Advertise in the Trails! Trails 2008 Editorial Calendar, Members Elected to TLBAA Board, January 2008 Schedule of Events, TLBAA Board Meeting Agendas, 2008 Select Heifer Sale Information, 2008 FWLSR Show Information, TLBAA Members in the News, Affiliate Elects New Directors, Upcoming Show and Sale Information, Drought Conditions Update,
Highlight Your Bull in the Trails Annual Herd Sire Edition! Reserve your advertising space for the February Trails today! Deadline January 14, 2008! Contact Rick Fritsche or Laura Standley at (817) 625-6241 or Carolyn Hunter (817) 808-6895 – Download a copy of the Trails Advertising Rates here!
Trails 2008 Editorial Calendar Announced!
Here is a list of upcoming topics that will be covered in the 2008 issues of the Texas Longhorn Trails:
January - Horn Showcase/Agri-Business
February - Herd Sire Edition
March - Livestock Equipment
April - Youth/ Hay & Forage
May - Brood Cows
June - Show Supplies
July – A.I. Sire Edition
August - World Show Results
September - Herd Nutrition
October - Herd Health
November - Apparel/Home Furnishings/Christmas Gifts
December - Pasture Management
Return to Top
New Members Elected to
TLBAA Board of Directors
The results of the election by mail-in ballot of Division B Directors have been tabulated and certified by the CPA firm of R.J. Pickles and Associates. The following TLBAA members have been elected to serve as TLBAA Board Members:
Region 7 – Donnie Taylor, Huntington, TX.
Region 8 - Stacey Taylor, Denton, TX
Region 9 – Robert Richey, San Angelo, TX
Region 10 - Charlie Buenger, Crawford, TX
Region 11 – Ty Wehring, Houston, TX
Region 12 – Steven Zunker, Luling, TX
Directors at Large - Lana Hightower, Van, TX, and Dr. Zech Dameron, Coppell, TX
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS for January 2008 TLBAA Longhorn Weekend
All meetings and the Awards Banquet will be at the Radisson Hotel North - 2540 Meacham Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX, 76106. Rooms are available at the Radisson Hotel North Fort Worth. Please make reservations by calling (817) 625-9911.
Thursday, January 10
5:00 pm - 2007 Board of Directors Meeting, Meacham Room
Friday, January 11
8:00 am - Affiliates Meeting, Picket Room
9:00 am - World Show Committee Meeting, Picket Room
10:00 am - Annual General Membership Meeting, Spring Palace
1:00 pm - 2008 Board of Directors Meeting, Spring Palace
TLBAA Office will close at approximately 4:00 pm in preparation for the Hall of Fame Reception and TLBAA Awards Banquet
Hall of Fame Reception and TLBAA Awards Banquet
Meacham/Flatiron Room, Radisson Hotel North
5:00 pm - Hall of Fame Reception and Award Ceremony
7:00 pm – Annual Awards Banquet Dinner
Tickets are available for $35 each by calling the TLBAA Membership Services Department at (817) 625-6241. Deadline for purchasing tickets is January 11, 2008. Tickets will be available for purchase at the TLBAA General Membership Meeting.
Saturday, January 12
9:00 am - Hearing on Expulsion of Don King and SuzAnn Spindor – Spring Palace
TLBAA Select Heifer Sale
8:00 am - 3:00 pm viewing of cattle for Select Heifer Sale – Will Rogers Richardson Bass Building
4:00 pm - Select Heifer Sale – Will Rogers James and Eunice West Arena
Tuesday, January 15
5:00 pm – 2008 TLBAA Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show (Open Show) Cattle Barn 3, Will Rogers Memorial Complex, Fort Worth, TX.
Wednesday, January 16
9:00 am – 2008 Linda Moore Classic Youth Show, Cattle Barn 3, Will Rogers Memorial Complex, Fort Worth, TX.
Return to Top
Agendas Available for Upcoming TLBAA Board Meetings
2008 TLBAA Select Heifer Sale Information
Correction to 2008 TLBAA Select Heifer Sale Catalog
TLBAA members and 2008 TLBAA Select Heifer Sale Consignors Ron and Kevin Asbill, Tyler, TX, and Dick and Peg Lowe, Horton, MI, were inadvertently left off the consignors list in the Select Heifer Sale Catalog.
Cattle Can Be Penned at Stockyards if Breeders Arrive Early for 2008 Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo – Notify TLBAA Office if Penning at Stockyards
TLBAA members planning to arrive early for the 2008 Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo may pen their Longhorns at the Stockyards Station. The cost is $20 per pen and must be paid at the Stockyards Visitor Center upon arrival. Persons wishing to pen at the Stockyards need to bring their own water hose, trough and feed for their livestock.
Cattle for the Longhorn Show at the 2008 Fort Worth Livestock Show and Rodeo can begin arriving at the Will Rogers Memorial Complex on Friday January 11, 2008 at 8 am. There can be no early arrivals before this date and time.
2008 TLBAA Select Heifer Sale Cattle Arrival is Friday 8 am to 5 pm at Will Rogers. Contact TLBAA Special Events Manager Allison Chipman at (817) 625-6241 with any questions.
2008 TLBAA Select Heifer Sale Health Certification Information
The following information is required for each consigned animal at the 2008 Select Heifer Sale and must be presented with each animal upon arrival:
TEXAS ORIGIN CATTLE
Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within the past thirty (30) days.
Negative brucellosis test within the past thirty (30) days for all cattle which are eighteen (18) months of age or older, or parturient or post-parturient.
Exemption:
Cattle from a certified brucellosis-free herd with a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection stating the certified free herd number and the herd anniversary test date.
OUT OF STATE ORIGIN
Certificate of Veterinary Inspection issued within thirty (30) days of entry into Texas and/or show grounds.
Negative brucellosis test within the past thirty (30) days for all cattle which are eighteen (18) months of age or older, parturient, or post-parturient.
Exemptions:
Cattle from a certified brucellosis-free herd with a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection stating the certified free herd number and the herd anniversary test date.
Negative tuberculosis (TB) test within the past sixty (60) days for all cattle.
Exemptions:
Cattle from tuberculosis “Free” states.
Cattle from a tuberculosis-free-herd with the accreditation number and the herd anniversary test date listed on the Certificate of Veterinary Inspection.
Suckling calves from a negative dam.
Consignment Deadlines for
Upcoming TLBAA Sales
May Best at West – March 10, 2008
August Best at West – June 9, 2008
October Best at West – August 11, 2008
December Best at West – October 6, 2008
Return to Top
Over 290 Entries in the TLBAA Longhorn Show at the 2008 Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
Special Events Manager Allison Chipman is proud to report that over 290 entries will be participating in the 2008 Fort Worth Stock Show for the TLBAA Longhorn shows. Animals can arrive at the Will Rogers Memorial Complex from Friday, January 11, 2008, at 8 am, until Sunday, January 13, 2008 at 6pm. Show check-in will begin at the Livestock Office in Cattle Barn 3 on Monday, January 14, 2008, from 10am until noon.
All youth entered in the 2008 Linda Moore Classic will be automatically entered in a cash drawing sponsored by TLBAA Members Paul and Mari-Kathryn Braswell, Forestburg, TX, Kerry and Nancee Mounce, Anna, TX and the TLBAA Special Events Department. The drawing will take place before the youth show on Wednesday, January 16, 2008. For any Show-related questions, please contact Leslie Gandy or Allison Chipman at (817) 625-6241.
Return to Top
TLBAA Members in the News
Michael and Jackie McLeod Host Annual Butler Breeders Meeting
By Gail Kocian - Photos Courtesy of Janis Webb & Lonnie Shan
Mild winter temperatures and an overcast sky made it pleasant for all those who attended the Annual Butler Breeders Meeting on Saturday, December 8, 2007 at the ranch of Michael, Jackie, Makayla and Mikey McLeod in Edna, TX. Over 30 guests arrived early in the day, giving everyone plenty of time to visit and view part of the McLeod herd before lunch. Guests enjoyed a delicious catered barbeque brisket and rib dinner, provided by the hosts and enough desserts to please all those with a sweet tooth.
 |
|---|
Michael McLeod, Edna, TX, with artist Lonnie Shan, Thorndale, TX, and TLBAA Board Member Kaso Kety, Folsom, LA. McLeod and Kety were presented with paintings commissioned by the Butler Breeders and painted by Shan. |
After lunch the meeting was called to order by TLBAA Board Member Kaso Kety. He recognized TLBAA Board Members Robert Richey and Donnie Taylor who were recently elected to the board and thanked them for representing the members in their districts. Various aspects of Butler Longhorn history were talked about and plans for the next Butler Breeders Invitational Sale on August 29 and 30, 2008 were discussed.
Artist Lonnie Shan presented Kaso Kety and Michael McLeod with framed watercolor paintings of their choice of a favorite Butler Longhorn. In recognition for the many years Michael McLeod and Kaso Kety have dedicated to preserving the Butler Texas longhorn bloodline, the Butler Breeders group commissioned the paintings by Lonnie Shan as a special gift of gratitude. Michael chose Jackie Lynn 90 for his painting and Kaso’s choice was Dixie Hunter.
 |
|---|
Laura Moore Vancleave, MS; Michael McLeod, Edna, TX; Vernon Webb, Brenham, TX; Terry Moore, Vancleave, MS. |
Scott Evans of Bay City, TX, brought over 50 Butler Live Oak saplings to the meeting and all the guests were able to take a few of these home. Scott and his wife Pam also donated several dozen saplings to attendees of the 10 th Anniversary Butler Breeders Sale held in September 2007. These saplings were propagated from acorns gathered from the historic Butler Live Oaks that line Main Street in League City, TX – home of the Butler family. The Live Oaks were originally planted by Milby’s father George Washington Butler in the late 1800’s. During the 1930s Milby and his family planted more of the oaks on their property throughout the League City area. Today, these magnificent oaks are protected by the League City Historical Society. As a gesture of their appreciation, the Butler Breeders group presented Scott and Pam with a crystal pitcher and six tea glasses etched with the Evans’ ranch brand.
 |
|---|
Donnie and Marilyn Taylor, Huntington, TX; Tammy Tiner and Kenn Harding, College Station, TX. |
After the meeting everyone loaded up for a hayride pasture tour of the ranch to gaze upon some of the best straight Butler Texas Longhorns in the industry. Michael, along with his daughter Makayla, provided guests with information on their cattle and answered numerous questions about their herd.
Everyone had a wonderful time visiting with fellow Butler breeders and enjoyed the great Southern hospitality of the McLeod family. The food was terrific, the company was awesome and the Butler cattle were spectacular. To learn about Butler Texas Longhorns and to contact Butler Breeders for specific genetics to add to your herd, visit their Web site at www.butlertexaslonghorns.com.
Return to Top
TLBAA Members Suffer Dam Break, Lose 350 Acre Lake
TLBAA members Dr. Gene and Lana Hightower, Van, TX, recently suffered a break in a dam that depleted the lake and left their cattle bogged down in mud.
Lana Hightower reported the following to the Trails:
“We have been so blessed and totally blown away by our Longhorn friends in the way that they responded to our emergency,” Hightower said. “CNN reported that 6 billion gallons of water went through the break in the dam and the water was dropping at a rate of a foot an hour. It didn't take long to partially drain the 350 acre lake. Four of our six pastures have the lake as their southern boundary and our fear was that the cattle would bog down going for water before we could get them moved. We had people here with trailers lending a hand in moving the cattle to a secure pasture. We have had offers of pastures from here in Texas and surrounding states. We are blessed with amazing Longhorn friends!”
 |
|---|
The Hightower’s west fence line - 2 days ago - dry now. |
“The pictures really don't tell the whole story,” Hightower said. “I walked across the bottom of the lake yesterday and watched a bald eagle trying to fish in the water that is left. Turtles are wandering everywhere and the migratory birds have gone. It is a big environmental impact for our area. The lake is the head of the Neches river.”
 |
|---|
The Hightower’s pier to the east and dam in the distance – dry now. |
Trails Featured Artist on Cover of Indulge Magazine
Teresa Elliot, Southlake, TX, was recently featured on the cover of Indulge magazine along side one of her paintings of a Longhorn bull and one Longhorn. Article profiles Elliot along with another western artist Michael Bane. Some of Elliot’s breathtaking work is featured in the article. Read and see the whole story at the Indulge magazine Web site. Elliot was a featured artist in the April 2007 issue of the Trails and visited the office after the article was published to thank the staff.
TLBAA Members’ Longhorns Featured on Cover of Local Newspaper
TLBAA members Tom and Mary Beth Peoples, Burnet, TX, recently had their cattle featured on the New Year’s Issue of the Lake County Life newspaper. See the People’s Longhorns with their party hats on at the Lake Country Life newspaper Web site here!
Return to Top
East Texas Longhorns Breeders Affiliate Elects New Board of Directors
The East Texas Longhorn Breeders Association has recently elected these TLBAA members to their board:
Dr. Gene Hightower – President
Chris Parker – Vice President
Lana Hightower – Secretary and Treasurer
Return to Top
Upcoming Show and Sale Announcements
May 2-3, 2008 – Gold Country TLBAA-TLBT World Qualifying Show, Amador County Fairgrounds, Plymouth, CA. Entries close: April 18, 2008. Contact Tiffany Cassara at (805) 226-0186 – yipeeyio@yahoo.com or Christine DeMaria at (530) 796-3402 – xcranch@gvni.com.
May 3, 2008 - Red McCombs 30th Anniversary Fiesta Texas Longhorn Sale, Johnson City, TX. Contact Alan Sparger at (210) 445-8798.
September 20, 2008 – Blue Ridge Breeders Sale, Mount Airy, NC, Contact Paul Babington at (410) 775-7756 or Tyson Leonard at (276) 238-1803.
September 25-27, 2008 – East Texas State Fair, Tyler, TX, Haltered, Non-Haltered and Youth. Contact: www.etstatefair.com or Dr. Gene and Lana Hightower at (903) 963-7442.
Return to Top
Drought Conditions Update
Click here for information about the seasonal drought conditions and updated national drought information directly from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Here is an additional weekly drought monitor from NOAA.
Weekly Hay Report from the Texas Department of Agriculture
Compared to last week: Hay prices remain mostly steady after the holidays. Movement and trade activity are slow to moderate, and for some, good as some buyers are catching up on their supplies after the New Year. Demand moderate to good. Higher quality remains difficult to find. Lower quality and striped hay, as well as large rounds of Coastal Bermuda, continue to sit in the fields waiting to be bought up. Comments have been made that more wheat hay than had been expected to sell has been moving a lot, due to the short wheat pasture in the fields. Dry conditions continue to exist in most areas, with no relief in sight. Fuel prices are still a big concern, even more so now that prices are continuing to rise. Soil moisture is rated as very short to adequate, with most reporting short. Rangeland and pasture conditions are very poor to adequate with most at fair. Supplemental feeding continues and has increased, as some are now choosing to feed instead of selling hay.
The State of Texas Department of Agriculture has the Hay and Grazing Hotline set up for buyers and sellers. The number is 1-877-429-1998. The Web site for TDA is www.agr.state.tx.us. For a hay report from a state other than Texas please click here.
