2

2015 SAN JUAN COUNTY FAIR

THE DAILY TIMES

4 TRUCK LOADS IN STOCK!!

Fair
Special!!
Save up to
$
1861*

Swim Spas!

Come to the

Hot Tubs!
SAVE
Thousands!

*depending on model. Offer expires 8/31/15

4001 East Main Street

Farmington, NM 87402 (505) 327-7425

Everything will be sold!

First come, First Served!

250off

LIMITED TIME
OFFER!
DONT WAIT!

INSTANT
SAVINGS!

4001 East Main Street

Farmington, NM 87402 (505) 327-7425

n behalf of the
San Juan County
Fair Board, I
invite you to join us at
the 2015 San Juan
County Fair.
This fair, the largest
single county fair in the
state, continues to attract
more than 90,000 people
every year, who come to
check out the trade
show, look at the animals, enjoy the great fair
food, watch the special
events and concerts and
take advantage of seeing
old friends and making
new ones.
The fair board puts in
countless
hours
to
ensure the San Juan
County Fair is family
friendly and a place
where kids of all ages
can have fun in a safe
environment. An event
of this magnitude isnt

possible without the

hundreds of volunteers
who give of their time
and talents to oversee
the many departments,
events, office needs and
other
duties
as
assigned, and the board
is grateful to each of
them.
Our concerts this year
are among the best
weve offered, and we
hope our fair family and
friends pack the concert
area to hear some of the
most talented artists in
the country. Were proud
to offer these concerts
free of charge, with just
the cost of admission, so
everybody
has
the
opportunity to enjoy the
music.
The San Juan County
Fairs Junior Livestock
Sale continues to rival
that of the New Mexico

State Fair in the money

the sale brings in to our
exhibitors. Many of our
buyers have supported
the fair for more years
than most of can count,
and the number of 4-H
kids who have been able
to continue their education because of the
money earned through
the sale of their animals
to those buyers cant be
overstated or overappreciated.
The San Juan County
Fair Board shouts out
an All Aboard for the
fair. We are confident
youll have as much fun
at the fair as we did
planning it for you!
Sincerely,
Billy Huish
President of the
San Juan County
Fair Board

THE DAILY TIMES

2015 SAN JUAN COUNTY FAIR

The history of the San Juan County Fair

San Juan County celebrates 131 years of the best food and livestock
By Steve Garrison
The Daily Times
This year, the San Juan County
Fair marks 131 years of fun for families.
The first 100 years of the San Juan
County Fair, from 1884 to 1984, were
documented by Marilu Waybourn
and Vernetta Mickey in Meet Me at
the Fair: 100 Fairs in Our Fair
County.
Though several documents support the fact that the regions first
fair was held in 1884, there are hints
that a fair might have been held earlier.
Waybourn and Mickey note in
their history that Jual A. Gould
Miller mentions in a letter that the
first fair was held Sept. 20, 1880,
only 12 years after the region was
first opened for settlement.
The San Juan Times stated in
October 1895 that, The San Juan
County Fair being held at
Farmington is by no means a recent
institution. In the good old days an
annual watermelon picnic was
held.
The fair partly served as a way to
celebrate the regions arable land,
which by 1892 supported 73,000
fruit trees, notably peach trees.
By 1890, San Juan County fruit
became known far and wide for its
size, flavor and lack of worms,
Waybourn and Mickey write.
The chicken pull became a popular attraction at the fair during the
turn of the century and would later
provide the name for the Na-Ho-Hi
Rodeo. Na-Ho-Hi means catch
chicken in Navajo.
The San Juan Times described the
activity in a July 1896 article: They
bury the rooster in the ground, leaving his head and neck sticking out,

then race on their horses by the

rooster and see who can catch him
by the head and pull him out.
The contestant with the rooster
must then scramble to avoid his opponents, who attempt to take the bird
from him. The winner gets what at
that point likely is a dead rooster.
Equestrian events became popular in the early 1900s. At the 1902
fair, events included a horse judging
on Main Street to determine the
best-gaited saddle horse in San Juan
County. There was also a five-mile
relay race, completed in that year in
12 minutes and 15 seconds.
The first San Juan County Queen
Miss Lucille Markley was
selected at the 1903 fair. The fair that
year also featured a relay horse race
between the Utes and the Navajos.
The event drew upward of 5,000
Indians, Waybourn and Mickey
wrote.
A railroad built in 1905 to connect
Farmington and Durango, Colo.,
had a significant impact on the 1906
fair, with one paper stating it drew
the largest crowds ever in the history of the county.
Aztec hosted a competing fair
beginning in 1911, which eventually
led to the Farmington fairs discontinuation in 1921.
The three years of dual fairs and
controversy took its toll on our settlers, Waybourn and Mickey wrote.
Neither city held a fair for the next
two years.
The 1918 fair was cancelled due to
the Spanish Influenza epidemic,
which closed most public places.
Between 1923 and 1934, various
fairs competed for attention in both
Farmington and Aztec, including
the Na-Ho-Hi Rodeo.
Prizes suffered during the period
of The Great Depression, which hit

in 1930. A free-for-all boxing contest

for boys 14 and under held at the
Na-Ho-Hi Rodeo in 1931 offered $1
to the last one in the ring. It was
the largest prize awarded at the fair
that year, which included events
ranging from a pie-eating contest to
a potato-peeling contest that was for
women only.
A Kangaroo Kourt was held in
downtown Farmington the week
before the 1939 fair. Men whose
necks were not covered by a
healthy crop of whiskers were
dragged before the court to answer
for the offense.
A livestock auction, first held at
Aztecs county fair in the 1920s, continued to grow in the 1940s, with an
exhibit hall dedicated to the event.
In 1957, the fair moved to McGee
Park, named for Cecil McGee, one of
the fairs most devoted supporters.
He was on the fair board for 17
years, from 1946 to 1963, serving as
president for eight of those years.
The new grounds allowed for
more exhibits, including a farm and
garden exhibit, crochet contest,
hobby market and tropic fish.
One-hundred and thirty head of
livestock were auctioned at the
Junior Livestock sale in 1963, which
also featured the Navajo Tribal
Band.
The 1972 fair featured the rebirth
of the Old Time Fiddlers Contest,

reorganized under the direction of

C.A. Blassingame and Kenneth
Woodrum. The fiddlers contest
would draw talent from as far as
Texas and Arizona by the end of the
decade.
Construction on the indoor rodeo
facility at McGee Park began in
January 1978. The $650,000 arena
seats 2,200 people and was dedicated to Don Roberts, a strong supporter of the fair.
The fair parade had 104 entries in
1982 and drew thousands of spectators. An event also featured a competition for girls, boys and women
to show off the versatility of wool.
According to The Daily Times
archives, The San Juan County Fair
featured pig racing for the first time
in 1988. Contestant names included
Hambone Harry, Bunny Bacon and
Cool Ham Luke.
The Fiddlers Contest continued to
grow. Five divisions, as well as a
twin fiddlers and an accompanist
category, were offered in 1994.
Funds raised from a barbecue
contest at the 2004 San Juan County
Fair were used to purchase supplies
for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The streets that year were also decorated to mimic the sights and
sounds of Mardi Gras.
Today, the San Juan County Fair
is the largest in the state, averaging
90,000 attendees annually.

FULL LINE OF TRUCK ACCESSORIES

NFL ITEMS
DASH MATS
GRILL GUARDS
STEP BARS
FLOOR MATS
CUSTOM FIT
SEAT COVERS

B&W GOOSENECk
HITCHES
BUG SHIELDS
HEAVY DUTY
BUMPERS
TOOL BOXES
BED COVERS

893 NM Hwy. 516 Between Farmington & Aztec, NM

( 3/4 of a Mile East of Flora Vista Stop Light Open: Mon-Sat )

505-334-3343

2015 SAN JUAN COUNTY FAIR

THE DAILY TIMES

2015 SAN JUAN COUNTY FAIR SCHEDULE

THURSDAY AUG. 13
Lions Day
Kids 12 and under admitted free with an old
pair of eye glasses that will be donated to the
Farmington Evening Lions Club.

Convention Center,
must be 7 years or older
5 to 8 p.m.: Carnival pay one price, $20
5 to 11 p.m.: Carnival open
6 to 9 p.m.: Karaoke Show Hosted by
iHeartRadio , Small Patio
6 p.m.: Outhouse Race check in
6:30 p.m.: Outhouse Race,
behind Food Concessions
7 p.m.: Island Style, Open Air Pavilion,
Food Midway
10 p.m.: All buildings close
11 p.m.: Fairgrounds close

SUNDAY AUG. 9
Livestock check-in
All buildings closed to public
7 a.m. to noon: Animals check in, beef,
poultry, rabbit, goat, swine, lamb,
horse and llama. Goats, beef, swine
and lambs must check in at RV 3/4
south entrance.
8 a.m.: Open Horse Show,
Memorial Coliseum
3 p.m.: 4D Barrel Racing,
Memorial Coliseum
4:30 p.m.: Rabbit Showmanship Test,
Rabbit Barn
5 to 8 p.m.: Carnival pay one price, $20
5 to 10 p.m.: Carnival open
8 p.m.: Grounds close
MONDAY, AUG. 10
Kids Day
Kids 12 and under admitted into fair with two
canned food items for ECHO Food Bank. Kids
Carnival Day (everyone is a kid) from 5 to 9
p.m., $20 ride bracelet.
8 a.m.: Fairgrounds open
8 a.m.: Goat Show, Jeanette Nichols
Show Ring, Lamb Barn
8 a.m.: Rabbit Show, Rabbit Barn.
Rabbit Showmanship will begin one
and a half hours after the completion
of the rabbit show at Jeanette Nichols
Show Ring, Lamb Barn.
9 a.m.: Poultry Judging,
Stark Poultry Barn
10 a.m.: Convention Center opens
2 to 9 p.m.: Free flu shots by Walgreens

TUESDAY, AUG. 11
Two for Tuesday
Two get into the fair for $5. Two carnival
ride bracelets for $25 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and leaders in
uniform admitted into the fair free.
8 a.m.: Fairgrounds open
8 a.m.: Lamb Show, Jeanette Nichols
Show Ring, Lamb Barn
8 a.m.: Open Rabbit Show, Rabbit Barn
9 a.m.: Poultry Judging,
Stark Poultry Barn
10 a.m.: Convention Center opens
Noon: Dog Show, Memorial Coliseum
2 to 9 p.m.: Free flu shots by Walgreens
Convention Center,
must be 7 years or older
5 to 8 p.m.: Carnival pay one price, $20
5 to 11 p.m.: Carnival open
6 to 8 p.m.: Tractor Games
6 to 9 p.m.: Karaoke Show Hosted by
iHeartRadio , Small Patio
6:30 p.m.: Barnyard Olympics,
Memorial Coliseum
7 p.m.: Midnight Crises,
Open Air Pavilion, Food Midway
10 p.m.: All buildings close
11 p.m.: Fairgrounds close
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 12
Gospel Night, Special Needs Day and
Senior Citizens Day
Senior Citizens and citizens with special
needs admitted into the fair for free.
8 a.m.: Fairgrounds open
8 a.m.: Swine Show,
Jerry Connelly Show Ring
10 a.m.: Convention Center opens
2 to 9 p.m.: Free flu shots by Walgreens

Convention Center,
must be 7 years or older
2 p.m.: Special Equestrian Horse Show,
Memorial Coliseum
4 p.m.: Crazy Chicken Chase,
Memorial Coliseum
5 to 11 p.m.: Carnival open
6 to 9 p.m.: Karaoke Show Hosted by
iHeartRadio , Small Patio
6:30 p.m.: Memorial Coliseum dedication
7:30 p.m.: Gospel Night, Susie McEntire,
Open Air Pavilion, Food Midway
10 p.m.: All buildings close
11 p.m.: Fairgrounds close

8 a.m.: Fairgrounds open

8 a.m.: 4-H/FFA Horse Show,
Memorial Coliseum
10 a.m.: Breeding Beef Show, Beef
Barn Show Ring. Market Beef Show
will begin 15 minutes after the
completion of the Breeding Show.
10 a.m.: Convention Center Opens
1 to 4 p.m.: All pulls from the sale
due in the Fair Office
2 to 9 p.m.: Free flu shots by Walgreens
Convention Center,
must be 7 years or older
5 to 11 p.m.: Carnival open
6 to 9 p.m.: Karaoke Show Hosted by
iHeartRadio , Small Patio
6:30 p.m.: 4-H Rodeo,
Memorial Coliseum
7 p.m.: Goat Costume Contest,
Jerry Connelly Show Ring
8 p.m.: Tate Stevens, winner of
The X Factor, Open Air Pavilion,
Food Midway
10 p.m.: All buildings close
11 p.m.: Fairgrounds close
FRIDAY, AUG. 14
8 a.m.: Fairgrounds open
10 a.m.: Convention Center opens
11:30 a.m.: Knowledge Bowl entries
due in the fair office
1 p.m.: Rabbit Catch-it entries
due in Rabbit Barn
2 to 9 p.m.: Free flu shots by Walgreens
Convention Center,
must be 7 years or older
5 p.m. to midnight: Carnival open
6 p.m.: Rabbit Catch-it Contest, Jerry
Connelly Show Ring
6 to 9 p.m.: Karaoke Show Hosted by
iHeartRadio , Small Patio
6:30 p.m.: 4-H Rodeo,
Memorial Coliseum
7 p.m.: Round Robin Showmanship,
Beef Barn Show Ring
8 p.m.: Exile with special guest Juice
Newton Concert, Open Air Pavilion,
Food Midway
11 p.m.: All buildings close
Midnight: Fairgrounds close

SATURDAY, AUG. 15
Junior Livestock Sale and Public
Safety and Military Appreciation Day
7 a.m. to 6 p.m.: Horseshoe Tournament,
Outdoor Arena
8 a.m.: Fairgrounds open
9 a.m.: Rooster Crowing Contest,
Stark Poultry Barn
9:30 to 11:30 a.m.: Tractor Pulls,
Memorial Coliseum
10 a.m.: Convention Center Opens
10 a.m. to 9 p.m.: Free flu shots by
Walgreens Convention Center,
must be 7 years or older
10 to 10:45 a.m.: Entries for Open/Junior
Baking Contest Accepted,
Convention Center
11 a.m.: Open Junior & Senior Baking
Contest, Convention Center
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Buyers
Luncheon, Coliseum Pavilion
11 a.m.: Stick Horse Race,
Beef Barn Show Ring
1 p.m.: Junior Livestock Sale,
Jerry Connelly
2 p.m. to midnight: Carnival open
5 to 8 p.m.: Carnival pay one price, $20
6 p.m.: 4 Corners Kart Club Race,
Memorial Coliseum
6 to 8 p.m.: Karaoke Show Hosted by
iHeartRadio, Small Patio
6:30 p.m.: Salsa Contest,
Convention Center set up at 5:30
8 p.m.: Special Evening with
Wade Hayes & Bryan White,
Open Air Pavilion
11 p.m.: All building close
Midnight: Fairgrounds close
SUNDAY, AUG. 16
Check out Day
Fairgrounds closed
7 a.m. to noon: Livestock check out
8 a.m.: Booths dismantle
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Exhibits check out

Thanks for visiting

us at the
San Juan County Fair!

2015 SAN JUAN COUNTY FAIR

Warming to swine

Racine Eavenson, 17, of Aztec, goes in to kiss one of her pigs on Aug. 5 at her home in Aztec. Alexa Rogals/The Daily Times

Despite initially thinking they were gross, teenager

is now entering fifth year of raising swine for fair
FARMINGTON Racine
Eavenson wasnt interested when
her brothers began showing pigs in
the San Juan County Fair several
years ago.
Pigs were gross, she said,
recalling that time.
But then she saw their babies,
which she thought were cute, and
she warmed to swine. This year,
she is raising 20 pigs, many of
which were born in February and
now weigh more than 200 pounds.
To qualify for the fair, her pigs
must weigh between 200 and 270
pounds.
She plans to show 14 or 15 of

them in the fair, which starts Aug.

10. This year, as in the previous
four years she competed, Eavenson named the pigs based on
movie themes. This years theme
was the Pixar film Cars. Theres
Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally,
Doc and Sheriff, among others.
Despite their cutesy names,
Eavenson said the pigs are market
swine projects, and she hopes to
sell them.
You get attached, but you
know, thats what youre raising
them for, she said. Its still hard
taking them to the butcher, but
who doesnt like bacon, right?

Eavenson, who lives north of

Aztec, will be one of many youth
entering animals in this years fair.
Contestants check in their animals the day before the fair starts.
Categories include beef, poultry,
rabbit, goat, swine, lamb, horse
and llama.
The fair also offers other animal contests. People can dress up
goats for a costume contest, chase
chickens and see if their rooster
can crow for the longest time.
Several years ago, Eavenson
won Champion of Breed in the
fair for her big, white, pointy-eared
Yorkshire pig.

Thats one of the fairs many

breed categories, which are
defined by colors, stripes or spots,
and ears.
Chester Whites, for example,
are like Yorkshires but with floppy
ears. Hampshire are black, whitebelted and pointy-eared. Spots are
spotted and floppy eared. Berkshires contain five or six white
spots and erect ears. And Poland
China pigs are like Berkshires but
with floppy ears.
Eavenson spends a lot of time
raising her pigs, and when she
sells one of them, she said, it feels
good.

2015 SAN JUAN COUNTY FAIR

THE DAILY TIMES

Fair board honors Hobby and Bonnie Frazer with coliseum dedication
Hobby and Bonnie
Frazer
moved
to
Farmington, along with
their daughter, Tobi, in
July 1956 to run the 7-2-11
food store on 20th Street
for Jack Hughes.
Farmington was booming, and there was no
place to live. According to
Bonnie, the family lived
in a renovated chicken
house
the
first
six
months. In that time, they
had a house built in
Sunset Heights. Their
son, Mark, was born in
January 1957, and Alan
was born in April 1958.
Hobby loved the convenience store business,
and soon Hughes asked
Hobby to be his partner.
Working with Hughes,
Hobby began adding new
locations.
He and his crew spent
many hours building
shelving and counters for
each new store, as well as
managing the stores during the day. Through the
years, the convenience
store business has taken
many turns from renting
TVs, VCRs and movies to
selling blocks of ice and
eventually selling gasoline.
Besides being in the
convenience stores, the
couple also had a Burger
House behind the 7-2-11
on 20th Street, and, in
1973, Hobby built his first
laundry.
At first, Bonnie did not
work in the business and
stayed home to take care
of the couples children.
She was supportive of
Hobby and was the perfect wife for all the hours
it took to get a business
going to make it successful. As the children grew,

Hobby and Bonnie Frazer Courtesy Photo

Bonnie began working in

the office. She went to
work after dropping the
kids off at school and
came home when the
school day was over. As
Tobi, Mark and Alan got
older, they worked in the
business after school,
summers and many holidays. It was definitely a
family affair. Hobby and
Bonnie were a great team
and worked together
closely.
In 1965, Hughes passed
away. His wife, Dorothy,
was not interested in
keeping their share of the
stores, so Hobby and
Bonnie bought her out.
In November 1984,
Hobby passed away at

the age of 66. Bonnie had

worked alongside Hobby
and knew a lot about the
business. She called a
meeting with Derrell
Pitts, the general manager, and her children and
mapped out a plan to
move forward. In the next
30 years, Bonnie ran the
company with Derrell,
Mark and Alan. Because
of raising her children
and living in Bayfield,
Colo., Tobi worked in a
part-time capacity until
the last 10 years when she
was full-time.
The
company
has
expanded and added
storage facilities and
plazas.
Bonnie
was
always involved in every

project and loved every

minute of it. She and
Mark worked in the office
with the bookkeeping,
and she worked closely
with Derrell and Alan in
the day-to-day operations
of the company.
Bonnie worked in the
office every day until she
was 84 years old, when
she broke her hip.
After that, even though
she did not come to the
office every day, she was
still interested in what
was going on and was
kept updated. Bonnie
never forgot the managers, office crew, maintenance, laundry attendants
or cashiers.
Hobby and Bonnie

loved their children. In

the midst of running a
business, they always had
time for church, meals
around the table, vacations, ball games, movies,
graduations, weddings
and other outings. Then,
of course, the grandchildren came along, and that
was a whole new story.
Bonnie loved starting all
over again and getting
involved with all of their
activities, too.
Hobby and Bonnie also
loved their company family. They had many barbecues at their house with
homemade ice cream,
fireworks and cards.
Each year, they hosted
an Employee Christmas
Party.
This was an important
event for Bonnie, who
wanted it to be special for
the employees. Every year
at the Christmas party,
Bonnie told her employees,
Our company is doing
great because our employees are the best!
Hobby and Bonnie
loved Farmington. Their
generous hearts flowed to
the events of the community, especially for children. They loved helping
with school events, summer baseball, the Connie
Mack World Series, the
theater and the list goes
on. One of the highlights
of Bonnies year was
attending the San Juan
County Fair 4-H Auction.
She loved the meal and
getting to meet the kids,
as well as the excitement
of bidding.
Bonnie passed away
Oct. 12, 2014, at age 90.
She was buried beside
Hobby on Oct. 16, their
wedding anniversary.