South Dakota Farm & Ranch May 2019

CHASING HORSE DREAMS 5

EMBRACING INNOVATIVE

11

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE On the cover

CHASING HORSE DREAMS

Woonsocket native building unique horse-breaking business

Tanner Cross with his stud horse Pac-Man. (Matt Gade / Republic)

5

Features

Agriscience fair shows FFA investigative skills

Mitchell hosts 125 projects for state competition

8

Embracing innovative farm techniques

Ethan’s Bainbridge sees benefits with variable rate fertilizing method

11

Publisher JO N I H A R M S Editor L U K E H AG EN Advertising Director LO R I E H A N S EN Layout Design DA N YO U N G

South Dakota Farm & Ranch is a monthly agricultural publication dedicated to informing South Dakota area farmers and ranchers about current topics, news and the future of agriculture. This publication fits the niche of our unique farmers and ranchers of South Dakota, and the diverseness we have in our state. Although the Missouri River divides our state, we are all South Dakotans and thank the land for supporting us each and every day.

You, our readers, may be livestock ranchers, or row crop farmers, and everywhere in between, however, we all have a common goal in mind. We feed and support the growing population and want the next generation to find that same love, dedication and support that agriculture can offer.

To subscribe to this FREE publication, contact South Dakota Farm & Ranch.

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4 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH May 2019

Tanner Cross with his stud horse Streakin’ Pac Man owns and runs Tanner Cross Performance Horses & Horse Shoeing in Sanborn County south of Woonsocket.

CHASING HORSE DREAMS Woonsocket native building unique horse-breaking business

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STORY BY SAM FOSNESS South Dakota Farm and Ranch PHOTOS BY MATT GADE The Daily Republic

OONSOCKET — As he calmly walked up to a 2-year-old colt huddled in the corner of his Woonsocket training pen, Tanner Cross began working to gain the young horse’s trust.

It’s the first step Cross performs to build a foundation in order to break a colt. And it’s a small glimpse of Cross’ everyday life as a successful horse trainer.

“You have to get to know the horse for it to trust you, and it’s not easy,” Cross said. “Training horses is in my blood. It’s all I’ve ever known, and it’s what I love to do.”

From the very first moment he hopped on a horse at age 3, Cross said it was a feeling he’ll never forget. Little did he know that feeling would develop into a career as a reputable horse trainer and breeder.

His lifelong passion for horses has helped the 26-year-old build a profitable business called TC Performance Horses and Horseshoeing, which he’s watched blossom over the past four years thanks to his family, friends — and horses.

The Woonsocket native breaks roughly 80 colts per year for clients across the country. The colts are typically 2 to 3 years of age, the training spans 30 days, and the cost is roughly $800.

“Breaking a 2-year-old colt is so important, because you’re putting a foundation on that horse that’s going to last its entire lifetime,” Cross said, checking on a colt he’s currently breaking for its owner in Colorado. “It’s like

building a house. You don’t build a house before the foundation. And a good looking house is nothing without a good foundation.”

To break a colt, Cross uses the pressure and release method, which is a vital training technique that begins the minute a horse is dropped off at his training facility.

“A horse is a flight animal, so they want to get away from anyone or anything that scares them, especially when they are young colts,” Cross said. “The pressure and release starts without you even touching the horse. By walking up to touch the horse for the first time, I’m putting pressure on it. But when I back off — or release — it knows I’m not a threat and the trust starts building.”

When he’s not busy breaking horses, he’s riding them in rodeos across the Midwest, competing in team roping events. His passion for being a rodeo cowboy is also what helped spark his journey into training and breaking performance style horses.

Each colt or horse owner has their preference for what riding style they want their horse to develop, such as a trail riding or performance horse, according to Cross. And in just 30 days, Cross is tasked with tailoring his training technique for a horse to fit its owner’s desired riding style.

“It’s a lot of pressure to have on your shoulders. I have to get after it right away for the colts to be broken to where their owners want them to be,” Cross said. “My goal is to have the colt ready to ride from the minute the owner picks it up.”

Continued on page 6 May 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 5

Continued from page 5

It’s a particular skill set Kyle Cross feels separates his younger brother Tanner from other horse trainers.

“Tanner’s biggest attributes are how versatile he is as a trainer,” Kyle said. “Everybody’s riding style is a little bit different, but he makes his colts trainable for any kind of horse riding style. His horses are very user friendly.”

Kyle has been a vital partner with Tanner throughout his horse business venture. After all, it was Kyle’s Facebook post seeking to help his brother find a stud that led to what Tanner calls his biggest breakthrough as a horse trainer.

Shortly after the social media post, Jackson Montgomery — a well-known local horse breeder — presented Cross with the opportunity of a lifetime.

It was four years ago when Montgomery sold his current stud, Streakin’ PacMan, to Cross. A stud is a term in the rodeo and horse community used to identify the male horse, which is usually a breeding horse.

Tango, right, lays with her 8-day-old foal that has yet to be named at Tanner Curtis Performance Horses & Horse Shoeing.

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Journey into horse breeding With breeding season in full swing, Cross was busy breeding Streakin’ PacMan with his handpicked mares. This year alone, the stud has bred with 12 of the mares, which are female horses Cross purchases for breeding purposes.

“It takes so long to get a stud’s name out there, because a lot of studs don’t start breeding until they’re around 5,” Cross said. “I’m always looking for a good bred mare. Whether I’m looking for a barrel racer or trail rider, I always try to find a mare that will produce the best horses.”

Streakin’ PacMan, 5, is Cross’ youngest stud. With a goal to eventually breed his own performance colts to sell them, Cross said it was a significant milestone when he purchased his stud prospect. The purchase paved the way for him to enter a new market in the breeding realm. In just his second year of breeding Streakin’ PacMan, Cross has enjoyed significant financial gains.

“That’s what really launched TC Performance Horses into new heights,” Cross said of the purchase. “It’s been the biggest investment by far, and I want to eventually breed my own performance horses that I would break and sell.”

Just a week ago, Cross sold one of the colts he broke for $15,000. In the past year, Cross has sold several colts sired by his stud to horse buyers in Colorado, Texas and Alaska.

Cross continues his working relationship with Montgomery, who recently offered him the chance to buy PacMan’s father, Streakin’ Pac Bar. Valued at $75,000, the well-known 14-year-old stud’s offspring are a hot commodity in the horse community. There have been 36 horse owners who have purchased the stud’s semen this year at a breeding fee of $1,750. Unlike PacMan, Cross said Pac Bar’s breeding is open to the public,

Tanner Cross is staying busy with his mares during the breeding season.

meaning the stud is taken to a veterinarian where its semen is collected and sold. Cross said marketing a stud’s breeding can be a challenge, but the reputation of Streakin’ Pac Bar has reduced some of those challenges.

“He’s been one of my biggest blessings in helping me take my business to another level,” Cross said of Montgomery. “When (Montgomery) offered to sell me his studs, it put me on the breeding map.”

In addition to his multifaceted horse business, Cross has been busy horseshoeing. As a certified horseshoer, Cross keeps the hooves of horses strong.

“A horse without good feet is nothing,” Cross said. “Horseshoeing is extremely important; it’s been interesting to continue learning.” 

Tanner Cross said he works with horses from anywhere from 30 days to 90 days depending on the owners needs.

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May 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 7

AGRISCIENCE FAIR SHOWS FFA INVESTIGATIVE SKILLS Mitchell hosts 125 projects for state competition STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARCUS TRAXLER

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Plaques for the top finishers at the South Dakota FFA Agriscience Fair were on display at Mitchell Technical Institute on April 17.

LOCAL DEALER

Tim Rotert

8 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH May 2019

South Dakota Farm and Ranch

he imaginative and investigative skills of South Dakota’s top Future Farmers of America students were on display recently at the state’s Agriscience Fair.

Those projects ranged from looking at which animal bedding materials were most absorbent, to whether higher-priced rabbit feed could enhance their health, to controlling raccoon populations and the effects of alternative fertilizers on plant growth.

If it can be researched and is involved with agriculture, it’s fair game.

“We encourage students to find a problem and see if they can find a solution to address it,” said South Dakota FFA Executive Secretary Beth Mayrose.

The event, held April 17 at the Nordby Trades Center at Mitchell Technical Institute, included 125 projects from 17 schools in six divisions ranging from grades 7 to 12. The top projects in each division are eligible to advance to the National FFA Agriscience Fair. There are also separate divisions for two-person team projects, as well.

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Teryn Sparling, a ninth grader at Northwestern High School located in Mellette, was presenting at the fair for a second time. Her presentation was looking at the effects of UV radiation on a planaria, which is a type of free-living flatworm. She examined the effects through cultural and DNA analysis, something she said would like to consider as a career.

“Thinking about a profession, I’ve thought about wanting to extract DNA for a career, so this was a natural fit,” she said. “Looking at cells and seeing if they’re damaged, looking for cancer; that’s something I’d love to do.”

Prior to the FFA members presenting at MTI, they had to deliver a written report on their project, which provided in-depth information on how the studying and scientific analysis were done. That report comprises most of the score for the fair, Mayrose said.

“We’re giving them an opportunity to get in front of a judge and share a little bit more about their project and to really share what made them want to take a look at the topic they worked on,” Mayrose said.

Andrew Rick, a ninth-grade student from West Central High School in Hartford, was presenting on the feeding preferences of raccoons. He set a food trap in his backyard and used the trial and error method of checking when it was tripped. Rick is a trapper in his free time, he said, meaning he had a personal interest in seeing the results of the test play out.

“I kind of wanted to try it based on the new trapping program that the state has,” he said. “I like to do this in my free time anyway.”

The schools arrived from as far away as Belle Fourche, Milbank and Wall, and as close as Kimball, Montrose and Parkston. Tracy Chase, who teaches science at McCook Central High School and is an FFA area agriscience liaison, said the event has continued to grow, increasing the number of participants.

“We have about 15 to 20 more exhibits than we had last year, so we’ve got more students who are giving this a chance,” she said. “It’s really a great opportunity for students to really dive into a project and see what they can find.”

Teryn Sparling, a ninth-grade student at Northwestern High School, presents at the South Dakota FFA Agriscience Fair at Mitchell Technical Institute on April 17.

Andrew Rick, a ninth-grade student at West Central High School, presents at the South Dakota FFA Agriscience Fair at Mitchell Technical Institute on April 17.

Continued on page 13

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Matt Bainbridge, of Ethan, has been using a variable rate fertilizer for seven years.

EMBRACING INNOVATIVE FARM TECHNIQUES Ethan’s Bainbridge sees benefits with variable rate fertilizing method STORY BY SAM FOSNESS South Dakota Farm and Ranch PHOTOS BY MATT GADE The Daily Republic

E

Matt Bainbridge, of Ethan, said that by using a variable rate fertilizer it has helped him cut costs in the fertilization process, while reducing harm to the environment.

THAN — Throughout most of his life as a farmer, Matt Bainbridge has embraced utilizing innovative agriculture technology.

One particular innovation the Ethan farmer has been using for the past 7 years is a variable rate fertilizer, which has helped him cut costs in crop fertilization, reducing harm to the environment. A variable rate fertilizer is a piece of agriculture machinery used by farmers to spread fertilizer on crop fields more efficiently.

“We can manage the sections of the field that we know aren’t going to be as productive as the good ground and soil will be, helping cut down on costs. We don’t need to use as much fertilizer in some of the areas in the field that are really high in fertility, because of the variable rate fertilizer,” Bainbridge said.. “So that helps reduce excess fertilizer that can lead to runoff as well.”

Continued on page 14 May 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 11

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Continued from page 9

The top finishers in the state are eligible to advance to the national competition, but a group of judges picks the top-12 to reach that stage, meaning the competition only gets tougher after the state event.

“It’s exciting because the students who are here are showing they have analyzation skills, problem-solving skills, research and development and that’s what we’re really excited about,” Mayrose said. “FFA is intended to prepare career-ready students, so these students are doing things that are going to set themselves apart in the workforce and we’re glad they can start doing that here.”

Students made presentations in the following categories: ► Animal systems, which includes examining life processes, health, nutrition, genetics, management and processing in small animals, aquaculture, livestock, dairy, horses and poultry.

► Food products and processing systems, which studies product development, food safety, quality assurance, production, sales and service. ► Power, structural and technical systems, which studies ag equipment, power systems, alternative fuel sources and precision technology, as well as woodworking, metalworking, welding and planning for ag buildings. ► Social science, which includes studying human behavior in agricultural education, agribusiness economics, agricultural communications, leadership and other applications. ► Environmental service and natural resource systems, which includes study of systems, instruments and technology used in waste management; the study of the management of soil, water, wildlife, forests and air as natural resources and their influence on the environment. ► Plant systems, studying plant life cycles, classifications, functions, structures, reproduction, media and nutrients, as well as growth and cultural practices, through the study of crops, turf grass, trees and shrubs and/or ornamental plants. 

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Continued from page 11

Because different areas of the crop fields have varying yield potential, Bainbridge will do a soil sample to determine what the fertility level is in those areas. Upon completing this step, Bainbridge will then use the software of the variable-rate fertilizer to make a map that tells him how much fertilizer is needed to spread in the sampled soil areas.

“We can take a large crop field and farm it like it’s a series of really small fields, while being able to manage it efficiently,” Bainbridge said. “I’ve learned how to do all of the software on my own, and I’m usually always interested in new ag technology.”

For Bainbridge, implementing the innovative fertilizing technique has significantly slashed overhead costs.

Prior to utilizing the variable rate fertilizer, Bainbridge hired someone to fertilize his crops for $7 per acre. Now he fertilizes the crops himself, laying 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of fertilizer on 25 acres in just 15 minutes.

“This equipment paid for itself in less than two years. We can cover a lot of ground with it,” he said.

The variable fertilizer averages a speed of 8 to 10 mph, which Bainbridge said is a steady pace, compared to the method he previously used.

14 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH May 2019

Matt Bainbridge, of Ethan, said his variable rate fertilizer has paid for itself in two years which he’s owned for seven.

The actual fertilizer that’s being spread in the soil is delivered by the truckload, which is then loaded into the variable rate fertilizer machinery through a conveyor belt. According to Bainbridge, the fertilizer equipment runs off hydraulics.

“It has a rate controller and it will talk to the satellite, which will tell it where it’s at in the field,” Bainbridge said of the farm equipment. “The bottom apron chain will turn faster or slower depending how much you want to spread on the field.”

Bainbridge said the variable rate fertilizer equipment is mainly used for corn crops, but he also uses it for some soybean and wheat crop fields as well.

Although he typically is wrapping up fertilizing and planting by now, the heavy moisture that’s that’s plaguing the southeast portion of the state this spring has yet to allow Bainbridge to begin either.

Bainbridge said he fertilizes most of his crops roughly a week before he plants. While he isn’t panicking, he’s hoping for some drier days ahead.

“The window is getting tighter and tighter with the planting delay, so starting three weeks behind is going to be a mad dash,” Bainbridge said. 

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Mitchell 720 N. Main . 605-996-7709 May 2019 SOUTH DAKOTA FARM & RANCH 15

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