Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Payson Nials holds his rabbit next to Fred and Beatrice White on Saturday as bidding began for his animal during the Junior Livestock Auction on Saturday. Nials donated about $7,700 in earnings from the animal's auction to the Whites' daughter and son-in-law, who were seriously injured in a traffic accident the week before.
Two Quay County Fair exhibitors donated almost $11,000 of their earnings from the Junior Livestock Auction on Saturday night to a Nara Visa couple seriously injured in a traffic accident.
Those acts brightened a diminished fair that saw fewer exhibitors both in the livestock barns and exposition hall, smaller crowds and, for a third straight year, no carnival due to COVID-19 restrictions or scheduling difficulties.
Anthony And Amanda Egerton suffered serious injuries in a rollover of their pickup near the Texas border on Aug. 6. Both face a long recuperation in an Amarillo hospital.
Midway through the auction, the auctioneer announced exhibitor Peyton Merrill would donate her earnings from the sale of her third-place goat to the Egerton couple. Amanda Egerton's parents, Beatrice and Fred White of Tucumcari, stood as Pete and Pam Slater emerged as the high bidder at $3,200. Beatrice wiped away tears and hugged Merrill after the animal's sale.
But that wasn't all. After the rest of the animals were sold, the auctioneer said Payson Nials and his rabbit had just become a write-in entrant and also would donate all his earnings to the Egertons.
Bidding began slowly, then accelerated as hundreds of spectators clapped in rhythm to the auctioneer's chants. When the sale ended, Citizens Bank was the top bidder at $6,700, with two $500 donations from other parties, to raise the total to $7,700 – the highest of the night.
Between Merrill and Nials, the Egertons will receive almost $11,000 for their medical care.
The Whites said they were grateful and astounded.
"It's stunning. It's amazing what the people have done," Fred said.
"I'm just in a fog," Beatrice said.
Nials said he knows the Egertons and felt obligated to act.
"I heard about (the accident) and thought, 'That's terrible. They're going to need a lot of money.' So I decided to help them out," he said.
Fair board Vice President Justin Knight, who also served as the auction's emcee, praised the youths for their generosity.
"I think it's great," he said. "It teaches the kids to give back to someone in need, and that's what our programs do, is helping each other. I just feel bad for the families and hope this helps a little."
Before the auction, Knight recognized Avery Cavett and Micah Lightfoot, both who are aging out of the 4-H program. Cavett also won the Tony Gable Memorial Award that recognizes hard work, diligence and sportsmanship during the fair.
The New Mexico Cattle Growers Association recognized Charmaynn Hall, who won its heritage writing contest. Hall wrote about her grandfather being an agriculture teacher and wanting to follow in his footsteps.
The fair also honored Harold and Matalina Smith for more than 30 years of service to the fair board and Quay County youth.
Knight acknowledged this year's auction, with 32 entrants, was the smallest for a fair that dates to 1907. Just a few years ago, the auction totaled over 50 animals and took several hours to complete. This year, the auction was done in about 90 minutes.
The total amount from the auction was about $116,000, compared to about $127,000 last year.
Knight said the decline in exhibitor numbers reflects a nationwide trend.
"We really feel like during the COVID years, when families felt like they couldn't show because they weren't sure we were going to have a fair, they took their interests elsewhere and haven't come back," Knight said. "We try to recruit (to the fair) all the time, telling the kids the importance of it.
"And the economy is a part of it. It's costing more for feed and costs more for the animals."
The number of livestock exhibitors at the fair also declined from 49 to 43, despite the event recently opening to 6-, 7- and 8-year-olds.
Champions of the livestock shows during the fair:
• Swine: Micah Lightfoot, grand champion; Addie Lafferty, reserve champion;
• Goats: Katelyn Hall, grand champion; Charmaynn Hall, reserve champion;
• Sheep: Charmaynn Hall, grand champion; Avery Cavett, reserve champion;
• Steers: Avery Cavett, grand champion; Addie Lafferty, reserve champion;
• Heifers: Libby Perez, grand champion; Peyton Perez, reserve champion;
• Egg layers: Addalyn Quintana, grand champion; MiKayla Klinger, reserve champion;
• Meat pen rabbits: Gavin Wallace, grand champion; Gannon Wallace, reserve champion;
• Baker rabbits: Elizabeth Kanapilly, grand champion; Gavin Wallace, reserve champion;
• Broiler chickens: Love Kandall, grand champion.
The decline in exhibitors also hit the fair's exposition hall. Tucumcari Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield, who served as a baking judge, said assessing the entries in previous years typically required three to four hours. This year, it requested only an hour and a half.
"There weren't hardly as many entries as usual," she said. "It was kind of sad."
Judy Ross, who has sold Navajo jewelry in a booth at the fair since the early 1970s, described business as "kind of slow but steady. It's been OK."
Ross also noticed a lower number of entries in the fine-arts contests.
"But it was enough to have a good show," she said. "It was quality."
Tammy Lopez of the county extension office reported robust sales at the hall's concession stand, requiring its workers to go to the store to restock depleted supplies.
