TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
A young Cobi shows an A.I. (artificial inseminiation) bred Beefmaster heifer in Shreveport, Louisiana. Cobi received 4th place at the cattle show.
know more about me. They want to know where my farm is and how I got into the cattle business.” Tenacity runs deep into Hamilton’s family tree. Raised with seven siblings in Foreman, Arkansas, Gene Hamilton, Cobi’s father, was the lone cowboy in a family full of educators and politicians. “My aunts and uncles each had the resilience and a backbone to want better for themselves,” Hamilton said. His mother, Deborah Hamilton, was among the first African-American women to play sports at the University of Arkansas. His sister, Kayla Hamilton, is a renowned dancer and choreographer in New York City. Resilience has been passed down as a legacy of determination to future generations of the Hamilton family. Hamilton has a thirst for learning and does not take his tenure in the cow business for granted. He believes there is always a question
to be asked and a new strategy to employ, to do what is best for his business. “Anything that is not growing is dead,” Hamilton quoted. He often leans on his mentors in the cattle business for guidance. In elementary school, Hamilton’s mom dropped him at the sale barn on Friday nights, and he would beg her not to pick him up until the last man left. Anthony Martin, his mentor in the back of the sale barn, always kept an eye on him. “Anthony cared for me as a kid and ensured I didn’t get hurt or put in a bad spot.” Roger McDaniel of Valiant, Oklahoma, is another mentor Hamilton still looks to for guidance in the business. “He taught me when to sell cattle and when to hold on to them,” Hamilton reflected. “I have learned different techniques for doctoring cattle, and he encourages me to experiment to see what works best for my cattle. He is someone I will feel proud and privileged to know for the rest of my life.”
54
LIFE & STYLE
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs