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By CHERYL BURKE
Impressives Copy is a unique horse in
a unique situation. A champion Quarter
Horse stallion, Impressives Copy has
been at Texas A&M University for only-
four years, yet he has already improved
its quality of education.
Impressives Copy’s job is to produce
superb foals for Texas A&:M . These foals
are used in the teaching programs of the
horse section of the animal science de
partment, and are then incorporated
into the herd to improve its quality.
Dr. Gary Potter, professor of animal
science, describes Impressives Copy and
his foals as representative of the caliber
of horses found in the Quarter Horse
industry today.
“I have no aspirations whatsoever to
teach students with plug horses,” Potter
said. “Copy is not just a good stallion; he
is an outstanding stallion, and he is able
to transmit that into his foals.”
Therefore students are able to ride
and train horses that are typical of the
kinds of horses they will see in the pro
fessional industry. “Consequently,” Pot
ter said, “when students graduate, we
feel they are better prepared to relate to
their particular area of the industry than
if they had been riding pluggy old horses
while here at Texas A&M.
“And I don’t know of another educa
tional institution in the country- that has a
stallion used in its breeding program
that is of the quality of Impressives
Copy.”
Another aspect of having a high cali
ber breeding program involves public
relations for both the students and the
horses. Students in the training classes
are allowed to fit, train and show the
horses, locally at first and then to state
shows.
“What we are doing is putting the
horses, and more important, the stu
dents on display for the public to see,”
Potter said. “We are saying here is the
caliber of horses we have at Texas A&M,
here is the caliber of students we have at
Texas A&M, and here is the job they are
doing with them.”
And they are doing a good job, Potter
added. Several of Impressives Copy’s
offspring have been shown repeatedly
and won class and reserve champion
ships across the nation.
Impressives Copy was recruited by
Texas A&M in 1978 when he was only
two years old, unproven as a breeding
stallion.
“We realized in about 1977 that we
had gone about as far as we could go in
improving the quality of the herd with
the breeding stock we had,” Potter said.
Potter first saw Impressives Copy at
the 1977 All-American Quarter Horse
Congress when Copy won the yearling
stallion futurity, the highest award
among his peers.
When funding was provided through
private donations to buy a new stallion,
the first horse Potter began looking at
was Impressives Copy.
“I knew the minute they got him out
of the barn that if we could afford this
horse we would buy him, but I was afraid
he would be out of our reach.” Potter
said. “But we made the owner an offer,
and he took it.”
Texas A&M has had a history of in
volvement in the Quarter Horse indus
try and has owned many outstanding
horses which have contributed to the
breed, Potter said. “But there has never
been a horse on the Texas A&M campus
that is the caliber of Impressives Copy,”
he added.
feed possibility
By PATRICE KORANEK
Cottonseed has been used as livestock
feed for a long time, but in the past de
cade researchers have found a way to use
it for human food. Now, a major prob
lem facing researchers is marketing cot
tonseed as a food crop.
Many people try the seeds and want to
buy them, but are disappointed when
they find grocery stores don’t stock
them, said Rhonda Simmons, research
associate for the Food Protein Research
and Development Center at Texas A&M
University.
The research center is part of the
Texas Engineering Experiment Station
and does a lot of product testing and
recipe development, Simmons said. She
is currently trying to find food com
panies willing to market cottonseed as a
food product.
“The whole goal is to increase the
value of the cotton crop,” Simmons said.
When cottonseed becomes available
to the consumers for use in salads, cas
seroles and desserts, an increase in the
value of cotton as a crop should result,
Simmons said.
Cottonseed contains a pigment called
gossypol, which is toxic to non-ruminant
animals, such as humans, poultry and
swine. In the early 1950s scientists found
a glandless cotton plant and by careful
breeding produced a healthy plant with
quality fiber. Glandless cottonseed, fit
for human consumption, resulted.
To process glandless cottonseed, the
boll fragments and short fibers attached
to the seed are removed and the hull is
stripped from the kernel. The kernels
can be used this way or they can be pro
cessed further into flour and protein for
tifiers.
Photo by Cheryl Burke
Impressives Copy takes a morning run
at the Texas A&M horse center.
center ready
Meats laboratory manager Ray Riley
said the meat could be moved to the new
Meat
By LESLIE BARR
In the spring of 1983 students taking
meat science at Texas A&M University
will experience a change of scenery.
The new and modern meat science
and technology center will be ready ab
out Jan. 15, said Dr. Jeff Saveli, assistant
professor associated with the construc
tion and design of the facility.
center in about three weeks, although
classes will not be scheduled there until
next semester.
The new center, located on west cam
pus next to the Kleberg Animal and
Food Sciences Center, was built by
B.F.W. Construction Company of Tem
ple and has an estimated construction
cost of $3.9 million.
soon
There will also be a retail sales area in
the new center, Saveli said. “Most of the
customers of the present meats lab are
faculty and staff members,” Riley said.
“We are not trying to compete with
the local merchants,” Saveli said. “We are
trying to provide an exceptional educa
tional training program for students,
and offer a quality product to the public
at a reasonable price.”
AGRICULTURAL
COMMUNICATORS
OF TOMORROW
“Serving all aspects
of agriculture.”
Meetings: 2nd & 4th Mon.,
7 p.m., Journalism Library,
301 Reed McDonald Bldg.
President: Kitty Fraley 845-2211
Advisor: Doyle Gougler 845-4611
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more than hobby
By KELLI PROCTOR
Showing Quarter Horses is not fun
anymore. Mountains of money and
changes within the industry have made
showing strictly business.
Bubba and Nancy Cahill of Madison-
ville have been in the Quarter Horse
business for 10 years. Cahill, a successful
horse trainer, believes the Quarter
Horse business has changed drastically,
but for the better.
Money is the major reason for
change. The big money is not in Quarter
Horses but in thoroughbred racing
where there are futurities and high dol
lar purses.
Futurities are classes limited to a cer
tain age group. To enter, expensive en
try fees are paid several months in adv
ance, ensuring a large purse.
First place wins a percentage of the
purse, with a decreasing percentage
through the number of places.
The customers, types of shows and
kinds and styles of horses have also
changed and have turned the Quarter
Horse industry from a fun sport to a
major business.
The average person doesn’t go to the
horse show anymore. The money is too
high and the competition too great.
“They just can’t compete because of the
caliber of horse it takes to win,” Cahill
said.
Customers are more knowledgable.
They know what they want and what we
can get done for them, Cahill said. Be
cause of the high dollars involved the
“backyard horse person” that has been
eliminated from the show ring, Cahill
added.
Cahill said the people in the horse
business today want the best and will buy
only top dollar horses. It is not uncom
mon to spend $30,000 for a horse, or buy
a share of a syndicated stallion for
$5,000.
“This is good for the horse business
and good for the trainers. All horse
trainers have the dream of selling the
highest dollar horse,” Cahill said.
“The thing that makes the horse busi
ness go around is the great tax write-off
that it is. It is legal and you can write off
everything down to your long sleeve
shirts,” Cahill emphasized.
Why is the Quarter Horse business so
competitive?
Money is the key again, but the
change in the style of horse is the reason,
Cahill said.
The horse that won several events 10
years ago has been replaced by the finely
tuned machine raised for one event only,
he said.
For example a horse that won in five
or six events 10 years ago competing
against a horse of today, trained specific
ally for one event, would not have a
chance, Cahill said.
“A person can own an outstanding
halter horse or a really fancy western
pleasure horse, but not both. They just
don’t mix, ” Cahill said.
The ideal horse would be an all-
around animal beating the one-event
horses. The problem is finding the ideal.
Youth shows will be the shows where
the all around horse is needed, Mrs.
Cahill said. The youth usually have only
one or two horses to show and have to
teach the horse almost every event.
A trainer, on the other hand, has a
barn filled with horses to train. The
trainer won't waste the customer’s
money if the he doesn’t believe the horse
has the potential.
“A lot of horses probably miss their
chance with a trainer, whereas a youth
would stick with him and possibly find
the horse’s potential,” Mrs. Cahill ex
plained.
The youth are an important part of
the horse business too. The serious ones
become the horse trainers of the future,
Cahill said.
Pari-mutuel horse racing
can increase money, jobs
By CATHY ANDERSON
People might realize that legalizing
pari-mutuel horse racing in Texas would
increase the revenue within the state, but
many probably don’t realize the number
of jobs it would open for college gradu
ates and unskilled labor alike.
B.F. Phillips, Frisco, Texas, Chairman
of the Texas Horseracing Association
and head of the pari-mutuel racing cam
paign in Texas, pointed out that pari
mutuel wagering will contribute about
$135 million to revenue every year. Five
hundred million dollars to one billion
dollars a year would be contributed to
feed sales and verterinary care.
For a first class track, like the one
being planned for Texas, a population of
at least one million people is needed.
“We visualize 3 major tracks located in
the Dallas-Ft Worth area, Houston and
San Antonio, Phillips said.
“At a first class track there will be
about 2000 horses stabled and for every
four horses they will need one em
$2.3 million spent
to convert pavillion
By LIZ LaVALLE
For the past year, anyone passing by
the Animal Husbandry Pavillion has
noticed a big change taking place.
Long gone are the cattle, the horses
and the dirt floor. These were replaced
during the conversion of the pavillion to
the new Texas A&M University registra
tion headquarters.
The first floor of the new building,
which was the old arena, will be used for
registration and Aggie ring ordering,
and will include a snack bar and several
offices.
The second floor of the building will
be used by the Student Activities Office
and Student Financial Aid Office.
The conversion is costing about $2.3
million and will probably be finished by
the spring semester, said Registrar Bob
Lacey, the project coordinator for the
building.
“From 1918 to 1934 the pavillion held
all the pffices for the animal science de
partment and some offices for the de
partments of agricultural economics,
poultry science, biochemistry and liberal
arts,” said Associate Deputv Chancellor
for Agriculture O.D. Butler.
For many years the pavillion was used
for scout jamborees, district scout fairs,
and initiation for the Saddle and Sirloin
Club and Ross Volunteers, Butler said.
ployee,” he said. That means 500 more
jobs, he added.
Most of the jobs on the track will use
unskilled labor and include groomers,
stall cleaners, people to feed and exercise
horses, and track maintenance workers.
If the pari-mutuel gambling issuis pas
ses, at least 1500 unskilled laborers will
be able to find jobs, Phillips said.
Tom Early, assistant secretary-
treasurer of the Louisiana Thorough
bred Breeders Association, said most
jobs for people with degrees in agricul
ture would be on breeding farms.
Jobs on breeding farms will include
stallion managers, secretaries, groomers,
breeding technicians and trainers.
It will also have a tremendous impact
on the sale of real estate and the con
struction industry.
Some people fear that legalizing pari
mutuel racing will cause an increase in
crime and drug traffic. However, Gra
ham emphasized that horse racing is a
highly policed sport. Horses have to have
blood and urine tests which will detect
the illegal use of drugs.
Be a Member of Saddle
& Sirloin and Be a Part
of This:
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TAMU
Children's Barnyard
Benefit Horse Show
Ham Sales
Special Charity Projects
Dances & Picnics
Little Southwestern:
Showmanship Contest
Judging Contest
Ham Show & Sale
Meetings: 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the Month
Kleberg 115