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 Tressa Lawrence
Ranchers across northeast Wyoming and the surrounding areas saw record moisture levels in 2023. The year 2024 has seen significantly less moisture to date.
By Lindsey Monk
People are finishing up brandings. Here, Danny Walter is shown getting it done.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM
On July 6, 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) posted in the Federal Register a proposal that radio frequency identification tags be used as official identification for cattle and bison. Following a period for public comment, the USDA APHIS released a statement on April 24, 2024, with the amended animal disease traceability (ADT) regulation for cattle and bison. The full press release may be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/aphis-bolsters-animal-disease-traceability-united-states. Under the new rule, cattle and bison will need to be identified with tags that are both visual and electronic.
The USDA defines ADT as knowing where diseased and at-risk animals are, where they have been, and when the animal disease event took place. A system that allows for efficient traceability of livestock in the United States is essential for animal health and reducing the economic effect of a foreign animal disease outbreak and other diseases on livestock producers as well as others whose well-being depends on livestock production.
To read more, pick up a copy of the July issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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