Showtime at county fair

Correspondent

Portales area students made over $137,000 Friday at the 28th annual junior livestock sale at the Roosevelt County Fair.

Correspondent photo: Anna George

Chance Essary, 13, prepares to sell his dairy heifer Friday during the junior livestock auction. Essary’s heifer sold for $3,250.

There were 58 sales overall with rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats, lambs, steers and dairy heifers.

Ali May Terry, 11, sold her grand champion meat pen with three rabbits for $1,250. She said she was happy for the sale and cannot wait until next year.

“I feel so happy that my community came out and supported me,” she said.

Terry also won first in a fair sowing competition and received $75 for a cupcake she baked herself.

She said all the work is worth it because she is saving her money to buy a car when she turns 16.

“You have to be really committed and work really hard every morning to take care of the animals,” Terry said.

Desarae Lewis, 17, a student from Floyd, showed her reserve grand champion lamb and auctioned the animal for $1,800.

She said her winnings are all going to paying for New Mexico State University, where she plans on going for veterinary school.

“It is really rewarding to have something to show for all of my hard work,” she said.

Lane Faver, 11, a Portales student, had similar plans for the $700 he received for his three chickens.

“I had to wake up every morning at 6:15 to feed and water the animals. I would enjoy working with animals for the rest of my life,” said Faver.

Pryce Dixon, 14, made the most money on a heifer at the sale after selling his dairy heifer for $4,000 but he does not plan to put his money towards college.

Dixon said he wants to circulate his money back into agriculture. He said he will probably buy a new horse and saddle for future shows and sales.

“I want to farm and ranch one day and show for the next five years,” said Dixon.

Chance Essary, 13, said he will work harder next year so he can make more than the $3,250 he made on his dairy heifer this year.

“I was expecting more, because cows of her size usually sell for more, but that just means I will have to work harder,” he said.

Essary plans on putting his money from this win and future wins towards his college fund. He plans on designing video games in the future.