CALF_News_February_March_2021

21 CALF News • February | March 2021 • www.calfnews.net TEXAS FEED FAT CO., INC. P.O. Box 1790 • Durant, Oklahoma 74702 Ted Kirkpatrick, Owner We specialize in Quality Feed Fat and Quality Service. Leaders in the feed fat industry since 1974! With 2 locations to serve you. Call Us Today! TEXAS FEED FAT CO., INC. Durant, Oklahoma Kirk Sehi (580) 924-1890 Hereford, Texas (806) 363-6490 No Grass. No Vitamin E or Vitamin A. “Calves born to cows during winter, early-spring and drought conditions are more likely to be Vitamin A and Vitamin E deficient and may experience ‘weak-calf syndrome.’ ” - Dr. Rob Stuart, founder of Stuart Products, Inc. VITAL E -Newborn ® You have tried VITAL E A+D, now try our new formulation designed for newborn calves, VITAL E-Newborn. Compared to VITAL E-A+D, it provides 66% more Vitamin E, 500% more Vitamin D, and the most “bioavailable form” of Vitamin A. See dramatic improvement in Vitamin A and E status when injected with 5 mL of VITAL E-Newborn at birth. 800-747-4538 · Beef.StuartProducts.com Research-based Solutions . . . for Animal Nutrition Needs RFD-TV for 20 Years Nearly anyone who runs cattle, farms or both, tunes into RFD-TV and/or the Cowboy Channel. RFD-TV is the flagship network for Rural Media Group. It was launched in December 2000, a time when dish technology satellite television was blossoming. RFD-TV was the nation’s first 24-hour television network featuring programming focused on agribusiness, equine and rural lifestyles. Traditional country music and entertainment have also been keys to its success. RFD-TV is now available to more than 52 million homes. More recently, Gottsch founded The Cowboy Channel, which has become the official network of PRCA’s ProRodeo. Head- quartered at the Fort Worth Stockyards on historic Exchange Avenue, it is dedicated to western sports and the western lifestyle. “We have a rodeo every week,” Gottsch says. NFR’s Roots in Texas The inaugural National Finals Rodeo was actually held in Dallas in 1959. From 1962 to 1964, it was held in Los Ange- les. And many remember how the NFR held court at Oklahoma City’s State Fair Grounds Arena from 1965 to 1984, before moving to Oklahoma City’s Myriad Convention Center. In 1984, Las Vegas bid for and won over the NFR. The Thomas & Mack Center has typically hosted more than 170,000 fans during the 10-day event. In 2001 Wrangler became NFR’s first title sponsor to help elevate professional rodeo to a new level. Oklahoma City has pushed to return the NFR to Okla- homa but is always outbid by Vegas’ deep pockets. Start- ing in 2011, Oklahoma City hosted the National Circuit Finals Rodeo (RNCFR), the finals for the PRCA’s semi-pro series. However, PRCA signed an extension with Las Vegas through 2024. After COVID hit, the contract extension was moved to 2025. “Hats off to Vegas for allowing us to go to a different venue due to COVID restrictions,” Gottsch says. “That benefitted many. Las Vegas’ South Point Casino, which holds many rodeos and western events in their auditorium, picked up costs for the buckle awards and ceremonies.” Fort Worth, which certainly lives up to its Cowtown nick- name, is also likely to bid for the NFR once the Vegas contract ends. Larger and newer facilities have been built around the stockyards to entertain and host more fans of rodeos, other equine events and stock shows. “Rodeo fans are special. They want to connect with others who stand for the flag and say a prayer to God to start a rodeo,” Gottsch says. “At Globe-Life Field, Texas Live and across Fort Worth, cowboys and cowgirls put all they had into the NFR. The rodeo couldn’t have been better.” 