A family event
Bi-County Fair a throw back to old-fashioned county fairs

In plaid, Ashley Bohannon,13, and step sister, Lubertina Molina,13, walk their lambs minutes before they presented their livestock at the Bi-county Fair in Prewitt, NM. Attendance at the fair was light Friday. However, Saturday is expected to have a larger attendance, with steer showing and a watermelon-eating contest. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

By Jim Tiffin
Staff writer

Frankie Montaño takes to the task of water the arena down with a garden hose Friday afternoon before the kid's rodeo at the Bi-Country fair. The watering truck expected to moisten the ground had not shown up to perform the duties. However, Mantaño was watering the ground in the critical areas around the barrels for dust control and footing. Mantoño has been attending the fair since the late 1960's and believes in donating his time for the children. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

GRANTS — The annual Cibola-McKinley Bi-County Fair is truly a family affair with generations of grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren participating in old-fashioned 4-H events.

Seven-year-old Faith Bohannon is showing a lamb this year in the Booster division, a category which gives younger kids in Clover Bud clubs experience before they become of age to compete in 4-H.

Faith is showing one of her two older sisters’ lambs this year.

“It’s fun,” Faith said. “You get to ride stick horses and win belt buckles.”

Faith’s grandmother, Linda Bohannon, said being in 4-H for the girls gives them experience in learning responsibility.

“We own lambs, pigs and 3 1/2 horses ... one of the horses is a miniature pony,” Heidi Bohannon said.

Their father, Westin Bohannon, of Coyote Drilling in Grants, works hard to earn the money for all the animals and the girls’ projects, Heidi Bohannon said.

Westin Bohannon used to be in 4-H and had chickens in the fair because his mother, Linda, was the poultry superintendent for four years in the late 1980s.

Older sisters
Lubertita, and her sister Ashley, are both 13 and eighth-graders at Los Alamitos Middle School in Grants.

Both are members of the Rockies 4-H Club, also in Grants.

Lubertita had a lot of trouble with “Billie,” her lamb. The lamb kept stopping and trying to get away from her, at one point causing a traffic jam with other lambs as they nearly ran into her when the lamb stopped suddenly. She placed eighth in the Heavy Medium Lamb class. Her lamb weighed 138 pounds.

Lu as she is called, said she has been in 4-H for the past two years and likes to push herself looking forward to next year when she wants to show a steer.

She runs cross country for Grants High School and plays basketball and volleyball as well as being involved in her 4-H projects. Lu also has a horse upon which she practices barrel racing.

Ashley Bohannon, a 4-H member for only one year, said she may show goats next year. She also has a horse and practices barrel racing planning to someday compete.

“I will only have one animal at a time, because I think that allows you to give that animal more one-on-one time and work with that animal to be the best it can,” she said. She placed fifth in the Medium Lamb Class. Her lamb weighed 127 pounds.

‘Nahodishgish’
Theron Henderson, 13 and his older brother Earldon Gruber, are both members of the “Nahodishgish” (The Pass) 4-H Club near Crownpoint.

The club used to be named “Dalton Pass 4-H” after an Indian trader in the area, but the name was changed four years ago to reflect a more Native American membership.

Theron, an eighth-grader at Crownpoint Middle School, said he likes showing animals at the fair. This year he is showing two lambs, one pig and one steer.

Earldon graduated this past spring from Crownpoint High School and plans to attend New Mexico State University beginning in January. He said he has not decided on a major yet.

The family has about 120 ewes and eight rams on their ranch just 15 miles west of Crownpoint, “Henderson Club Ranch.”

They have sold lambs to 4-H clubs in Colorado, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming, Elaine Henderson said.
The Hendersons have two nieces who are also participating in the fair this year, Trayla and Jamie Tracy. Trayla showed two lambs Friday. Where she placed was not available at press time. Jaime was not available for an interview as she was washing her lamb for showing.

“I like showing animals at the fair. It allows me to meet people,” Trayla said.

Open Division
In the Open Division building, Carlie Watkins said entries were on pace to match last year’s.

She pointed out one entry in the “five food groups category”— that had never been at the fair before: Powdered milk, zucchini for green, corn for yellow, pork for meat and apple spice cake for dessert — all bottled except for the milk, which was in a sealed plastic bag.

Just before noon, Vicki Riley, superintendent of the baking category, said entries usually are brought in mostly after school is out in the afternoon.

At 4 p.m., she said entries had nearly doubled last year’s total of 45.

“We’re almost at 90 and we’re still getting entries,” she said. “Word of mouth,” was the reason most people gave for entering this year, she said.

Tina Robinson, superintendent of the Open Division and 4-H leader for the Rockies club from Grants said her club this year provided a small “carnival,” with a fishing pond, a chip toss, a ball toss, a duck pond, a pop the balloons with darts game and basket bingo. Tickets are 25 cents each and the carnival is a fund raiser for the club. The carnival will be at the fair next to the Open Division building through Monday.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin,independent@yahoo.com.