Showing livestock at county fairs is more than just a hobby for many families who have been taking part in the Eastern New Mexico State Fair (ENMSF) this week. Many exhibitors make elaborate preparations in advance of parading their goats, chickens and cattle before the judges at the annual affairs.
Some families, such as the Richins family from near Silver City, have invested thousands of dollars in equipment and time to take part in the events.
A.D. Richins — who was with his father, A.D. Richins, Sr., and mother, Sue Richins — was catching a moment of rest under the livestock shed Thursday. He said his family was in Roswell so his children, daughter Taylin, 12, and son Keyton, 10, could show lambs. A.D. Richins said the fair in Roswell was the third fair the family has entered lambs in the past three weeks. Earlier, he said, the family participated in the competitions at the Grant County Fair and the Southern New Mexico State Fair in Las Cruces.
According to Richins, he and his family have invested in such equipment as tables, feeders, trailers and an RV as part of the sheep operation. That can be expensive. As an example, treadmills that are used to get their sheep in shape cost $4,000 each, he said.
“We have $30,000 to $40,000 invested in lambs,” Richins said, “but we sell a lot of those at these fairs.”
He said it is not meant to be a money-making investment. “It’s an investment in my kids,” Richins said.
Also, tack and feed runs around $6,000 to $7,000 a year. “He buys the feed by the semi-truckload,” Sue Richins said.
In Silver City, the family owns a full-pen setup for the sheep, and they even built an apartment over the pen. “He wanted to be closer to his sheep,” Sue Richins quipped.
A.D. Richins said he works in an HR department, while Sue owns an embroidery business. A.D. Richins Sr. is retired.
According to A.D. Richins, he enjoys coming to the fairs. “I like the community, the life style, the friends and family you meet,” he said.
Richin said that he also appreciates that everybody is willing to help each other out. “They will pitch in if you forgot to bring something,” he said. “Even though you are competing against each other.”
This goes both ways, and the next generation is also being raised with these values Sue Richins said. As an example, she mentioned that her son helped a lot of kids in the Silver City area, letting the kids who live in town keep their sheep in their pen if they don’t have a facility to keep them in.
A.D. Richins said he thinks the family is through showing sheep this year, although they are considering doing a national show in Arizona in November.
Next year, the county fair circuit will begin all over again for the Richins family. “The kids are already planning for next year,” A.D. Richins said.
