'If You Lose One, It’s Too Dang Many,' Western Oklahoma Rodeo Company Loses Dozens Of Horses, Blames Bad Feed

Dozens of horses died in Western Oklahoma, and now the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF) is investigating.

“It heart broke us all,” said Bennie Beutler, co-owner of Beutler and Son.

Beutler said last week during feeding, his horses started to die at the family farm near Elk City.

“We put the feed out and we lost a couple that morning, lost some more that afternoon,” Beutler said. “I said ‘It’s gotta be the feed, they don’t just lay down and do that.’”

He called his son, Rhett.

“I said, ‘Go get your horse we gotta get them out of that pasture,’ and we brought them all into headquarters,” he said.

Beutler and Son has provided rodeo livestock for more than 90 years, to rodeos nationwide.

“We take the bulls, all the bucking horses, calves, and steers it not just a one-event deal,” Beutler said.

Beutler said the loss last week was among the worst in the company’s history.

“If you lose one it’s too dang many,” he said.

The ODAFF says the feed in question originated in Kansas. A state inspector took a feed sample, sent it off for testing, and notified the Kansas Department of Agriculture about the feed. Those results should be revealed in two to three weeks.

Beutler says they are caring for the 140 horses they still have, including the very young, ones that lost their mothers. Four of the calves were born just 10 days ago, and Beutler says will have to be bottle-fed.

Despite the loss though, he says they’re going to be OK, and back to rodeoing this weekend.

“There’s been hundreds of people call, I haven’t been able to call them back,” he said.

He said people want to help. The family says the best way to support them during this time, is to go to a rodeo. This weekend they’ll be in Elk City, Aug. 30-September 1. For more details, CLICK HERE.

The remaining PRCA 2024 Rodeo schedule for the company:

1. Elk City — Aug. 30-Sept. 1
2. Abilene, TX — Sept. 6-14
3. OKC State Fair Rodeo — Sept. 20-21
4. Prairie Circuit Finals, Duncan — Oct. 12-14
5. Round Rock, Texas — Nov. 8-9
6. WNFR, Las Vegas — Dec. 5-14