< PreviousStart your next chapter with our weight loss surgery team. If you’re considering weight loss surgery, our team at St. Luke’s Health is ready to help you on your path to success. You will have the support of our doctors, nurses, and nutritionists every step of the way. Our weight loss program is built to fi t your individual needs. Many have gone before you to experience spectacular success. It’s your turn now. Start a new chapter, with a new you. Learn more at StLukesHealth.org/WeightLoss.22 COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 Mikayla Anthony shows her lamb during the 2023 Clear Creek ISD FFA Livestock Show & Auction on Jan. 18 at the CCISD West Agriculture Center in Webster. She won Champion Lamb Showmanship. (Opposite) Sophia Dykes poses with her family after winning Grand Champion for her lamb and goat. COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 23 FEATURE BARN BUSTER Record-breaking livestock program gets bigger every year story by JOSÉ MENDIOLA |photos courtesy of BRIANNA KNOWLTON S tudents participating in the Future Farmers of America in Clear Creek Independent School District work each day of the year toward their dreams and ambitions. The school district’s FFA program has 700 student members across five high schools, said J.T. Buford, the district’s career and technical education program manager. One of the reasons why the FFA program is large and successful in the school district is because agriculture and livestock are so popular in Texas, Buford said. And the program is only growing, Buford said regarding the success of the 41st Annual Clear Creek ISD Livestock Show and Auction, which in January raised more than $312,000 for high school students in the FFA program, mark- ing the highest amount raised in the program’s history.24 COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 FEATURE There also were seven individual sales records set for top winners, including the Grand Champion steer, pig, turkey, broilers, rabbits and Best of Show for floral design and visual arts, according to the district. “We had over $300,000 worth of livestock or student projects sold during the show,” Buford said. The livestock show gives students an opportunity to raise a livestock project for nine months, Buford said. Students have a large selection of livestock projects to choose from, such as steers, pigs, sheep, broiler chickens, turkeys, goats or rabbits. Not only does the program offer livestock raising, but also can give students the opportunity to focus on agriculture mechanics projects, Buford said. Students can work on a variety of projects, including swings, barbecue pits, benches, fire pits, green houses and more. “We’ve been fortunate to have the success that we’ve reached in the last several years,” Buford said. “The community has constantly been a giant supporter of the program.” Students work year-round while in the program and compete in shows all over the state, Buford said. “Our FFA students are 365,” Buford said. “They’re in the barn throughout the summer and winter. They compete in multiple live shows in the state from Pasadena, San Antonio, Houston, Austin and Fort Worth.” Livestock shows are only just a fraction of what FFA has to offer, Buford said. “Livestock showing is just one piece of the FFA puzzle,” Buford said. “We have students developing leadership skills and certain responsibilities. There are certain students who hope to become a state FFA officer. There’s a leadership component.” For students like Sophia Dykes, a junior in Clear Springs High School, it’s been about opportunities for leadership roles. Dykes, who was influenced by her sister to join FFA, has been in the program for three years, she said. Dykes took her animals to auction with high hopes and two top titles — Grand Champion Lamb and Grand Champion Goat, fetching $7,000 and $5,000. Although being a full-time student in the program is difficult, Dykes always is up for the challenge, she said. “It’s challenging in some ways because it takes so much time,” Dykes said. “I’ve missed a lot of days. It’s hard to balance because you have to make up for work when you’re out on the road. It’s challenging, but very rewarding.” Dykes, who is the president of her school’s chapter and vice president of the Gulf Coast district, has won numerous awards throughout her three years in the program. Dykes hopes to become a state officer in the Future Farmers of America one day, she said. Some students, such as Mikayla Anthony, a junior at Clear Lake High School, have just begun their FFA experience. “This is my first year raising livestock,” Anthony said. “I had previously been playing basketball for my school, but I quit to pursue a future in FFA.” Anthony is raising a lamb and a steer, she said. “I’ve always had a passion for animals,” Anthony said. “I really enjoy how FFA has taught me to build strong relationships. You never know who you’re going to meet and it sure keeps you prepared.” The program is as rewarding as it is demanding, Anthony said. “Time management can be an issue, especially when you’re raising so many animals and trying to keep your grades up,” Anthony said. “But it’s rewarding and I’m always up for the challenge. It truly prepares you for the real world.” Anthony plans on running for an officer position this year and hopes to continue her participation in the program until she graduates. “Livestock showing is just one piece of the FFA puzzle. We have students developing leadership skills and certain responsibilities. There are certain students who hope to become a state FFA officer. There’s a leadership component.” J.T. BUFORD DEVELOPER SERVICES PROPERTIES &COISLECYCLESTUDIO-GROUPCLASSES MASSAGE-WELLNESSTHERAPIES THEGATHERINGSTUDIORENTALSPACE BentonHealthyLivingWellnessCenterisawellnessandfitnessspaceon GalvestonIsland.BentonHealthyLivingwillanchorthewellnessarmofthecenter witheducationalandtherapeutic-basedresources.Thewellnesscenterwillalso offerFullBodyVibrationTherapy,SaltBoothTherapy,InfraredSaunaTherapy, Massage,andIVTherapy.BentonHealthyLivingWellnessCenterwillalsooffer educationalclassesonnutrition,essentialoils,wellness,andfitness. 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EVEN BETTER THAN 28 COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 29 FEATURE ‘SALTWATER COWBOY’ From bullfighting to boat fishing, these coastal Texans are living their dream story by B. SCOTT MCLENDON | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA H e spends his time either boot-clad with his 1,600-pound Watusi steers in Algoa or sporting a pair of flip-flops dipping his boat into the Gulf. The life of retired rodeo star Mark Bennett is a shot of whiskey with salt around the rim. This self-proclaimed “Saltwater Cowboy” wears the title well. Donning his signature Hawaiian shirt with more-near Western wear, Bennett spent his 20s and 30s touring the country from the late ’80s to 2011 to entertain crowds of rodeo enthusiasts. Fighting bulls isn’t for the faint of heart, and most athletes hang up their boots before they’re 30. But Bennett couldn’t stay away, retiring at age 42 with 25 years under his elaborate belt buckle. “In the sport of fighting bulls … if you’re not good at it, the bulls are gonna let you know,” Bennett quipped. “It’s almost like playing professional sports. If you make it up into your 40s, it’s an exception. I’m very fortunate that I did get to fight bulls for so long.” RODEO ROCK STAR While performing in 28 states before his rodeo retirement, Bennett found the most fervent fans actually didn’t live in the South. “Where they treated us like rock stars was the East Coast, all up there in the New York, Maine, New Hampshire area,” he said. “It’s a novelty to them. “I mean, the minute I got off a plane, they treated me like a rock star. People would arrive three hours early to see us offload the bulls — just to see the bulls. It blew my mind the first time I went there.” Seeing men clad in cowboy hats and attire is nothing new for rodeo-go- ers in Southern states, Bennett said. Attendees up north would eagerly wait months for the rodeo to bring rural fun to their cities, he said. “After 9/11, when they shut down the airlines for two weeks, the first day they opened it up I was on a plane,” he remembered. “I left for Buffalo, New York, for a show. The second night was sold out because, after 9/11, every- body had been inside sulking for two weeks and they were ready to get out.” Becky Bennett had a hard time keeping the same level of composure required of her husband in the arena, recalled their 15-year-old daughter, Baylee. Baylee remembers being able to go backstage at the rodeos, giv- ing the then-toddler an air of exclusivity and pride. She grew up in and around rodeos. “I remember when I was little, I was like, ‘Dad is a professional,’” Baylee said. “I remember because Dad was getting older, so my mom was getting Algoa resident Mark Bennett spent more than 20 years as a professional rodeo Cowboys Association bullfighter. Last year, he was inducted into the All Cowboy & Arena Champions Hall of Fame.Next >