Farm & Ranch
Troy West: The Art of Saddle Making
By Dani Blackburn, [email protected]
Saddle maker Troy West has made a career of crafting leather into works of art. He has seen four decades of success, from becoming a member of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association to creating custom works for his clientele, but the most important aspect for him has been fulfilling his passion for creativity.
“This is my life, and it has been exciting. I think when you have a job that is a repetitive thing over and over, you don’t get to be creative. It becomes monotonous. Those people are looking for break time, lunch time, and quitting time. When you get to do something creative, it is hard to stop your brain from thinking about it,” West explained.
His love for what he does is apparent as stories of his career tumble out, beginning as a young boy growing up in East Texas.
The cowboy way of life was part of his daily routine as a child. He was one of four boys, third in line, and the family lived in the country from the earliest of times. There was a rodeo just five miles up the road every Saturday night, and another in a different town 10 miles away. Troy began riding bulls and bareback horses, along with roping calves. Eventually he purchased his own calf roping horse. Calf roping became his first love, and he roped all the way through high school. It was then his brother, Danny, just one year older, graduated high school.
To read more, pick up a copy of the July issue of NTFR Magazine. 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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