By Barry Whitworth, DVM

Over the past few years, Theileria orientalis has been detected in cattle in Oklahoma. Early cases were primarily diagnosed in adult cattle. However, more recent cases in Oklahoma have been identified in stocker cattle. All cattle producers should be familiar with the clinical signs of this disease and observe their cattle daily for any signs of trouble.

In the United States, the first case of theileriosis was identified in Virginia in August 2017. These cattle exhibited clinical signs of weakness and anemia. An initial diagnosis of anaplasmosis was made. Blood samples from the animals were tested for Anaplasma, Babesia, and Leptospira. Test results were negative for all three; however, a blood protozoan was detected. This organism was identified as T. orientalis genotype Ikeda. Since this initial herd outbreak, the organism has been detected in several states.

Cattle infected with and showing illness from T. orientalis genotype Ikeda may exhibit clinical signs such as fever, weakness, anorexia, and exercise intolerance. If forced to move, affected cattle may stagger and gasp for air. If stressed excessively, they may collapse and die. Upon examination, the gums, eyes, or vaginal mucosa may appear pale (white) or yellow in color. Reproductive losses, including stillbirths and late-term abortions, may occur, along with a reduction in milk production.

Clinical signs reported in adult cattle in Oklahoma include anemia, sudden death, weight loss, abortion, failure to thrive, and failure to calve. In stocker cattle, weight loss, anemia, poor performance, and sudden death have been reported.

Because Anaplasma marginale and T. orientalis genotype Ikeda produce similar clinical signs, distinguishing between the two can be challenging.

One notable difference is that clinical signs are more commonly observed in young cattle infected with T. orientalis, whereas this is less common in cattle infected with A. marginale. Additionally, cattle with anaplasmosis often display aggression, whereas those with T. orientalis genotype Ikeda typically do not. A laboratory test is required to definitively differentiate between the two diseases.

Haemaphysalis longicornis has been identified as a possible vector of T. orientalis genotype Ikeda. In 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NSVL) confirmed the presence of H. longicornis, commonly referred to as the Asian longhorned tick (ALT) or bush tick. In efforts to determine how the tick arrived in the United States, USDA officials discovered it had been present in West Virginia as early as 2010. The tick has now been confirmed in at least 26 states, including Oklahoma. There is also some evidence suggesting additional insect vectors may transmit T. orientalis genotype Ikeda. Needle transfer is another possible route of transmission.

The ALT has been identified in Craig and Mayes counties in Oklahoma. This tick thrives in areas with high humidity, such as wooded regions, brush, or tall grass. Ticks are often found where large numbers of wildlife congregate, such as along deer trails. Producers seeking more information about the ALT can visit the USDA website at: https://www.aphis.usda. gov/livestock-poultry-disease/ cattle/ticks/asian-longhorned.

In other countries, treatments have been developed for T. orientalis. Unfortunately, no approved treatments are currently available in the United States, and no vaccines exist for this disease. The best defense is prevention: purchasing cattle free of the organism, avoiding blood transfer between animals, and implementing effective tick control measures. Producers should purchase cattle from reputable sources. Instruments should be cleaned between animals during procedures such as castration or dehorning, and needles should always be changed between animals. External parasites must be controlled using appropriate insecticide treatments. In addition to insecticides, pasture management strategies—such as rotation to avoid wooded or brushy areas where ticks thrive—are important. Patch burning may also help reduce tick populations.

Theileria orientalis remains a concern for some cow/calf and stocker producers in Oklahoma. Producers seeking more information about T. orientalis genotype Ikeda should contact their local veterinarian or Oklahoma State University County Extension Agriculture educator.

References Hammer, J. F., Emery, D., Bogema, D. R., & Jenkins, C. (2015). Detection of Theileria orientalis genotypes in Haemaphysalis longicornis Ticks from Southern Australia. Parasites & vectors, 8, 229.

Oakes, V. J., Yabsley, M. J., Schwartz, D., LeRoith, T., Bissett, C., Broaddus, C., Schlater, J. L., Todd, S. M., Boes, K. M., Brookhart, M., & Lahmers, K. K. (2019). Theileria orientalis Ikeda Genotype in Cattle, Virginia, USA. Emerging infectious diseases, 25(9), 1653–1659.

Spickler, Anna Rovid. (2019). Theileriosis. Retrieved from http://www.iastate.edu/DiseaseUbfi/factsheets.php.

Watts, J. G., Playford, M. C., Hickey, K.L. (2016). Theileria orientalis: A Review, New

Zealand Veterinary Journal, 64:1, 3-9.

By OKFR Staff

Livestock One of the most serious late- summer concerns is a bloom of cyanobacteria, commonly called blue-green algae. These organisms are naturally present in many bodies of water, and most do not produce dangerous toxins. The risk increases when certain toxin-producing species multiply rapidly under favorable

During the hottest part of summer, a farm pond can look like a welcome source of water. Cattle may be standing belly- deep along the bank, and the pond may still hold enough water to appear dependable. However, appearance alone does not reveal whether that water is safe.

Hot weather, limited rainfall and falling pond levels can create water-quality problems. As water evaporates, salts, minerals, nutrients and other substances may become more concentrated. Warm, still water can also encourage the growth of blue-green algae, some forms of which can produce toxins capable of killing livestock.

Water is sometimes treated as an afterthought compared to grass, hay and supplemental feed. In reality, livestock need a dependable supply of clean water to maintain feed intake, regulate body temperature and support production. Poor-quality water may reduce consumption and performance even when it does not cause an obvious case of poisoning.

A pond that has watered cattle for years should not automatically be considered safe under every set of conditions. Producers should pay particular attention during drought, extreme heat or any period when the water level drops significantly.

Watch the Water and the conditions.

According to Oklahoma State University Extension, toxic blue- green algal blooms typically develop in standing water following periods of hot, dry and calm weather. Nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus can contribute to excessive growth. Those nutrients may enter a pond through manure, fertilizer runoff, soil erosion and decaying vegetation.

A suspicious bloom may make the water appear bright green, blue-green, pea-soup green or even brownish. Scum, foam or mats may collect along the shoreline, particularly where the wind pushes floating material into one area. Some blooms resemble spilled paint.

Not every green pond is poisonous. Common aquatic plants and harmless forms of algae can also change the color or surface of the water. Unfortunately, it is usually impossible to determine whether a bloom is toxic simply by looking at it. A pond can contain toxin-producing cyanobacteria without displaying every commonly described warning sign.

Owners should keep livestock, horses, pets and people away from water that has an unusual color, heavy surface scum, Blue-green algae can produce toxins that affect the nervous system or liver. Depending on the toxin and the amount consumed, affected animals may develop weakness, staggering, difficulty breathing, tremors, convulsions, diarrhea or collapse. In severe cases, animals may be found dead near the water before the owner realizes anything is wrong. Treatment is often unsuccessful, making prevention especially important.

Any suspected poisoning should be treated as an emergency. Remove the herd from the water source without driving or unnecessarily stressing animals that may already be affected. Provide another clean water supply and contact a veterinarian immediately. The local county Extension office can also help determine where and how to submit an appropriate water sample.

Blue-green algae is not the only potential problem. Pond water may contain elevated levels of dissolved salts, sulfates, nitrates, bacteria or other contaminants. Runoff can carry manure, fertilizer, pesticides and organic matter into the pond. Low water levels can make some of these problems more pronounced because the remaining water becomes increasingly concentrated.

Water with excessive dissolved solids may taste bitter or salty, reducing the amount animals consume. Depending on the substances involved and their concentrations, poor- quality water may contribute to diarrhea, reduced feed intake, poor weight gain or other health concerns. Young animals and livestock that are not accustomed to the water may be more vulnerable.

Producers should also watch the cattle themselves. Are they reluctant to drink? Are they crowding around a different water source? Has feed intake or weight gain declined without an obvious explanation? Are several animals experiencing digestive problems? Changes involving multiple animals can provide an early clue that feed or water should be investigated.

OSU Extension recommends collecting a representative sample and submitting it for a livestock water test when a water supply is suspected of harming animal health or performance. A standard livestock water test may evaluate several characteristics, but blue-green algae concerns can require different sampling and testing procedures. Producers should contact the laboratory or county Extension office before collecting the sample so it is taken from the correct location, placed in the proper container and handled appropriately.

They Develop Good pond management cannot eliminate every water- quality problem, but it can lower the risk. One of the most effective steps is limiting the amount of manure, soil and nutrients that enter the water.

Allowing cattle unrestricted access to an entire pond can result in damaged banks, muddy water and large amounts of manure being deposited in or near the water. Hoof traffic removes vegetation and contributes to erosion. Sediment fills the pond over time, while manure supplies nutrients that may encourage excessive algae growth.

Where practical, fencing livestock away from most of the pond and providing a limited-access watering point can improve conditions. Another option is piping water to a trough located below the dam or elsewhere in the pasture. OSU notes that reducing cattle excrement in the pond can decrease conditions favoring toxic algae and improve water palatability.

A vegetated buffer around the pond can also slow runoff and help trap soil and nutrients before they reach the water. Fertilizer and manure should be applied carefully in the water shed, particularly before heavy rainfall. Producers should avoid allowing large amounts of hay, feed or organic debris to accumulate at the water’s edge.

Alternative watering systems require maintenance, too. Troughs should be checked for algae, manure, drowned animals and other contamination. Wildlife escape ramps should be installed in tanks so birds and small animals can climb out rather than drowning and contaminating the water.

Owners should be cautious about treating a pond on their own. Copper sulfate and other algaecides are sometimes used for algae control, but improper treatment can create additional problems. Killing a large quantity of algae or aquatic vegetation at one time can reduce dissolved oxygen as the material decomposes, potentially leading to a fish kill. Treatment may also release toxins from affected cyanobacteria into the water. Any chemical application should be based on proper identification and professional recommendations rather than guesswork.

Livestock should always have access to enough water for the weather, their size and their stage of production. Demand increases sharply during hot weather, and a pond that barely meets the herd’s needs in spring may not be sufficient in August. Check the source regularly rather than waiting for cattle to gather around a muddy shoreline.

Looks can be deceiving when it comes to ponds. Crystal-clear water isn’t always safe, and a green pond doesn’t necessarily mean toxic algae.

That’s why regular observation, testing and proactive prevention are essential for maintaining pond.

By Savannah Magoteaux, Editor

As summer hits its peak, most people in North Texas are thinking about fair food, rodeo tickets, carnival lights and which country act they do not want to miss at the North Texas Fair & Rodeo.

Glenn Carlton is thinking about all of that, too. He is also thinking about hay.

When Carlton visited with us by phone in early July, the Executive Director of the North Texas Fair & Rodeo had about 200 acres of hay on the ground, a quick family vacation coming up, and one of North Texas’ biggest annual events already taking shape at the fairgrounds.

The event has all the things that have been part of his life from the beginning: cattle, rodeo, community, long days and work that usually happens before anyone else gets there and after most people have gone home.

“We never stop planning,” Carlton said. “Normally during the event, I’m already talking to booking agents about who we’re going to hire for next year.”

That is the pace of the North Texas Fair & Rodeo now. It is a year-round operation, a community effort and, in many ways, a moving target that has to keep growing without losing what made people love it in the first place.

That balance has been part of Carlton’s work for more than 40 years.

North Texas Carlton grew up in Eugene, Oregon, but his family’s story runs through southeastern Oklahoma. His parents were from the Tuskahoma area, near the Choctaw Nation Capitol grounds, before they moved to Oregon as a young couple.

Carlton and his sisters were born there, but he always felt a pull back toward this part of the country.

“I always told my family the first chance I got, I was going back to Oklahoma,” Carlton said. “I didn’t quite make it. I got about 30 miles from there.”

His ranching background reaches back into the Kiamichi Mountains, where his grandfather ran open-range cattle. Carlton was little then, too young to remember it firsthand, but the family stories stayed with him. One of his favorites came from an uncle, who told him the cattle were gathered with dogs.

“I asked my uncle, ‘How did y’all gather those cattle?’” Carlton recalled. “They were dog broke. They turned those dogs out in those mountains, and every cow within 10 miles would be in that pen in about 30 minutes.”

As a young man in Oregon, Carlton rode bulls, was involved in high school rodeo and got an early education in what it takes to put on an event. He was president of his high school rodeo team, and when the team decided to produce a rodeo, Carlton was part of making it happen. The facility in Eugene was new, but it was built more for horse shows than rodeo, so they brought in portable panels, gates and bucking chutes and made it work.

That means he was 17 when he produced his first rodeo.

After that, the management side of rodeo was never foreign. He worked for a stock contractor in the Northwest for several years and helped produce 20 to 25 rodeos a year, expanding his education.

“I learned a lot of production rodeos and the stock side of it, and the labor that it takes behind the scenes to make one happen,” Carlton said.

Eventually, rodeo helped get him back closer to the country he had always planned to return to. A beer company that sponsored him when he was riding bulls helped him get a job with a beer distributor in Dallas. Carlton thought he was coming down to be a salesman and hospitality guy. Instead, he was put on a beer truck.

“I learned real quick that I was going to have to work my way up,” he laughed.

He did work his way up, and the beer business eventually brought him to Denton when he was recruited by Miller of Denton. That company, now Fisher59, was a sponsor of the North Texas Fair & Rodeo. Through that sponsorship, Carlton first became involved with the fair.

“Coming from a rodeo and agricultural background, it was a perfect fit for me to get involved as a volunteer,” he said.

He began volunteering in 1985 on Texas rodeo Cowboy Hall of Famer Weldon Burgoon’s rodeo committee. The work was not glamorous. He pushed calves, moved bucking bulls and horses, set up barrels, helped get the arena ready and, when necessary, stayed late at night helping make last-minute fixes before the next performance.

A few years later, Burgoon stepped down, and Carlton was appointed rodeo chairman. He joined the board of directors in 1990 and later served as a vice president. At the time, he had no plans to become Executive Director.

The rodeo chairman role, however, was not a stretch. He already understood rodeo production, and he understood the demands of showing up night after night while still working a full-time job and raising a young family.

“It wasn’t easy, but we still have volunteers that do the very same thing,” he said.

Carlton became Executive Director in 2005 after the previous director announced his retirement. The executive board had discussed splitting the work into separate departments rather than hiring one leader, but Carlton did not believe that would work.

He told the board that if they planned to hire an Executive Director, he would apply. They went through the interview process, considered other applicants and hired him.

“That was a really good feeling, because it was something that I loved,” Carlton said. “I got to do that, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

At the time, some believed the fair had grown as much as it could. Carlton remembers hearing that there was no more room to expand. The numbers since then tell a different story.

“Our annual income my first year in 2005 was about $400,000,” he said. “Now the fair alone, not counting our rentals and our vendor operation, does over $4 million in annual revenues. There was room to grow.”

Growth, for Carlton, has not only been measured by revenue. It has been measured in attendance, music, parking, restrooms, volunteer numbers, and community support.

Entertainment became one of the biggest pieces. Carlton was in touch with the Texas and Red Dirt music scene at a time when regional artists could draw large crowds without yet being out of reach for a fair like Denton. Artists such as Randy Rogers, Josh Abbott and Stoney LaRue brought in younger crowds, while classic country acts helped bring out a different generation.

The fairgrounds had to keep up. More people meant more pressure on the facility. Under Carlton’s leadership, the Fair improved parking services, added remote parking with free shuttle buses on busy Saturdays, increased restroom capacity and continued maintaining aging buildings. Fair Hall was remodeled again this year.

The grounds have had to be used carefully and creatively, because the fair operates on a footprint that has not changed much in decades.

While the event has grown, Carlton has paid close attention to the volunteer culture behind it. His first rodeo committee had about six people. Today, he estimates the rodeo committee alone has around 30, and the fair is operated by more than 40 committees and about 800 total volunteers.

“What that tells me is that the community, the volunteers that come out here and volunteer, they’re having fun, or they wouldn’t be doing it,” Carlton said. “It’s a social event, an annual reunion for them, and I am very proud of that.”

That same community focus extends beyond the fair’s 10-day run. Carlton said the North Texas Fair & Rodeo, along with associated organizations including the Denton County Youth Fair and the Blue Ribbon Club, puts more than $1 million back into the community each year through scholarships, support of the spring youth fair sale, donated facility use for FFA and other community needs.

“We’re really proud of that,” he said.

Carlton’s days are not limited to the fairgrounds. He still ranches, too. What began small in the early 1990s with a leased place and a handful of cows has grown into a cow-calf operation spread across owned and leased ground. Between his place, his oldest son’s place and leased locations, they run on about 2,000 acres with around 120 head.

“We do it the hard way,” Carlton said. “We own two places, and we lease five.”

One son is very involved in the operation, and the other is involved on a more limited basis. During hay season, Carlton may leave the fair office late in the day, climb onto equipment and cut or rake hay until dark while his son bales behind him.

For about 20 years, he also raised bucking bulls. He built a herd of rodeo-bred and registered cattle, bought breeding bulls from stock contractors he knew, and raised bulls that won competitions and went on to be hauled by contractors. Sammy Andrews and Benny Butler were among those who helped him build that program.

As his sons grew up and moved out of the house, the long weekends on the road became harder to justify. Around 2021, Carlton sold the rodeo-bred herd to one buyer in California and shifted his focus back to commercial cattle.

The ranching, the rodeo, the fair and the civic work all seem to overlap. Carlton currently chairs the board of Discover Denton, the city’s destination marketing organization. He sees the fair not only as a rodeo and entertainment event, but as part of the larger effort to bring people into Denton, fill hotel rooms, support local businesses and keep the city connected to its western and agricultural identity.

“I’m just glad that the North Texas Fair & Rodeo can be sitting at that table and being in this conversation,” he said.

The North Texas Fair & Rodeo has never been a static event. Its story has always included change, adaptation and the need to make room for the next version of itself.

The fair’s history goes back long before Carlton’s involvement. After World War II, the fair resumed in 1946, and in 1948, Dr. W.C. Kimbrough sold the association 22 acres of land in northeast Denton for $5. That land became the longtime home of the fair. Later, in the late 1980s, the association purchased 11 acres to the north, expanding the footprint to 33 acres. That additional land is now used for general parking and livestock parking.

By the time Carlton started volunteering in 1985, the fair was about a five-day event. A couple years later, Executive Director James Roden made a decision that helped shape its future.

The event was expanded to nine days so it could include two weekends, which also gave the fair some protection against rain.

“The idea was to catch two weekends if you had a rainout,” Carlton said. “It’s proven over the years to be very, very good rain insurance.”

A Fair That Keeps Growing

Those earlier years included several rodeo formats. There was what was then called the Black Rodeo, now called the Rodeo of Color.

There was an all-girls rodeo, team penning, a 21 and under rodeo and an open rodeo. When Carlton became rodeo chairman, he began sanctioning the rodeo with the PRCA around 1988.

The rodeo itself has continued to gain importance. Today, the North Texas Fair & Rodeo is a Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo qualifying rodeo, a designation that brings in more contestants and adds another layer of economic impact for Denton.

From Carlton’s point of view, that matters when talking with city leaders and local government. More contestants mean more people buying fuel, eating in restaurants and possibly staying in hotels.

“The more people that we can get to town, the stronger you look with an economic impact number,” he said.

The relationship with Denton has been important. Carlton said the City of Denton has been good to work with, and he is aware that not every event has that kind of cooperation.

That partnership was especially important in 2020, when COVID-19 shut down events across the country.

The North Texas Fair & Rodeo did not want to cancel. When the State Fair of Texas canceled that year, an opening in October became available. The fair board chose to postpone from its traditional dates and try to buy more time.

“We decided to postpone ours until October,” Carlton said. “We were basically trying to buy some more time and take it day by day, because we did not want to cancel.”

The event was eventually approved with restrictions, including 50 percent attendance, capacity limits in the rodeo arena, signage and masks available at the gates.

Carlton said they had about 50,000 masks ready if people needed them. Attendance was about half of normal, but the fair still came out financially ahead.

“We actually had the event, and the event was financially successful,” Carlton said.

That decision mattered. Carlton believes many events that canceled in 2020, or canceled for more than one year, struggled to regain momentum. Denton came back strong. The public was ready to get out again, and the fair had record years in 2021 and 2022.

Now, the fair is preparing for another major step: the future Denton County Expo Center. The fair association purchased 109 acres north of town off Interstate 35 in 2014, and Denton County has since purchased acreage around it.

Carlton said the combined site is more than 700 acres, with land bought and paid for and a tax already being collected to help support the project.

He has been working toward a new facility for decades.

“I’ve actually been working on it for 30 years,” Carlton said. “It’s exciting news, because anybody that’s been to the fair, I know it’s fun and it’s homey, but we’re in need of a new facility at this point.”

The concept includes multiple buildings, more than 100,000 square feet, climate-controlled space and a covered arena. The goal is not just to serve the fair, but to create a facility capable of hosting equine events, youth sports, RV shows, home and garden shows, construction shows and other events that Denton County is not currently able to capture.

“We often get criticized for not adding more money in our pro rodeo. We would love to do that, but can’t due to the parking. If we added more money, we would get more contestants. Where would we put them? We don’t have the parking,” he shared. “However, it’s my goal, once we get the new expo center, to add $10,000 per event. I want to make the top 15 cowboys and cowgirls come back to Denton one more time before the season is over. If you are a finals contender, you better enter Denton. That’s my goal.”

Until then, the fair continues to make the most of its current home.

It still feels like the event people have cherished for years, but today’s production is far more extensive. Long before opening day, organizers are already hard at work, with preparations

beginning months ahead and infrastructure going up. Committees are larger. Parking is more strategic. Entertainment is planned months in advance.

Every year, the fair has to be both tradition and progress.

That balance may be why Carlton has been such a natural fit.

He understands the value of the old things, but he is not afraid to adapt when the fair needs to move forward.

He is a rancher, a rodeo man, a civic leader and an event manager, but more than that, he is someone who knows what it takes to keep showing up.

In the middle of the interview, Carlton told a story from 2020, when rodeos and events were being canceled everywhere. When stock contractor Sammy Andrews arrived in Denton, he laughed and shook Carlton’s hand.

“He said, ‘You never was a very good quitter,’” Carlton recalled. “I’m not a very good quitter.”

That may be the simplest way to understand him.

Whether he is checking hay, planning next year’s concert lineup, working with volunteers, talking through economic impact, helping guide the future of Denton tourism or preparing for another 10 nights of rodeo and fair crowds, Carlton has kept showing up for the North Texas Fair & Rodeo.

And in many ways, the fair has grown because of it.