Country Lifestyle
Tenacious Taylor
What does it take to become the only woman to have won all four levels of Oklahoma State Rodeo Queen pageantry, and earn two high school rodeo titles – one for state and one for national – along the way?
Tenacity, perseverance, and an unwavering eye pointed at the prize; all of which Cleveland’s Taylor Spears has in spades. The 23-year-old first became enamored with the glitz and glamour of rodeo queen contests at just three years old when she wanted to do everything her sister did. Over the years she learned how much work there was aside from the glamorous outfits and perfect makeup, evolving into the well-spoken, world traveling, and smiling rodeo ambassador she is today.
Growing up in the tiny country town of Hallett in north east Oklahoma, Taylor Spears has always had a love for rural life. That passion was fueled by parents who were relatively new to agriculture themselves. “I had two amazing parents, and interestingly enough, neither one of them had an agriculture background. My dad always had this dream, even though he was a city boy from Tulsa, to get some land and have cattle. He even wanted to be a bull rider at one point in his life,” she said, referring to her parents Shirley and Terry Spears. “Honestly, my dad is one of the most admirable people in my life because it’s crazy to think about where he came from, and where he is now. We have a beautiful ranch in northeast Oklahoma, and we get to live the dream every day with horses, cows, and pigs.”
As many younger sisters do, Taylor admired her older sister Sarah, and wanted to emulate everything Sarah did. “My sister started showing in 4H and all of that, and so, being three years old and thinking my sister hung the moon, I had to do it, too,” Taylor said. “So I grew up my whole life showing pigs and goats and I even tried cattle for a little bit.”
Sarah fell in love with horses, and eventually the Spears family purchased a reining horse. “You name it, we tried it, and our parents supported us,” Taylor said. “We still have our first reining horse that’s out in the pasture, and dad will say, ‘Well there’s my swimming pool,’ because I guess he had a choice of getting either a swimming pool or that horse. I think that was the best option.”
So the Spears sisters traveled the country showing livestock and horses, and then they ventured into the rodeo lifestyle, competing in barrel racing as well. It was actually Sarah’s barrel racing coach who set the sisters on the path to rodeo pageantry, when she encouraged Sarah to try her hand in a contest. “Sarah became a rodeo queen, and I was obsessed. In the car rides going to lessons, I would be answering the questions that mom would be asking, instead of giving Sarah time to answer. I was just infatuated with it all.
“Truly, starting around three years old, I became interested in promoting the sport of rodeo and telling people about it. I remember being so excited to tell my friends when I learned something new,” Taylor said.
Her very first pageant was for Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Sweetheart, which she won. She laughed, and explained, “That was a fun experience because all the Sweethearts win. They want you to keep going, so they don’t tell you that you didn’t do well.”
Riding high after her “win,” Taylor was soon humbled when she aged out of the Princess division and had to actually compete for Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Princess. “I was a Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Sweetheart in 2005 or 2006, and it took me until 2010 for me to finally win Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Princess,” she shared. “In those years, I not only grew as a young woman, but I also used that time to grow in my knowledge and become well-rounded.”
She added, “I had gone into that first Miss Rodeo Oklahoma Princess pageant expecting it would be easy to win, and then I learned I had to study more and work harder. Each year that I didn’t win pushed me to study more, work more, and study some more. I think the biggest thing I learned is that nothing is ever handed to you, and that everything you have in life is something that you work hard for. Truly, losing those pageants at that young of age was a blessing because most people don’t get to learn those lessons early on.”
As a rodeo queen, it is said you have to be a master in almost every category, being knowledgeable not just about rodeo, but also agriculture in general, politics, and current events. As Taylor grew up, she would miss out on normal childhood things because of contests or clinics. “I had a friend tell me that if I had spent as much time on my schoolwork as I did studying and learning for the rodeo queen contests, I’d be a straight-A student, but I had other desires,” she shared. “During high school, when everything started piling up, it would have been really easy to say I was done for a bit.”
Once she began winning, she didn’t stop. She became the only person in Miss Rodeo Oklahoma history to be a title holder in all four divisions; Sweetheart, Princess, Teen, and of course, Miss Rodeo Oklahoma in 2018. She also became only the second young woman in Oklahoma history to hold both the State and National High School Rodeo Queen title. Taylor went on to compete for Miss Rodeo America, and finished as first runner up.
Life After Royalty
Taylor graduated from Oklahoma State University in December 2020, where she majored in Marketing and Communications. The vivacious 23-year-old has already racked up lots of real-world experience in that field. She spent several years as a social media ambassador for RFD-TVs the American Rodeo, and has been an on-camera personality for several rodeo-based television shows on RFD-TV. “Each year when the National Little Britches Rodeo Association Finals have come to Guthrie, I have been fortunate enough to be on-camera to interview all the contestants and know their stories,” she shared.
She also works as an assistant producer on Rodeo Queens, a show in its second season on the Cowboy Channel that follows several rodeo pageants. “It lets viewers see the ins and outs, and I wish I could have watched it before I competed because I have learned so much from working on that set,” she said.
In December, Taylor continued her work with the Cowboy Channel, interning with the Channel and focusing most of her efforsts on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which was moved to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, due to COVID-19. “Right now I’m just burning the candle at both ends and working on everything I can,” she said. “I’m kind of in a transition phase of my life. I’m able to work in a lot of areas, and am seeking a job that I feel is the right fit. Through the rodeo pageants I learned the importance of brand management, because when you are a rodeo queen, you are the face of that organization. There are so many things that I can do because of the opportunities afforded to me through being a rodeo queen.”
Pollinators, especially bees, play a crucial role in our ecosystem and agricultural landscape. They are responsible for pollinating many of the crops that we rely on for food production. However, bee populations worldwide have been declining due to various factors, including habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, and climate change. In Oklahoma, where agriculture is a significant industry, protecting pollinators is of utmost importance. Here we explore some strategies for supporting bee populations in Oklahoma and why it’s essential for the health of our environment and economy.
Understanding the Importance of Bees
Before delving into strategies for protecting bee populations, it’s essential to understand why bees are so vital. Bees are one of the most effective pollinators, playing a crucial role in the reproduction of flowering plants, including many crops such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Without bees, the pollination process would be severely disrupted, leading to reduced crop yields and potentially threatening food security.
In Oklahoma, bees contribute significantly to the state’s agricultural economy by pollinating crops like cotton, canola, alfalfa, and various fruits and vegetables. According to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, pollinators contribute over $157 million annually to the state’s economy. Therefore, protecting bee populations is not only essential for environmental conservation but also for the economic sustainability of agriculture in Oklahoma.
Challenges Facing Bee Populations in Oklahoma
Despite their importance, bee populations in Oklahoma, like elsewhere, face numerous challenges that threaten their survival. One of the primary threats is habitat loss due to urbanization, agricultural expansion, and land development. As natural habitats disappear, bees lose the food sources and nesting sites they need to thrive.
Furthermore, the use of pesticides, including neonicotinoids and other chemical treatments, poses a significant risk to bee populations. Pesticides can harm bees directly through poisoning or indirectly by contaminating their food sources and disrupting their reproductive cycles. Climate change also exacerbates the challenges faced by bees, affecting flowering patterns, altering habitat suitability, and increasing the frequency of extreme weather events.
Strategies for Supporting Bee Populations
While the challenges facing bee populations are daunting, there are several strategies that individuals, farmers, and policymakers can implement to support bee populations in Oklahoma:
- Creating Pollinator Habitat: One of the most effective ways to support bees is by creating and preserving pollinator-friendly habitat. This can include planting native wildflowers, flowering trees, and shrubs that provide bees with a diverse and abundant source of nectar and pollen. Additionally, leaving natural areas, such as meadows and hedgerows, untouched can provide essential nesting sites for solitary bees.
- Reducing Pesticide Use: Minimizing the use of pesticides, especially bee-toxic chemicals like neonicotinoids, is crucial for bee conservation. Farmers can adopt integrated pest management (IPM) practices that prioritize non-chemical methods of pest control, such as crop rotation, biological control, and using pest-resistant crop varieties. When pesticides are necessary, they should be applied judiciously, following label instructions and avoiding spraying during times when bees are most active.
- Supporting Organic Agriculture: Organic farming practices that eschew synthetic pesticides and fertilizers are inherently more bee-friendly. By supporting organic agriculture and purchasing organic products, consumers can help create demand for farming methods that prioritize environmental sustainability and pollinator health.
- Educating the Public: Increasing public awareness about the importance of bees and the threats they face is essential for fostering support for bee conservation efforts. Educational initiatives can include school programs, community workshops, and public outreach campaigns that highlight the role of bees in food production and the steps individuals can take to protect them.
- Collaborating with Stakeholders: Protecting bee populations requires collaboration among various stakeholders, including farmers, landowners, conservation organizations, government agencies, and researchers. By working together, these groups can develop and implement comprehensive strategies for conserving bee habitat, reducing pesticide exposure, and promoting bee-friendly farming practices.
Conclusion
Protecting pollinators, particularly bees, is a critical priority for environmental conservation and agricultural sustainability in Oklahoma. By implementing strategies such as creating pollinator habitat, reducing pesticide use, supporting organic agriculture, educating the public, and collaborating with stakeholders, we can help support bee populations and ensure their continued role in pollinating our crops and maintaining ecosystem health. By taking action now, we can secure a future where bees thrive, benefiting both our environment and our economy.
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References:
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry. (n.d.). Pollinators in Oklahoma. Retrieved from https://www.oda.state.ok.us/food/fs-pollinators.htm
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. (2022). Neonicotinoids. Retrieved from https://xerces.org/neonicotinoids
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. (2022). Climate Change and Human Health – Heat Impacts on Pollinators. Retrieved from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/translational/peph/webinars/heat-impacts-on-pollinators/index.cfm
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2022). Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/integrated-pest-management-ipm-principles
Organic Trade Association. (n.d.). Why Buy Organic? Retrieved from https://www.ota.com/why-buy-organic
Pollinator Partnership. (n.d.). Education & Outreach. Retrieved from https://www.pollinator.org/education-outreach
United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Partnerships for Pollinators. Retrieved from https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/06/24/partnerships-pollinators
These references provide a comprehensive overview of the topics discussed in the article, including the importance of pollinators, the challenges they face, and strategies for supporting bee populations in Oklahoma.
I am a mother. I do not know about the rest of you mothers, but the second I became “Mom,” my life became a constant state of wondering if I am doing a good job.
That is especially hard to tell when you choose to homeschool. I have no feedback from anyone that is not family. No teacher conferences telling me the little girl talks too much or the oldest boy can not sit still. Sure, I could ask my husband how he thinks our kids are maturing emotionally and intellectually. Still, he would most likely look out the window and see the aforementioned children running around in the sand with only socks on. He would then look at me and ask me to make him a quesadilla. I would say yes, we would joke about socks, and life would go on. See? Zero feedback to go on here.
So, you start to rely on personal experiences. You come up with little tests throughout your days to rate your kids “ready for society” level.
Example 1: A trip to the big city where the kids treat the grocery store as their personal snack depot. They successfully eat all the grapes and a whole block of cheese in your basket before you can check out. As you leave, they tell the door greeter, “Have a nice day.”
Example 2: Your husband enters an indoor rodeo. You are bouncing the baby and notice your oldest child is eating a bag of dippin dots. First, you smile and then remember that she has no money. Come to think of it, the concession stand is not even open. You have now concluded your firstborn has broken into the closed concession stand with her posse of four-year-old convicts and has helped herself to some ice cream.
Example 3: You are in church. The children have managed to be nice and quiet the entire time. After the message and the closing “Amen” is said, your three-year-old turns to you and says, “Well, that wasn’t so bad.”
After a little while, you start to question your “Ready for Society” tests. Are they productive? Are they accurate? I figure the answer to that question is better left unanswered.
One evening this summer, after I had quit conducting all these tests, I was mourning the loss of my children’s place in society when I looked up and noticed all our horses running down our driveway, headed for the neighboring pastures. For a minute, I just sat there wondering what I should do. I was holding the baby and wearing the ever-practical slip-on loafer and had absolutely no idea what was for supper. That had nothing to do with the horses being out, but that is part of being a housewife, I guess. You always wonder if you left the iron on and what is for supper.
While I sat there stunned, pondering life’s biggest questions, my husband and my daughter yelled at me to get a move on as they were already springing into action. My husband ran to stop them, and my daughter was on her way to the barn for some halters. Meanwhile, I was tripping over my loafers, scaring the horses and making already stressful matters much worse.
My husband finally got the horses cornered at the far end of our neighbor’s pasture and waved at me for some assistance. I handed the baby to my daughter and told her to watch the boys and stay in the house while I headed to help.
Within 30 minutes, we caught the horses and led them back to the corrals. I was in a near state of panic, wondering how long the boys had been crying and what state of mind my daughter was in, having just witnessed her dad nearly sweat to death and her mother make terrible fashion choices.
To my surprise, as I walked up to the house, I saw three happy children on the porch eating a supper of plums and peaches. The boys laughed at their sister as she shuffled little cars and cows around for them to play with. Not only had she fed and entertained her brothers, but she had also cleaned the house and fed the chickens to boot. I just stood there quietly watching for a while, not wanting to disturb the moment.
After the kids passed their first ever Ready for Society test, I realized that society’s standards versus my own were probably quite different. Society tells me that my kids need to be clean and quiet. Seen but not heard. Able to recite the ABCs on command but have no opinion on political matters. To be kind to everyone but never bring up God’s name and what He has to do with it. Society says my kids should fall into the assembly line and attend a good college someday to get a good minimum-wage job.
Why would I want my kids to fit into society when I do not even fit into society? No, I think I will keep my dirty little misfits all to myself. I think I will continue raising them to know how to care for themselves and each other. I will continue to show them how to serve God and work hard. I will continue to raise them never to wear slip-on shoes in the pasture and that plums and peaches are a totally acceptable supper on a warm summer evening.
By
Norman Winter
Horticulturist, Author and Speaker
National Poinsettia Day just passed, December 12 to be exact. While I am sure the powers to be wanted a celebratory type day, from what I have been seeing this year is this may have been a deadline day. This most likely applies to poinsettia partners too! If you are asking what a poinsettia partner is then put on your thinking cap and gather around.
Proven Winners got most of us to thinking partners when they introduced the concept of combining poinsettias with Diamond Frost euphorbias. This is one of the best ideas ever and we now actually have three choices, Diamond Frost, Diamond Snow with double flowers and Diamond Mountain that is the taller of the three.
To a horticulturist like myself this combination is so special because both the Poinsettia and the Diamond Frost are Euphorbias. That’s right, they are cousins. Just like Christmas, families visiting and long-lost cousins getting together. Of course, the main reason we like this idea is that the red, pink, or variegated poinsettia looks incredible, it’s as though it is sitting on a bed of snow or frost. I have found these to be more available at fine florists.
But if you are going to create your own and go plant shopping then keep in mind some other options you might want to-try. For instance, a couple of years ago Jenny Simpson of Creekside Nursery in Dallas North Carolina introduced us to not only using caladiums at Christmas but even in combinations with poinsettias. She used the Heart to Heart White Snowdrift caladiums which turned out to be a perfect partner with red poinsettias.
My time as Executive Director at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens in Savannah GA taught me there are opportunities for outside use with poinsettias, particularly if you are astute at long range weather forecasting. First consider that Savannah is technically zone 8B with a proclivity to lean into zone 9. We used poinsettias in large planters surrounded by Silver Bullet Dusty Miller or artemisia.
A similar application gave me the opportunity of photographing pink poinsettias mass planted in an atrium-like setting and surrounded by gray leaved Icicles helichrysum. But the most obvious and perhaps easiest if you are getting a late start is to combine your poinsettias with another Christmas plant like cyclamen. White cyclamen around a red poinsettia can be simply breathtaking.
This year I have also been watching what I call the professional garden club ladies walking out of both florists and floral departments with holly berries. We all think of hollies on swags above the fireplace or front door, but two or three preserved branches loaded with red berries stuck in a pot of white poinsettias is quick, easy and unbeatable.
Red berries for Christmas, landscape beauty, and of course feeding the birds is a prime reason to grow winterberry hollies like the compact Berry Poppins. Consider also growing Berry Heavy Gold winterberry holly. Cutting branches of the gold berries to be used with red poinsettias makes a stunning partnership. Go to Proven Winners site, Winterberry Holly: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Colorful Berries. If you don’t have poinsettias yet make today your shopping day! Follow me on Facebook @NormanWinterTheGardenGuy for more photos and garden inspiration.
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