Success at fair means returns for some events

Good crowds will likely mean a return performance for the Spanish Musical Fair and Demolition Derby at Roosevelt County’s fair, officials said on Tuesday.

Scott Tucker, Demolition Derby organizer, said there were approximately 2,500 people for the derby’s second year. Fair board president Kent Best said there were approximately 1,500 people for the Spanish Musical Fair, which was in its first year.

Tucker said the Crashmasters team of Odessa, Texas, won the derby contest, which included a prize of $2,500.

“It was a pretty big crowd,” Tucker said. “We’re thankful for the people who showed up. We wanted people to enjoy something else besides the carnival. We would like to have more women drivers next year.”

Tucker said there was one woman in this year’s derby, Christina Aglarie, among the 25 entrants.

Other highlights from the 2004 county fair included the crowning of queens and others.

Desiree Markham was selected as the fair queen and was crowned by Adrienne Coe, last year’s queen. Coe will be in this year’s New Mexico State Fair.

Autumn Cathey won the county princess title and Arianne Cox won the county sweetheart crown. Cathey, a 12-year-old Elida sixth-grader, went up against 14- and 15-year-olds.

“I was very excited and shocked,” Cathey said. “I didn’t expect to beat the older girls. I practiced a lot. We (family) have an arena I practice on.”

Cox is a second-grader at Dora Elementary.

“I’ve been riding (her horse Jet) for about a year,” Cox said. “I like running around barrels. I ran patterns and carried the American flag. I liked it.”

Cox’s mother, Robin, said it was nice to see her daughter Rachel, a Dora fourth-grader, crown Arianne. Rachel was last year’s Roosevelt County sweetheart.

“The judges said she (Arianne) did real well in the speech competition,” Robin Cox said. “We practiced her speech. She knows how much work and effort goes into it. She went around practicing her speech to anyone who would listen.”