WILDORADO, Texas — A forgotten town finds hope in a young cowboy and his class of high school ag students. Defying the odds, they become one of the first student-led cattle companies in the nation. The newest American Angus Association® documentary features the Wildorado Cattle Company of Wildorado, Texas. Wildorado, an I Am Angus® documentary, premiered on RFD-TV and the Angus TV YouTube Channel on Dec. 26, 2019. Watch it here.
“Wildorado is a small town in the Texas panhandle, and it’s just got an amazing story that’s all centered around registered Angus cattle,” said Josh Comninellis, American Angus Association video production director, who directed the film. “The ag teacher, Cody Joe Bonds, and the students have put so much into the cattle company and are changing the future of the town of Wildorado.”
Like many rural towns across America, economic times and the agricultural lifestyle can be hard on residents and, in turn, the schools and students. The documentary sets the stage with high odds facing the town of Wildorado. The school board passes a bond and builds a school, where they will hang their hat on an excellent agricultural program. Cody Joe Bonds comes on board to head up the Wildorado FFA, and he brings an innovative approach to the program.
Started in the fall of 2017, the Wildorado Cattle Company is born out of an innovative high school ag teacher and his ambitious students. This high school student-ran cattle company is one of the first in the nation and happens to be a registered Angus operation. The film shows their first bull sale in March of 2019 and the enormous impact this band of high school students and their relentless spirit have on their small Texas town.
“It’s just an incredible and inspirational story, and we’re so excited to tell it,” Comninellis said.
For more information and to watch the film, visit Angus.org/Wildorado, or contact the American Angus Association communications team at 816-383-5100. Subscribe to the Youtube channel — Angus TV — for updates on new content.
–Written by Rachel Robinson, Angus Communications
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