Written by: Jaymi Firestone
There’s nothing like the Roosevelt County Fair.
Visitors can gorge on deep-fried goodies and heaps of cotton candy. There are rides, craft displays, concerts, and of course, barns full of animals that many visitors rarely get to see.
There are rabbits, sheep, steers, goats, pigs, etc. that are brought to be shown and sold at the event. The work that these young men and women put into their show animals is the real story here.
Agriculture and livestock are a way of life for the Roosevelt County 4-H kids, and the man behind them, teaching and cheering them on is Ryan Craig. He holds the title of New Mexico’s Outstanding 4-H Agent of 2018, which was received as a result of nominations from 4-H families who explained his efforts as being far “above and beyond” what is required of a 4-H agent.
“Ryan is there to support the 4-H member from the very beginning of their project to the end. He will discuss the pros and cons to showing different species to help them make an informed decision, and then help them select the actual animal that they will raise and ultimately show. Even throughout the process, he is there helping them learn about nutrition, and veterinary care along the way. As the county fair approaches, he once again engages with the kids offering showing tips, and advice. He even helps get the animals clipped, bathed and prepared. Many people think that a 4-H Agent is hands off, and that may be true in some counties, but not here. He knows that for these kids to be able to grow, learn and be successful, they have to know that they are not alone as they work through their projects.” said Alexis Griffee of Ryan’s role with the show animals.
He knows it requires months of preparation to show an animal at the annual fair, but that’s a task much of the public is unaware of.
Raising show animals, such as a pure bred Angus Steer or a market lamb, from farm to fair requires feeding and watering the animals twice a day for a year prior to the anticipated County Fair. Many 4-H members spend 5+ hours a day working with, grooming, and feeding their animals in preparation. Even knowing the proper weight of their animals is important, and often requires change in feeding plans. Months and months of preparation goes into growing these animals to be healthy and presentable for show and sell.
Beyond the idle Ferris wheel, past the empty corndog stand, hours before the gates will even open to the general public, you’ll find a beehive of activity at 7 in the morning in the animal barns at the fairgrounds.
Kids of all ages will be busy working to groom and prepare their animals for the showring. Much like a model preparing to walk down the runway, the show animals must look as presentable as possible, which requires bathing, clipping, and grooming for days prior to their showtime.
However, despite the excitement surrounding the fair, there’s one day of the week that’s bittersweet for these 4-H members.
Auction day is when many 4-H kids must say goodbye after a year of training, feeding and caring for an animal.
Unlike farmers who often have dozens, if not hundreds, of animals, 4-H children work closely with one or two animals for a year, or even longer if the animal, such as a steer, takes more time to raise.
Though these separations between children and animals are hard, they fit with the 4-H slogan, “Learn by doing.” Children learn what it actually takes to raise an animal for food and then let it go.
All the work and effort for one show day seems tiresome for those who don’t understand this way of life, but the benefit and lessons learned by the 4-H members during the process of raising and selling show animals is one that outweighs anything else. Alexis Griffee of the County Extension Office said, “When it comes to show day, the most exciting thing for us with the 4-H program is seeing the kids proudly walk into the showring. Win or lose, these 4-H members have learned valuable life lessons that do not come from a textbook. They have learned the value of hard work, dedication, and how to be a gracious winner or loser. These skills are something that will stick with them for life, and set them up for success in the future.”
“In the end, we are proud of all of our 4-H members no matter where they place in the showring. It is an absolute pleasure to get to be a part of their lives, and to help mentor them. As much as we may hope to encourage and inspire our members, they offer that and so much more to us as well. It is such an amazing program, and we are proud to be a part of the 4-H family.”
