News

Local veterinarian inducted into Livestock Hall of Fame

From left, Dr. Beverly Hargus, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, Betty Reeves and Mike Stiles with state Department of Agriculture Veterinary Division.

By Bill Moss, Published: September 14, 2015

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler inducted a Henderson County large-animal veterinarian and a longtime livestock show volunteer into the N.C. Mountain State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame on Friday.

Betty Reeves and Dr. Beverly Hargus were recognized for their longtime support of the livestock shows at the annual 10-day fair.

Hargus, of Zirconia, is a practicing veterinarian and the owner of Animals R Us in Flat Rock. One of the few large-animal vets in Western North Carolina, Hargus is heavily involved in 4-H and is a leader of the Barnyard Bandits 4-H Club in Henderson County. During the fair, she volunteers her services to treat show animals as needed.

Reeves, of Leicester, has been assisting with the livestock shows since the N.C. Mountain State Fair opened 21 years ago. Her late husband, Robert “Burder” Reeves, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. Reeves is heavily involved with the WNC Beef Cattle Commission, which hosts a yearly livestock show during the fair. She also oversees the fair’s Gospel Singing competition and was recognized as the fair’s Volunteer of the Year in 2014.

“The N.C. Mountain State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding contributions to the livestock industry,” Troxler said during the presentation. “I cannot think of two more deserving individuals than Mrs. Betty Reeves and Dr. Beverly Hargus.”

The N.C. Mountain State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame was created by livestock show staff to recognize individual contributions to the livestock industry in Western North Carolina. The 2015 N.C. Mountain State Fair runs through Sept. 20 at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. More information is available at www.mountainfair.org.