Arkansas Neighbors

"Girl, set me up on my horse, come on, and get the dogs,” Those are the words of Beth Ferguson's grandfather, even after he was diagnosed with cancer. “He rode up until just weeks before he passed away. I hope that I can enjoy things as much as he did. That was a good life.” Beth's life has revolved around horses since before she can remember. “My mom said when I was little she'd drive down the road and I'd just start screaming. She couldn't figure out what was wrong at first, but eventually she figured out it was horses. Every time I would see one, I'd just get excited and start screaming. I've always loved them, for as long as I can remember, and from what she says, even before I can remember.”

Hurricane Rita came blaring through in 2005 destroying the hospital in Orange, Texas where John Pickering was Maintenance Director. “I helped close it down. When the last helicopter took our last ICU patient, I left right behind them,” John said. “There were only three people that stayed to make sure all the patients got out. John was one of them. He saved a lot of lives. He is my hero,” Cheryl, John’s wife, said. Cheryl wanted to come home to Arkansas after the hurricane. John had to return to the hospital the following day to start rebuilding it. He stayed, working 12-hour days for the next six weeks, getting the hospital back up and running. After Rita, John and Cheryl officially moved to Arkansas for good. But they have been back several times since, most recently after Hurricane Ike, to help John's father.

In 1997, Holly and Matt Linck's daughters, Rachel and Shelby, were attending school at Southside, Bee Branch, Ark., and were involved in 4-H. They had pastureland that was mostly browse at their 40-acre farm on Harmony Mountain Road near Choctaw, Ark., and the girls wanted to get involved in showing livestock.

"In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, a bridge to our future," summarizes Alex Haley, the author of "Roots." Family farming roots in Arkansas run deep, but the future generation of farmers is more in flux. However, in the Whorton family of Lincoln, Ark., there is no doubt that the farming tradition started by family patriarch and matriarch, Basil and Wilma Whorton will be continued on through the third generation. Basil was the Vice President of Phillips Food Center/Food-4-Less in Bentonville prior to retiring, but always farmed on the side. Sadly, Basil passed away two years ago, but his legacy endures. His wife Wilma still lives on the farm, and his son Tim, daughter-in-law Stephanie, and grandson Tyler run Whorton Cattle Company. Bridging not just generations, but careers, Tim and son Tyler also own Country Feed and Farm Supply in Lincoln. In two weeks, the family will expand, as Tyler weds his fiancé Matea Stilley of Kansas, Okla., and starts a second operation in Leach, Okla.

LeAnna and Bob Hall met at a rodeo 22 years ago. Bob team roped professionally. LeAnna primarily competed in barrel racing and later in team roping. They still attend rodeos today, now with their younger son Brenten. Dylan, their oldest son, just graduated from high school and is attending NEO in Miami, Okla., with a full scholarship earned by judging horses. Brenten is just in the fourth grade, but has already completed his third year of junior rodeos, winning a number of trophies, buckles, cash prizes and two saddles. "We never even thought about it. Nothing else was an option. We just always had land and cattle," she added. "We are really blessed."

Walking through a pasture of Texas Longhorns could be quite intimidating. Whether straight or curved, the horns are long and threatening, and the animals are huge. But then the owner calls them by their names and scratches their heads, and suddenly they’re not as unapproachable. It’s hard to be afraid of a cow named Nancy Jane, Little John, Get ‘er Done, Deadeye Dick – and the best one – Princess Margaret.

A lot of farmers don’t look forward to the times that they have to work their cattle. That’s not the case for Randal Bonds of Cecil, Ark. In fact, he even does it for other farmers all over the Franklin County area. He uses his team of Catahoula dogs and a horse to quickly accomplish a task that takes hours for some. Often, it only takes Randal 10 to 20 minutes to gather a herd that is used to being driven by horses and around an hour for those that aren’t. “My dogs gather the cattle up, and then I use the horses to drive them to where they need to be, he explained.”

The fourth generation in the cattle business, Lane Pruitt who lives at Clinton, Ark., has worked with cattle as far back as he can remember. He grew up on a dairy farm, working with his grandfather, Larry Pruitt, who lives at Beebe, Ark. Larry, a veteran cattleman, has worked in the livestock industry his whole life. Lane continued working with Larry on the family farm through his college years at Arkansas State at Beebe, where he graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural Business.

Currently J.W., Belle and Andrew Hendrix have 50 Foxtrotter horses on their 700-acre Boston Mountain Foxtrotter Ranch near Witts Springs, Ark. When J.W. was 4 years old his family moved from near Bass, Ark., on the Buffalo River to Witts Springs in order for the children to attend school. He has lived at that location since; some of the property is the original home place that once belonged to his dad. J.W. has been involved in cattle and horses for many years.

The eastern Oklahoma farm of Arlus Walters gives the feeling you’ve stepped back in time to a simpler place. No strip malls, no gas stations, just the small community church right up the road. That is how Arlus Walters prefers things.