Marshall Mecham
The Eddy County Fair is set for July 21-25, and 17-year-old Samuel Fodge said he and his animals are ready.
“I’m pretty prepared,” Fodge said. “I think I’m coming with really good resources and preparation.”
A full fair schedule
Fodge will be busy with several fair events, including livestock shows, serving on the Junior Fair Board and participating in the Eddy County Fair Parade.
Before the fair, Fodge can be seen in the parade at 7 p.m. Friday, July 17, beginning at Bulldog Bowl and ending on Second Street. He said he will be on either the Artesia FFA float or the Junior Fair Board float.
After that, Fodge’s events will be held at the Eddy County Fairgrounds, starting with the Prospect Yearling Class at 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 22. He also will compete in the 2-Year-Old Futurity at 2 p.m. and the Market Cattle Show at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 23.
Early mornings and late nights
Fodge will show his steer Shaq, yearlings Stewie and Pet, and 2-year-old horse Brock.
Fodge said he and family friends have continued to work hard to get Shaq ready for the fair.
“We’ve been washing calves and trying to get his hair ready for the fair at 5 a.m. each morning,” Fodge said. “We do the same thing every night at 8 p.m. as well.”
Fodge said he also prepares his yearlings multiple times a week with a large group of exhibitors, using pressure-and-release training.
“On Mondays and Thursdays, I’m part of a yearling group practice,” Fodge said. “We usually meet around 5:30 p.m. and work as late as we need to, even if that means midnight. We’re a big group from Eddy County, but other counties are more than welcome to join us too.”
Fodge said his animals will be judged on a variety of things.
“For the yearlings, there are halter, trail, showmanship and lunging portions,” Fodge said. “For the steers, they must have really good calves.”
A reflection of the work
Fodge said he is happy with the work that has gone into getting his livestock ready for the fair.
“I think I could have definitely pushed myself just a little bit harder, but I think for where I’m at now, I’m pretty satisfied with how much work I put in,” Fodge said.
Marshall Mecham covers sports for the Artesia Daily Press. He can be reached at (915) 232-1793 or on X @mecham_marshall. Mecham serves with the New Mexico Local News Fellowship, which places emerging journalists in newsrooms across the state. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.