are required by Thursday, October 6. Tickets are $95 for Ranching Heritage Association members, $125 for non-members, $2,500 for a choice table for eight, and $5,000 for a prime table for eight.

Continue Reading

Country Lifestyles

Nominations Open for National Golden Spur and Working Cowboy Awards

Published

on

By

Ranching and Livestock Industries Seek Nominations for Top Awards

Nominations are now open for the National Golden Spur Award and the Ranching Heritage Association (RHA) Working Cowboy Award.

Nominations can be submitted at goldenspurhonors.com or paper forms can be downloaded from the site and mailed. Nominations for 2024 recipients will be open through May 1.

“The National Golden Spur Award is the most prestigious national honor given to one person by the ranching and livestock industries,” explained Jim Bret Campbell, executive director of the Ranching Heritage Association and National Ranching Heritage Center.  “The addition of the RHA Working Cowboy Award has allowed the industry to recognize those folks who take care of livestock on a daily basis.”

National Golden Spur Award

The National Golden Spur Award is presented in recognition of exceptional accomplishments by an individual. Established in 1978, the award has been conferred upon iconic industry leaders whose unparalleled devotion to land and livestock has earned them notable respect and admiration from their peers.

Presentation of the National Golden Spur Award is a joint annual recognition given by six of the leading national and state ranching and livestock organizations: American Quarter Horse Association, National Cattlemen’s Foundation, Ranching Heritage Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Texas Farm Bureau, and Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

The National Golden Spur Award recipient is selected by a committee of ranching and livestock industry leaders and contributors. One recipient is chosen annually from this national pool. The winner is recognized at the National Golden Spur Award Honors event in Lubbock, Texas, and honored with the “The Rancher” bronze-sculpture presentation piece.

Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award

The Ranching Heritage Association (RHA) Working Cowboy Award recognizes outstanding individuals who make a living primarily in the saddle, caring for livestock and the land on a daily basis. The recipient must be skilled in all aspects of ranch work and respected by the ranch crew and ranching community.

The RHA Working Cowboy Award recipient is selected by a committee of ranching peers from nominations received.  One recipient is chosen annually from this national pool.  The winner is recognized at the National Golden Spur Award Honors event in Lubbock, Texas, and presented with a pair of custom spurs and a $5,000 cash award.

For additional information about the awards, past recipients, and 2024 event, visit goldenspurhonors.com.

Continue Reading

Country Lifestyles

100 Percent Cowboy

Published

on

By

By Dal Houston

A couple of weeks ago I was out of town on business, and while I was stopped at a red light, directly in front of me was a pickup with a large sticker covering the entire rear window that read, “100% COWBOY.”

As I looked at this sticker, my mind immediately began considering what this person was hoping to communicate, as opposed to what it actually communicated to me. Before getting to the heart of this story, I want to be clear that it does not affect you nor me in the least whether some person in some other community is or is not a “cowboy.” Nor does it matter whether you consider being a cowboy a good thing or a bad thing. What I find interesting about this scenario is it is an interesting example of human’s attempts to try to get attention to frame themselves in a seemingly favorable light.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

Continue Reading

Country Lifestyles

When a City Girl Goes Country: Bucket List Dreaming

Published

on

By

By Annette Bridges

I can not say sitting on a bull was ever on my bucket list, but it was fun to be reminded of the occasion. Our daughter came across this gem of a photo of her mamma when unpacking a storage box that had not been opened in many years.

Seeing the photo made me wonder if there are other daring adventures or feats I should add to my to-do list. I certainly do not believe it is ever too late to learn something new or experience something never done before.

When I think about the word dare, my first memories recall hearing it as a child. It might have been a moment when I was facing some obstacle, or a hill to climb, and a friend would exclaim, “I dare you to!”

Back in those days, hearing that exclamation would have sparked my determination to prove I could do whatever I suspected my friend, or brother, thought I could not or would not do.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

Continue Reading
Ad
Ad
Ad
Ad
Ad

Trending