No Quit and a Lot of Grit!

Leslie and Billy Crumpton enjoy working their farm and following the rodeo circuit with their girls, Kennedy and Kynzi Lynn

by JILEEN PLATT

photo by JOHN BUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY

Kenzie Adkins (center) has been a great role model and coach to both Kynzi Lynn and Kennedy. She is in the senior division and carries the flag at the start of each rodeo. 

Kennedy on Zero coming out of the arena after running the barrel pattern in 2020. 

(Photo by Kevin Goodman)

Kynzi Lynn running the pole pattern on Strawberry (the horse she bought herself) at the Four States Fair arena last year. (Photo by Kevin Goodman)

“I had no intentions of ever marrying a cowboy.”

If you ask Leslie Crumpton now though, she has no regrets marrying Billy Crumpton, a third-generation local cattle rancher.  Nor does she regret raising their two young daughters on a 45-acre farm with cows, horses, goats, donkeys, lots of dogs, and an occasional pig or two.

In the 1960s, Billy’s grandfather bought 141 acres off Sparks Lane in Wamba.  After his death, the land was split three ways for each of his children, including Billy’s father, Lynn.  

Lynn and his wife, Evelyn, raised their boys on the land.  “The farm wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them,” states Leslie.  “They believed that you kept land in the family, you worked the land … and you preserved it with hard work and determination.”  Lynn led by example.  “My dad taught me that nothing in life is free. You have to work for it … sometimes with blood and sweat,” says Billy.  “He expected me to take responsibility for what I was supposed to do.  He also taught me manners and respect.”

Leslie moved to the farm when she and Billy married in 2002.  Four years later, they welcomed a baby girl, Kennedy Camille, to their family.  Five years after that, Kynzi Lynn was born.  For the Crumpton girls, being on a horse is just a part of life.  “We first put them on horses when they were 6 months old,” remembers Leslie.  “They started riding alone at age 5.”  Around this age, the girls started working cattle with their dad.

“We didn’t force them to work cows. They just always wanted to go,” states Billy.  When they were little and able to be on a horse by themselves “they’d go out to the pasture, gather the cattle, separate them, and drive them to the corral,” says Leslie.  “As the girls got older they helped with giving wormer, vaccinations, and [ear] tags,” adds Leslie.  “Grown men tell us they would rather work cows with our girls than with other grown men.”  And if Billy is working cattle, he better schedule it when the girls can help or they get pretty upset.  “The girls really love it,” explains Leslie.  School mornings are difficult for the girls to get up for … “But when it’s time to work cows they usually beat me awake!” exclaims Billy. 

In 2009, Billy was offered the position of Ranch Manager at BSL Farms, owned by Bob and Sonja Hubbard.  As a 13-year-old, Billy helped a cousin work the same land when it was owned by Sonja’s father, Jim Yates. “Working at BSL Farms has been the best thing for me and my family … it’s really a dream come true.”  Billy sees no difference with the way he works his cattle or the cattle at BSL Farms.  “I have a passion to take care of [their] cattle as I do my own.”  With hay production, a pecan orchard, 400 cows, and 200 yearlings to manage on BSL Farms, Billy stays plenty busy… and the girls take every chance they can to help.  

One might think that growing up with a horse equals rodeos, but Billy and Leslie felt it important to not force their girls into anything.  Over time, the girls chose to participate in various sports and activities, in which they both made impressive achievements.  At the age of 7, though, Kynzi Lynn decided to start barrel racing. Her parents were supportive but were cautious because of the commitment.  “We wanted to make sure she knew what she was getting into,” explains Leslie.  They signed Kynzi Lynn up for several Play Days (a series of starter rodeo events) around the area for about a year.  “She was very driven and focused… and loved it.”

After seeing Kynzi Lynn’s enjoyment, Kennedy casually participated in a rodeo event on the campus of Southern Arkansas University.  She did well enough to win first place and $90. After that, she was hooked.

Billy and Leslie with Kynzi Lynn (baby) and Kennedy (child) on Buck, Billy’s first roping horse. Many kids, as well as some adults, learned to ride on Buck. 

“We don’t buy trained horses,” explains Leslie.  “The girls have to train their own horses to run barrels and poles.”  Kennedy and Kynzi Lynn, ages 14 and 9 now, enthusiastically spend hours riding, going around the barrel or pole pattern, working with their horses, and perfecting where to put their hands and feet.  Luckily, in 1999, Billy and his father built an arena on the land.  The girls have easy access to almost everything they need.  “It wasn’t until 2019 that Billy put up lights,” explains Leslie.  “It made our quarantine great … some nights we stayed up until 2 a.m. practicing with the horses.”

Kennedy and Kynzi Lynn participate in Play Days regularly, both winning several ribbons and first place buckles. The girls are also members of the South West Arkansas High School Rodeo Association (SWAHSRA).  They participate in rodeos across the region twice a month and have done well.  Kennedy even made it to finals her first year with Kynzi Lynn just barely missing it.  “The girls support each other in the arena.  When one is competing, the other is encouraging what to do next and how to get better,” says Leslie. 

Both Billy and Leslie have noted that their girls have gained knowledge and capability, not just in the arena, but also from living on a farm.  “The girls have a sense of maturity… they have experiences and skills that come from having to make decisions,” explains Leslie.  Some don’t realize that Billy and both girls are affected by dyslexia.  While sometimes challenging, “they have a different sense of things,” states Leslie.  “[Dyslexia] helps them to think outside the box…  And having responsibility [on the farm] means they are more confident.”  “They’ve got ‘no quit and a lot of grit!’” adds Billy.

Being a part of the rodeo family has schooled the girls in other positive ways.  “They’ve learned more patriotism, manners, leadership, sportsmanship… and how to respect livestock, others, and each other.”  As parents, Billy and Leslie “wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Leslie, a cosmetic injector trained under the tutelage of Dr. Kimberly Parham, now works at Pleasant Grove Medical Spa.  “The owners of Botox came … and trained me,” says Leslie.  “I started with a handful of patients, and my following has grown from there.”  She is also a cervical cancer survivor since 2014.

In addition to BSL Farms and his own farm, Billy works on-call for Bowie County.  “When livestock are found … I get called,” explains Billy.  Sometimes his girls join him when he needs to round up stray farm animals and return them to their owners.  “I’ve helped pick up lots of animals … sometimes on the interstate,” says Billy.  Several years ago he was on the front page of the newspaper on his horse chasing a pony on Arkansas Boulevard.

Their Andma (Evelyn) passed away in 2017 and was only able to see the girls compete in Play Days, but their Grumpy (Lynn) is always supporting them.  “Grumpy is very involved in what the girls do,” states Leslie.  Recently, Kynzi Lynn bought her very own horse, Strawberry, partly from money she made from a joint cattle sale with her Grumpy.

There is always work to be done at 4C Farms, which is the name Leslie and Billy chose to call their farm.  They have a registered brand with a custom design that Billy made for Leslie’s birthday in 2015.  During school breaks or holidays, the work doesn’t end. And when there’s bad weather, it just means there’s more to do.  But the family, along with Grumpy, does it together, doing what they love, and knowing that hard work, whether in the saddle or not, always pays off.