Age: 18
Parents: Danny and Elizabeth Ferguson
FFA Chapter: Mountain Home FFA
Advisor: Josh Baker; Baxter
4-H Club: Baxter County 4-H Easy Riders Club
Leader: Beth Hodges
What is your favorite aspect of agriculture?
“I particularly like livestock because I grew up with cows my whole life. Me and my dad have a cow/calf operation together.”
Who is the most influential person in your life?
“Both my parents are really influential. My dad teaches me about cattle and is a self-starter, which means he’s taught me to be a hard worker, to always finish what I start and to make sure I work for perfection. My mom is the one who works with me in horse showing and has taught me dedication while pushing me to do things no matter how difficult, especially in showing horses.”
What is your current involvement in agriculture?
“I feed, brush, water and ride horses as soon as I wake up, and repeat the process at night. I have two horses at home and one I lease at another place. I also grain the calves, and during birthing season check on babies while looking for new ones. I also help work the cattle by administering shots and applying the dewormer.”
What are some of your agricultural memories?
“When I was 3, I had a black baldie bottle calf named Wilbur who loved to chase cars like a dog. The next really important thing was the first time I rode a horse at a lesson when I was 6. They put me on a little pony, and I was very excited but nervous about falling off. At a state show I won my second buckle on Eli, a brown Quarter Horse. I was so happy I cried because I had won with him and he had only been back in active service for six weeks.”
What are your future plans?
“I want to be a veterinarian and am particularly interested in specializing in reproduction and genes in large animals. I plan to starting at Arkansas State University and finishing my bachelor’s of arts at the University of Arkansas in animal science. I then want to go to Oklahoma State University for veterinary school.
