Wesley Markham was born into the world of cattle.
His great grandfather had thousands of acres of land in Naples and his father has a ranch in Romeo, Fla. Markham had his first horse by the time he was four.
“It’s definitely something you don’t decide to do one day and go do it the next,” Markham said. Markham is a local cowboy and firefighter for the city of Ocala.
He spends his time doing ranch work, processing cattle, hunting hogs and taking care of the Rock Star Arena, a sports venue in Micanopy, Florida.
“I’ll have you know: Hogs are a pest,” Markham said. That is where his cur dogs come in.
The cur dogs help Markham and the others in his group track down hogs at Otter Creek Ranch, among other locations. He knows someone who processes the meat and gives it away.
At the Rock Star Arena, Markham holds roping practices and competitions.
The Rock Star Arena will soon host a three-part competition that includes tying down, heading and heeling, and putting steers on a trailer. For heading and heeling, the team has to catch the head and hind legs of a steer with ropes.
“Hopefully (the cattle business is) something we can carry out as a tradition for my son and maybe his,” Markham said.
Visitors to Rock Star Arena might see Markham’s 3-year-old son, Dade, riding Chip the pony and keeping the family tradition alive.