Member Profile

Brad Barnes

A Lifetime of Anticipation

Article by LORIE A. WOODWARD Photos courtesy of BRAD BARNES and FORT WORTH STOCK SHOW & RODEO

Since childhood, Bradford S. “Brad” Barnes has eagerly anticipated the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (FWSSR).

“When I was a child, the Schutts family invited me every year to sit with them in their box for a Stock Show rodeo performance,” said Barnes, a lifelong Fort Worth resident. “Their box—the best seats in the house—sat right above the bucking chutes. For a city boy, it was the highlight of my year to look down and watch those cowboys.”

Anticipation turned to excitement with the annual distribution of the beloved Fort Worth Independent School District tickets. The one-day grounds pass admitted students to the world of premium livestock, head-spinning rides, skill-testing games, stomach-stretching food and even more cowboys.

“The whole experience was just huge,” Barnes said.

THE FORT WORTH STOCK SHOW & RODEO

Today, the huge experience, including distributing more than 365,000 School Day tickets to area students, falls to Barnes, who since 2010 has served as the president and general manager of the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, and his team. The widely talented group that brings one of the nation’s oldest stock shows to life for 23 days each year from mid-January into

early February includes 150 directors, 21 full-time employees, 950 seasonal employees and 1,800 volunteers.

“I still get excited,” said Barnes, who worked in his family’s oil and gas business and owned and operated a food processing equipment wholesale distribution business before joining the Stock Show staff in 2004. “These days, though, the feeling comes from a different place. With all of the logistics of producing major livestock shows, rodeo performances, competitions and more, the devil is in the details.”

Staff, leaders and volunteers pour months and years of planning and preparation into the Stock Show and all its attendant events. They work through every conceivable scenario trying to ensure attendees have a safe and enjoyable experience. And despite all the careful, thoughtful preparation, the same question raises its head each year before the gates open.

“What have I forgotten?” said Barnes, who joined the Stock Show in 1986 as a member of the then-new Calf Scramble Committee. “You work to be prepared but you never really know until the gates open.”

He continued, “I’m blessed to be surrounded by talented, committed people who are all working toward the same goal. Whatever success the Stock Show enjoys boils down to the people doing the work.”

The Stock Show team, at all levels, remains flexible and responsive keeping their collective eyes on the same prize. It’s proven to be an effective strategy that keeps people coming back. Over its storied 124-year history, the Stock Show has grown and expanded. In the early 21st century, the Stock Show annually hosts an estimated 1.2 million guests and competitors from every corner of Texas, across the country and around the world.

The local economic impact is huge. According to a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article published on Oct. 15, 2020, the Stock Show generates about $88.6 million in spending. The number grows to more than $177.6 million when multiplied for related spending.

FORT WORTH AND PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

While the Stock Show is undeniably important from a business standpoint, it is arguably the flagship event that defines and maintains Fort Worth’s unique identity among Texas cities.

“Amon Carter Sr. may have summed it up best, when he coined the phrase, ‘Fort Worth is where the West begins,’” Barnes said.

In the early 19th century, Fort Worth became a hub for West Texas ranching families. Their legacy is an unmatched combination of cowboys and culture. The city of 895,000 residents boasts five world-class museums, a vibrant downtown, and the nation’s premier livestock and equestrian competition center—all within a short distance of one another.

Barnes is equally proud of Fort Worth’s friendly vibe.

“It’s still nice to walk downtown and have strangers say, ‘Hello!’” Barnes said. “Despite our size, we’ve managed to hold onto the feel of a much smaller West Texas town.”

In addition to its friendliness, Barnes recognizes Fort Worth’s diversity and inclusivity as assets. The city’s residents are 39 percent Anglo, 36 percent Hispanic and 18 percent African American reflecting a changing Texas.

“Fort Worthians like to say ‘y’all means all,’” Barnes said. The Stock Show has evolved with the city and added events such as the Cowboys of Color Rodeo, the Best of Mexico Celebracion and dia de la Familia.

A third attribute that Barnes credits for Fort Worth’s vitality is intentional, thoughtful civic engagement and philanthropy.

“Fort Worth is blessed with families who could live anywhere in the world, but they’ve chosen to remain where their roots are deep—and enrich our city,” Barnes said.

Public-private partnerships thrive here. For instance, the Will Rogers Memorial Center is owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth; the Stock Show operates there under a 30-day, multi-year lease.

Through the years, the Stock Show contributed more than $60 million (in inflation adjusted dollars) to public-private partnerships for expansion and renovation projects at the Will Rogers Memorial Center. Those improvements, resulting in the finest equestrian and livestock facilities in the nation, were gifted to the City of Fort Worth for all to enjoy. The facilities host equestrian competitions throughout the year sanctioned by the National Cutting Horse Association, National Reined Cow Horse Association, United States Team Roping Championships and the American Paint Horse Association to name a few.

The city’s crowning public-private partnership, though, may be Dickies Arena. The 14,000-seat, multi-use arena, resulted from a partnership between Event Facilities Fort Worth, Inc., a not-forprofit private sector development partner that’s also a supporting organization for the Stock Show, and the City of Fort Worth.

Completed in November 2019 for approximately $560 million, the city’s obligation was capped at $225 million. Private donations covered the remaining $335 million in construction and development costs. Upon completion, the arena, its parking garage and the land the facilities occupy were deeded as a philanthropic gift to the city.

While Dickies Arena was built to be Fort Worth’s home for sporting events, concerts, graduations and children’s shows, it was designed and built first and foremost for Stock Show rodeo.

“The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo wouldn’t be anywhere near the event it is today, nor would the people of Fort Worth enjoy these amazing public event facilities, without the various public-private partnerships that benefit our great city,” Barnes said.

THE MISSION FIELD

As Texas has shifted from a rural to an urban state, the Stock Show’s role has shifted as well. Today, it—and its sisters in Texas’ other cities—are the primary opportunities for urban and suburban audiences to connect with agriculture.

“To me our mission is educating people about the role agriculture plays in society and in their daily lives,” Barnes said.

Showcasing agriculture’s contributions, especially to young people, excites him in a way that makes managing all the devilish details worthwhile.

“Walking in the livestock barns and seeing generations of families working together thrills me, but I really love watching the urban students,” Barnes said. “Those kids arrive here not knowing where milk comes from. When they see dairy cows getting milked, they just get so wide-eyed.”

He continued, “Wouldn’t it be great if just one of those kids was impressed enough to help feed the world one day? Of course,

TALKING TWA WITH BRAD BARNES In addition to helming the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, Brad Barnes serves as director for both Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and TWA.

Personally, why TWA? What does the organization bring to Texas that is important?

BB: TWA’s mission statement says it all: “Serving Texas wildlife and its habitat, while protecting property rights, hunting heritage, and the conservation efforts of those who value and steward wildlife resources.” The Stock Show is committed to helping TWA advance this very important mission.

What is the value of partnering with other organizations such as TWA? How have TWA and FWSSR worked together?

BB: Our partnership with TWA has been invaluable as we have worked to expand the Stock Show’s public offerings and features. Working with TWA, an event was created called Kids Gone Wild. It’s a hands-on experience tailored to children that introduces them to the many wonders of nature and the wildlife that inhabits Texas ranches and other lands dedicated to habitat preservation.

The wonderful staff at TWA organizes the annual event that draws thousands of children. They coordinate participation from approximately 20 organizations involved in natural resource education, wildlife habitat restoration and preservation as well as activities that introduce youth to responsible hunting and fishing opportunities.

What’s next for FWSSR and TWA?

BB: Continuing our collaborative efforts to help educate and enlighten the public on the importance of our natural resources—land, livestock, water and wildlife—and the role of private landowners as stewards of God’s awesome creation. It’s my hope that we can we grow what’s now a halfday event that engages a few thousand youth to something that touches a lot more people.

you can’t walk through and pick out those kids, so we have to create opportunities for them all to be exposed to the industry.”

LAND, LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE

Barnes knows the life-changing impact of discovering nature through agriculture and wildlife. He began life as a child of the city and cement, but today Barnes is a man of the land.

When he married the love of his life, Jil Tennison, 43 years ago, he became part of a family of stewards. In the 1940s, Jil’s grandfather Charlie Lupton, who was a Fort Worth Coca-Cola bottler, put together the aptly named Coca-Cola Ranch in Jack County. Her parents, Harry and Gloria Tennison, were avid hunters and conservationists.

“Hunting and ranching introduced me to life in the country and conservation,” said Barnes.

Bird hunting with good dogs quickly became a passion. His first love? Quail. A favorite memory involves a blue norther that roared across the Plains and blew into Paducah in a swirl of snow. Anticipating a serious hunt, Barnes and two hunting buddies had brought eight bird dogs. Hoping to spend more time in the country than in town, they had rented a single motel room.

“It was so cold that all 11 of us—three men and eight bird dogs—slept in one tiny room,” Barnes said. “The hunt was successful, but the lights of Fort Worth were a welcomed sight.”

Then, there was Bones, a German short-haired pointer who “looked like hell” because he stayed skinny and scruffy no matter his rations. In the pack of wide-ranging, sometimes hard-headed English pointers that belonged to his hunting companions, Bones stood out. He hunted close, retrieved downed birds and came when called.

One day, Barnes’ phone rang. It was his long-time hunting buddy, Bill Meadows. Meadows asked, “Can Bones go hunting today?”

“I still laugh about my dog getting invited to hunt without me,” Barnes said. “There are just some dogs that leave a mark on your life.”

The land leaves its mark as well. For the past 36 years, he and Jil have been heavily involved in managing the family ranch, which is now owned by Jil and her siblings Kit Tennison Moncrief and Lee Lupton Tennison. Through the years, they have run a cow-calf operation, a stocker operation and have partnered with TWA’er Emry Birdwell of Henrietta to utilize high-density, high-intensity grazing programs.

“I credit Emry with being the person who taught me to look to nature for answers about how to manage the land,” Barnes said.

These days, though, the grazing is leased to the Christian Brothers, a local family who shares the Barneses’ stewardship philosophy and commitment to well-timed, well-managed grazing.

“It gets back to the amount of time you can be present and really take care of things,” Barnes said. “I tell people, ‘I’m selling grass now, so I’m not too worried about the market, but I still worry about rains.’”

He continued, “Today, this ranch is my sanctuary. It is the place where we gather as a family to make our own memories… the place I go to get away from everything else.”

While hunting is part of the mix, the immediate family, which includes two children, their spouses and four grandchildren, often spends time just enjoying the outdoors and each other. Common pastimes include fishing in the stock tanks, splashing four-wheelers through mud holes, exploring different parts of the ranch and talking about what they see, chunking rocks in the tank, and walking along the creek listening for turkeys, spotting deer and identifying animal tracks.

“These days, it’s just about getting the kids out on the ranch— and teaching them to slow down and look and listen to what nature is telling them,” Barnes said. “I want them to understand that if you pay attention instead of just blowing through, the land will tell you what to do to take care of it.”

Land lessons aren’t just for children. Barnes carries what he’s learned back to the city and to the Stock Show.

“It’s about taking a holistic approach, whether you’re managing people or natural resources,” Barnes said. “No one person is more important than others in an organization. And, if you sacrifice one aspect of your resource base to the benefit of another, the whole entity will ultimately suffer.”

He continued, “Positive change doesn’t happen overnight. It takes patience, persistence and years of hard work.”

“The ultimate goal and satisfaction, when it comes to the land, is passing the resource to the next generation in better shape than when you received it. For the Stock Show I want to build upon the many accomplishments of those who came before me and set it up so those who follow me can take the Show to even greater heights.”

Gunning for Gobblers

Article and photos by LUKE CLAYTON

Regardless the gauge or action of shotgun you choose for hunting spring turkey, a heavy shot shell load is a must.

Choosing the proper shotgun and ammo for hunting spring gobblers can be a pretty simple affair. Grab a tight-choked 12 gauge, load it with a heavy dose of #4 shot, and you are ready to go, right? This combination definitely accounts for more spring turkey dinners than any other, but when we seriously consider gunning for spring gobblers many other factors come into play.

Today’s ammo designed for turkey hunting is light years ahead of where it was when I first began hunting spring gobblers. Back in the day, any 2 ¾-inch 12 gauge shell loaded with an ounce of shot was considered a “heavy” load.

Today, many turkey hunters won’t even consider going afield shooting anything less than 3-inch magnums loaded with an ounce and a half of shot. I agree with them. Coupled with a super tight choke tube, these heavy loads have the capability of really reaching out there.

Two years ago, set up a couple of hen decoys at 30 yards, and a big mature gobbler came trotting to what I thought was 50 yards. He was getting nervous, and I knew I had to take the shot quickly.

I felt comfortable with the load of Hornady® Heavy Turkey Magnums and super tight choke in my shotgun making a clean shot on the gobbler standing in an open field. I estimated that I would be stretching my self-imposed maximum shooting distance of 40 yards by 10 yards.

The gobbler raised his head, looking in my direction. The load/ choke combination contributed to a successful harvest. When I ranged the distance, I learned I had just cleanly harvested a gobbler at 62 yards.

I certainly don’t recommend shooting turkeys with any shotgun at this range, but in this instance, I simply misjudged the yardage. A mature gobbler with an 11-inch beard made me anxious.

This same year, Travis Benes, who manages the Choctaw Hunting Lodge in southeastern Oklahoma, invited me up to hunt Eastern Turkeys. Eastern gobblers are “woods” birds and in my opinion, much more challenging to get within shotgun range than their Rio Grande Turkey cousins.

We were hunting in very tight cover and Benes called two mature gobblers within 25 yards, one on the first morning of the hunt and the other that afternoon. The heavy magnum shells I was using certainly had plenty of punch to cleanly harvest the biggest, toughest of gobblers.

Waiting for clean shots through little openings in the brush, I missed both the gobblers. Looking back, it wasn’t the ammunition that I was using, it was the super tight choke coupled with the fact that I was simply “aiming down the barrel” of the shotgun.

When I patterned the shotgun with the same round and super tight choke at 25 yards, I discovered a pattern of only 6 inches at that range. Rather than simply looking down my shotgun’s barrel, I could have greatly benefited from some sort of aiming device. Super tight chokes have their place but not in very tight cover unless one has the ability to aim accurately.

Which action one prefers for a “turkey shotgun” is definitely a matter of personal choice—some hunters like autoloaders but a few still use “old school” single shots. The late outdoors writer Bob Hood was one of the best turkey hunters I’ve hunted with.

Hood used an old single shot Ithaca Model 66 super single shotgun in full choke built back in the early 1960s. This was a lever action gun, but the lever only served as a means to break the barrel open to load/eject shells. Hood could break that old shotgun open, reload and be ready with a follow-up shot almost as quickly as I can pump a round into my Remington 870.

The late Bob Hood, an outdoors writer, used an old single shot Ithaca Model 66 for spring gobblers.

I once asked Hood how many gobblers he had taken with that single shot, and he estimated well over 150. Many turkey hunters today would never consider going afield with anything less than a super tight choked semi-auto loaded with the heaviest loads on the market. But looking back on my years of chasing spring gobblers, I seldom remember getting a second shot especially when hunting in tight cover. It’s all about knowing your pattern at different yardages and having some accurate method of aiming.

There is a contingency of spring gobbler hunters who insist on using a .410 bore shotgun and getting really close for head shots. I have a couple of buddies who use their little .410s on gobblers and pride themselves on getting the birds within 20 yards before making the shot. There are also hunters who take to the turkey woods with nothing less than a 10 gauge. Some would call this overkill but every hunter can use his own preferred gun.

Personally, I’ve harvested several gobblers with a bow and feel much more comfortable shooting turkeys with an arrow tipped with a sharp broadhead than using a tight choked .410, but again, it comes down to personal preference.

I’ve known a few turkey hunters who used light caliber rifles for their spring turkey hunting and made only head shots. I remember a group of doctors who hunted on the same lease as I in Schleicher County. They used calibers such as the .218 Bee and .22/.250, and all were very skilled riflemen. They had an ongoing contest each year for the longest bearded gobbler.

They hunted around feeders from elevated blinds. The downward angle of their shots was a definite safety advantage when using rifles instead of shotguns. Their method of hunting was a bit unorthodox but I’d be the last to say it wasn’t challenging.

A few years ago, big bore air rifles became legal for hunting big game, including turkeys with the exception of Eastern Turkeys, in Texas. Although I’ve yet to harvest my first turkey with an air rifle, I have plans to do so this season. I hunt with a 45 caliber Texan by Airforce Airguns that I’ve used to harvest whitetails the past couple years and hogs and exotics for the past several years.

I don’t know about head shots on gobblers but the big, slow-moving bullets traveling around 800 fps. should be ideal for precise body shots on gobblers within 60 yards. There will be minimal meat damage with these slow-moving bullets. Arrow air guns are becoming more popular and rifles such as the Seneca Dragon Claw® which shoots both bullets and arrows should make a great gun for harvesting spring gobblers.

Regardless which sporting arm you choose for your spring turkey hunting, by all means equip it with a sling. We turkey hunters are known for packing a lot of gear, and slinging a rifle or shotgun frees up both hands for toting decoys, pop-up blinds and more.