g o H d l i W s ’ It ! d n e k Wee
Welcome to the 2012 La Salle County Fair, Wild Hog Cook-Off, Junior Livestock Show & Ranch Rodeo
A Special Publication of the Frio-Nueces Current, Thursday, March 8, 2012
Page 2, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 8, 2012
It’s Fair Time!
By Marc Robertson elcome to Cotulla and La Salle County, home of the 32nd annual Wild Hog Cook-Off, County Fair, Junior Livestock Show & Ranch Rodeo on the second weekend in March. The theme for the county fair
W
this year is “Oil Rigs and Dancing Pigs,” in commemoration of the new oil and gas exploration and drilling boom that has overtaken the South Texas Brush Country over the Eagle Ford Shale, combined with the popularity of live entertainment, specifically the dances hosted during the fair
Taste the Excitement! WELCOME TO THE 2012 WILD HOG COOK-OFF & COUNTY FAIR! COTULLA/LA SALLE COUNTY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 830-879-2326 or 1-800-256-2326 www.cotulla-chamber.com
each year. Not only does the weekend serve as an opportunity for family reunion, it draws friends and travelers from far afield who return each year for a taste of South Texas life. Furthermore, this year’s fair is expected to draw thousands more visitors from the many oil rigs and drilling sites, new businesses and industry in the region, most of them newcomers to La Salle County and first-time visitors to the fair. Most of all, though, the county fair and its activities that run from Wednesday through Sunday give the community an excellent opportunity to show off its South Texas pride. At the Frio-Nueces Current, we bring you our annual special edition this week, which includes stories about the contests and events, the activities being scheduled for the public to enjoy and a glimpse behind the scenes as veteran Hog Cook-Off contestants prepare for their part in the weekend’s events. Furthermore, we have included pictures from past festivals to give newcomers an idea of what lies ahead this weekend. We look forward to seeing you at the fairgrounds and we thank you for visiting us here in South Texas. Enjoy!
Schedule of Events THURSDAY, MARCH 8 Arts & Crafts Judging 10 a.m. Cook-Off Teams Check-In Noon Exhibits Set Up 3-5 p.m. Science Fair Pictures 4 p.m. Pet Parade Line-Up 4:30 p.m. Opening Ceremony & Dedication 5 p.m. Pet Parade 5:30 p.m. Livestock Show Entries to Stalls 5-7 p.m. Livestock Weighing & Sifting 5-7 p.m. Grounds Closed to Vehicles 9 p.m. Grounds Closed Midnight FRIDAY, MARCH 9 Arts & Crafts Champions Pictures 9-10 a.m. Cook-Off Teams Check-In 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Livestock Show Judging (Broilers, Goats) 10 a.m. Food Show Entries Display & Pictures 1 p.m. Livestock Show Judging (Swine, Cattle) 2 p.m. Grounds Closed to Vehicles 9 p.m. Grounds Closed Midnight SATURDAY, MARCH 10 Wild Hog Cook-Off Set Up 6 a.m. Parade Line-Up 8-8:30 a.m. Parade Judging 8:30 a.m. Cook-Off Entry Gate Closed 9:30 a.m. Wild Hog Parade Begins 10 a.m. Wild Hog Cook-Off Judging Noon Livestock Show Awards 1:30 p.m. Livestock Show Auction 2 p.m. Wild Hog Olympics 2 p.m. Food Show Auction After Stockshow Auction Wild Hog Cook-Off Awards Approx. 5:30 p.m. Wild Hog Futurity Auction 5 p.m. Grounds Closed to Vehicles 9 p.m. Dance at Legion Hall 9 p.m. Grounds Closed 1:30 a.m. SUNDAY, MARCH 11 Cowboy Church 1 p.m. Wild Hog Futurity 1:30 p.m. Ranch Rodeo / Pig Scramble 2 p.m.
Welcome to Historic Cotulla!
Cotulla Mainstreet Program 105 N. Front Street
830-879-4166 or 830-879-5126 (cell) cotullamainstreet@yahoo.com
Thursday, March 8, 2012, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Page 3
T
2012 fair dedicated to Corky & Brenda Weeks
the ‘Friend of 4-H’ award in 2010 and are members of the La Salle County Fair Association. Brenda is involved in numerous community activities, foremost of which is her service as an active 4-H volunteer. “Brenda has tirelessly volunteered to help at the county fair as the photographer of the livestock show and volunteers at the livestock auction,” the fair association noted in its dedication. “She has also assisted at the monthly 4-H meetings and 4-H programs and served as club manager for several years.” Brenda is also a member of the Texas CattleWomen’s Association. “Corky has assisted with the Ranch Rodeo, providing livestock for the event in years past,” the fair association reported. “Each year, Corky and Brenda continue to support the sales of the livestock show and they are also well known for the donations made, not only of their monies, but the time they put into helping get the event set up. The validation of all show animals have been held at the feedyard owned by the family for several years, and Brenda and Corky assist with the validation process each year. “It is the selfless involvement of people like Corky and Brenda that makes the La Salle County Fair and its associated activities the tremendous success it is today,” the association noted. “The fair association, Cotulla and La Salle County would like to take this opportunity to express deep and heartfelt thanks to this couple by dedicating the 2012 La Salle County Fair and Wild Hog Cook-off to them.”
he La Salle County Fair Association has announced the names of those to whom it is dedicating the 2012 event, honoring Corky and Brenda Weeks for their continuing contributions to and involvement in the county fair and junior livestock show. Brenda Weeks has been in La Salle County all of her life. She was raised in Artesia Wells and graduated from Cotulla High School. As a La Salle County 4H member, she was involved in the horse and cooking projects. After graduating, she attended Angelo State University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she obtained a degree in Elementary Education with a Kindergarten and Reading endorsement. She and Corky were married in 1982, and she taught at Cotulla ISD for five years. Corky Weeks was born and raised in Pearsall, where he attended and graduated from Pearsall High School. He worked as production foreman for Suburban Propane Gas Corp for ten years before moving to Artesia Wells, where he now manages Henrichson Feedyard as a part owner. Corky and Brenda raised two daughters, Katherine and Kelsey, in La Salle County, where both girls were longtime 4H members. Both Corky and Brenda are members of the First United Methodist Church of Cotulla. They are also members of the American Quarter Horse Association, National Cutting Horse Association, Cattle Raisers Association, Texas Cattle Feeders Association and the La Salle County Farm Bureau. They were honored with
WELCOME TO THE 2012 LA SALLE COUNTY FAIR & WILD HOG COOK-OFF!
! s e i t i v i t s e F e h t Enjoy
When you need parts or accessories for your domestic car, truck or van, come and see us for a wide selection at the best prices!
e Sinc3! 189
◆ LUMBER ◆ BUILDING MATERIALS
◆ HARDWARE ◆ RANCH SUPPLIES
Cotulla Auto Parts/NAPA
T.R. KECK & SONS, INC.
830-879-2378
830-879-2365
103 N. Front Street * Cotulla, Texas
LUMBER & HARDWARE 101 Pecos - Cotulla, Texas
The Main Event
Page 4, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wild Hog Cook-Off attracting fans since 1980
By Marc Robertson he La Salle County Wild Hog Cook-Off celebrates its 32nd anniversary this year, having been launched in 1980 to coincide with Cotulla’s centennial as a festival to showcase some of the county’s talent for the one thing that every Texan loves: great outdoor cooking. The cook-off has become one of the biggest attractions for visitors to the community in the spring and draws chefs from near and far with the lure of a great time spent with friends and family, a rowdy old-fashioned festival in the first true sunshine of the year and a chance at a trophy, to boot. Cook-off teams will begin setting up camp in the fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday, having registered for entry in the contest at the Fair Association office and having been given the trays on which they will present their samples for judging. Some of the teams will have spent the night at the fairgrounds and many will have decorated their campsites with a theme for additional prize eligibility. Cooking begins in earnest as soon as teams have gathered for the day on Saturday. Throughout the day, visitors will stroll the grounds, oftentimes sampling the meats that are being cooked at the different sites, sometimes by cook-off entrants and sometimes by folks who just like cooking outdoors and have set up their own sites for the fun of it. While some of the food will be reserved for entry in the competition, a great deal of meat and other dishes will be prepared for family, friends and passers-by at the fair. Cook-off team leaders and their assistants will have decided in which category to enter their samples. In all cases, team entries are numbered, not named, and only the contest director knows which team has which entry. The first cook-off category is for barbecued wild hog meat, and all foods in that competition are cooked barbecue style. Approximately two pounds of hog meat are offered by each team to judges for tasting. In the barbecue category, the teams’ trays will contain only meat. The exotic cooking category is
T
Although competition in the annual cook-off is fierce but friendly, many cooking teams also make time to barbecue for the fun of it, sharing their food with family and friends
Welcome FRIeNDS! Enjoy the La Salle County Wild Hog Cook-Off & Fair This Weekend! Have Fun & Enjoy All The Festivities!
La Salle County Fair Association
open to all those who cook their wild hog meat in any way other than barbecuing it. Again, meat will be the only food offered by the teams to the judges. The cook-off also includes a presentation category, in which teams offer trays of food that has been artistically arranged or cooked and is presented as a showpiece. Foods can be entered as either edible or non-edible presentations, although everything on a plate in the edible foods division must be ready to eat. In both presentation categories, plates are judged on their appearance and on how well the hog meat itself is presented. Teams often incorporate the annual theme into their presentations, and this year’s “Oil Rigs and Dancing pigs” is likely to include a lot of references to South Texas’ new oil boom over the Eagle Ford Shale. Teams may also design their presentation platters in their own style or artistic arrangement. Trophies will be presented at approximately 5:30 p.m. Satur-
day, after the junior livestock auction and the food auction, in the Alexander Livestock Show Barn. Winners will need to be present to collect their trophies. Awards are also given to the teams with the best decorated cook-off sites. In years past, teams have built elaborate booths, hung banners and worn costumes for the day. Sometimes, the teams will have matching outfits bearing their logo or nickname; other times it has been the theme of the annual fair that has dictated how teams build and present their sites. Barbecue trailers, wooden structures, awnings, tents, fenced enclosures and decorations such as stuffed wild hogs, live animals, hogs roasting on spits over fire pits, silhouette cutouts, whimsical signs and even makeshift barns and Wild West store fronts have appeared at the fairgrounds for the hog cook-off in the past. Among the cook-off sites will be vendors offering fast food, carnival snacks, cold drinks, candy and other treats.
A WARM WELCOME! e Sinc ! Gaddis Pharmacy 1901 FROM
Have a Safe & Fun Wild Hog Cook-Off and Enjoy the Fair! 302 N. MAIN COTULLA,TEXAS
830-879-2323
Thursday, March 8, 2012, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Page 5
To Wear the Crown Five compete for Queen’s title
Roberta Garcia
By Marc Robertson y the time the 2012 La Salle County Fair opens Thursday afternoon, March 8 with the traditional dedication ceremony in the Exhibition Barn on the county fairgrounds, a new queen will have been crowned to represent the events for which South Texas is fast becoming known far and wide. This year’s contest for the new La Salle County Fair Queen and the Little Mr. and Miss La Salle was held Saturday evening, March 3 in the Betty Avant Cafetorium on the high school campus directly across Hwy 97 from the county fairgrounds. The winners of the respective contests are awarded prizes and will represent the county, the county fair association, the Chamber of Commerce and each of the county’s communities when they travel to other towns to ride in festival parades. The new La Salle County queen will also present all of the top awards and trophies at this month’s La Salle County Fair, Wild Hog Cook-Off, Junior Livestock Show and Ranch Rodeo, Thursday through Sunday, March 9-12. For the second year in a row, the contest for county ambassadors at the fair has been moved to the weekend immediately preceding the fair. This year, judges from other communities determined who will represent La Salle County based on answers that the contestants gave to questions related to
Raney Hanks
Brianna Huerta
B
Sara Reese
Kendra Torres
Welcome to Cotulla!
The new La Salle County Fair Queen, the runner-up and the new Little Mr. and Miss La Salle ride the Chamber of Commerce float in the Wild Hog Cook-Off Parade on Saturday morning
their communities, the county’s festival and wild hogs as well as other general knowledge. Candidates were judged on their community involvement, skills and knowledge of the county and communities they hope to represent further afield. This year’s new queen assumes the role held since last year by Destinee Rodriguez, who attended fairs in other counties, helped host educational events for young students and became involved in other service-oriented projects.
The contestants for the title this year include Roberta “Bobbie” Faith Garcia, 14, a Cotulla freshman and daughter of Myrta Garcia of Cotulla; Raney Hanks, 15, sophomore at McMullen County ISD and daughter of Tim and Vickie Hanks of Los Angeles; Brianna Huerta, 16, junior at CHS and daughter of Maria Huerta; Sara Reese, 17, CHS junior and daughter of Scott and Diana Reese of Encinal; and Kendra Torres, 15, CHS sophomore and daughter of Rodrigo and Melissa Torres of Cotulla.
d l i W e h t f o Home f f O k o o C g o H & Fair! City of Cotulla 117 N. Front St. - 830-879-2367
Mayor Joe Lozano Lucio Cabello Juan A. Garcia Henry Ayala Trish Garcia Lytle Arche
Page 6, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 8, 2012
All Things Sweet and Scrumptious Food Show features tasty delights
By Marc Robertson he popular Food Show for the county fair will be held in the Fair Association Exhibition Hall, next to the Fair Association headquarters and office, on Friday, March 9, and will help generate funds for the association with food entries in adult, youth and canned goods categories. Entries for the show will be registered at the barn between 8 and 10 a.m. Friday; judges will examine the entries and taste them between 10 a.m. and noon. Winners will be announced shortly after noon, and photographs will be taken of the grand and reserve champions and of the ribbon winners in all of the categories, adults and youths, at 1 p.m. The top winning entries in the adult and youth divisions will go on to the Food Show Auction, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, following the Junior Livestock Show in the Alexander Show Barn. Youth partici-
T
2011 Elementary Grand Champion Karissia Torres
2011 Middle School Grand Champion Alexandra Bowers
pants eligible to have their winning entries sold at auction will receive fifty percent of the auction sale price. The remainder will go to the Fair Association. All revenues generated by winning adult entries at auction will go to the Fair Association.
Funds collected by the association are used for facility improvements at the fairgrounds and towards youth work in the community. A number of facilities have been upgraded with the association’s funds in recent years, as new restrooms, parking ar-
WELCOME
TO THE FAIR & COOK-OFF! ●Restaurant ●groceries ●Fuel Join us for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
The Country Store & JJ’s IH-35 & 468 - Cotulla - 830-879-3319
2011 High School Grand Champion Briana Martinez
eas, fencing and other amenities have been paid for through auction revenues and donations. Visitors to the Food Show in the Exhibition Barn are able to view the winning entries and buy the ribbon-winning foods that are not destined to be auc-
2011 Adult Grand Champion Vicki Rodriguez
tioned. Various breads, desserts, canned goods, cakes, snacks and cookies are available for prices ranging from $10 to $25. The names of those who made the foods are posted on tags attached to the entries after the ribbons have been awarded.
We salute our neighbors in Cotulla and wish them a successful 2012 La Salle County Fair and Wild Hog Cook-Off.
DILLEY DRUG STORE Balloons, Flower Arrangements & Gifts for All Occasions
NOW AVAILABLE!
106 N. Main - Dilley
830-965-1666
Complete Prescription Service
Thursday, March 8, 2012, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Page 7
All Seasons® Basic Hog Trap
Time to Wave All eyes on Main at the Cotulla Parade By Marc Robertson he annual Cotulla - La Salle County Chamber of Commerce Wild Hog Cook-Off Parade will set off through downtown Cotulla at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 10 to crowds who have braved all weather every year to cheer the floats, representatives and honorees on their way down Main Street. The parade, which kicks off Saturday’s cook-off events and
T
signals the busiest day of the weekend, includes participants from several surrounding communities as well as student groups, local businesses, government officers, non-profit groups, antique car and truck collectors, custom vehicle and hot rod drivers, motorcycle clubs, armed forces veterans, churches, youth groups, horse riders and bands. This year, the parade will be led again by the members of Boy
Have Fun at the Wild-Hog Cook-Off & Fair This Week-end in Cotulla! Helicopters, Inc.
e Sinc ! 1982
SPECIALIZING IN
Cattle Round-ups * Game Surveys * Game Captures Predator Control * Aerial Survey & Photography Pipeline & Powerline Patrol Available 7 Days A Week * All Credit Cards Accepted
Office 830-879-4820 Mobile 956-744-6533 Jay Smith
www.smithhelicopters.com
Scout Troop 150, who will serve as the colorguard. Parade spectators will also have their first view on Saturday morning of the new La Salle County Fair Queen, the queen runner-up and the Little Mister and Miss La Salle titleholders as they take part in their first public event, riding the Chamber of Commerce float. Judges will tour the parade entries shortly before the convoy begins its route and will announce the winners in several divisions as the parade passes the reviewing stand in the middle of town. A number of floats and other marching or musical entries as well as cars, tractors and other vehicles will have been decorated in the theme of this year’s event, “Oil Rigs and Dancing Pigs.” This year’s parade line-up will be on Frio Street, north of downtown, between 8 and 8:30 a.m. Judging is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. The parade route includes all of downtown as far as Center Street, and a portion of Front Street. Parking along the parade route will be limited. Spectators are encouraged to park at nearby businesses or on residential streets and walk to Main Street.
www.mummesinc.com The Purina® Quick Draw® Hog Block®
The All Seasons® Hog Load Out Door makes loading out your hogs effortless! Just back your trailer up to the door for easy loading!
The All Seasons® Hog Trap Feeder is made to fit the Hog Trap Door. This feeder is used to bait hogs into the trap.
1-800-221-6398 www.mummesinc.com
830.426.3313
Hondo, TX • 120 Hwy 173N
830.334.3323
Pearsall, TX • 1845 Business I-35N
(Freight Quotes & Shipping)
830.931.2215
Rio Medina, TX • 10195 FM 2676
830.980.4924
San Antonio, TX • 24250 US Hwy 281N
La Salle County Fair Visitors’ Tip:
Avoid traffic jams in downtown Cotulla Saturday morning by parking on the east side of town and walking to Front and Main Streets to watch the parade; bring folding chairs and sunscreen.
Life’s All Right When You’re Chillin’ n Grillin’
Page 8, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 8, 2012
Behind the scenes with a contest-winning team
By Breyana Segura e may be the strong, silent type, but Leonard Stewart is a man who loves competition. The frontman for the multichampion Wild-Hog Cook-Off team Chillin’ n Grillin and his family have allowed a rare glimpse into the many hours of preparation - plus a good amount of eating and drinking - that precede a successful turn at the fairgrounds in Cotulla. Frio County residents Leonard and wife Gail first took part in the cook-off in 1990 as part of the Dilley Diablos team and won the grand championship. By 1997, they had formed their new team of cooks and support crew with a rowdy crowd of family and friends, each bringing what Leonard describes as vital ingredients to a successful cook-off: skills, knowledge, experience, hard work and a genuine appreciation for some “good ol’ fun.” While the cook-off itself may only occupy one weekend in March, a true hardworking team has to prepare far ahead. Week-
H
ends are set aside throughout the year, during which members of the Chillin’ n Grillin’ team come together to try new recipes, discuss their cook site and its decorations in a specific theme (also part of the contest judging), and decide who will carry which responsibilities at the next event.
“Any excuse to drink and eat,” says Gail who, with son Ben, joins Leonard in deciding how next year’s contest entry will be prepared, cooked and presented. As Wild Hog Weekend approaches, the excitement is palpable. Team members gather at the Stewarts’ home in the country and bring their best ideas to the table. The men prepare the fire and season the meat; the women begin making the decorations and
Welcome Friends!
To The La Salle County Fair & Wild-Hog Cook-Off!
Movie Plex 412 N. Market St. - 830-879-3215
prepare various foods for entry in the Exotic Division of the cook-off. It is a test run, virtually a dress rehearsal for the big weekend. The taste testing has begun. Everybody contributes an opinion on whether the foods that are cooked in the trial runs are worth trying for the cook-off. Everything is taken into consideration. Sometimes, a favorite doesn’t make the cut. Preparation time and cooking methods have to meet contest requirements. “That doesn’t mean the same dish won’t come up again, maybe with a few changes,” team member Sloan Triplitt says. When the final dishes are decided on, the team compiles a master list. Everyone has a responsibility. Everyone contributes something for the cooking site at the fairgrounds, from garlic to plastic chairs. Nothing is left to chance. As the night winds down, the team is confident that everything’s ready for the cook-off. It’s time to serve up a hearty meal of meat and potatoes and enjoy the “fire and fellowship,” something every team member has come to appreciate. Leonard looks back on years past and the six championship trophies the team has brought home. “I remember that year,” he laughs at a newspaper clipping from the past. “I worked until the middle of the night.” When the dust finally settles on the fairgrounds after another Wild Hog Weekend and the last pickup truck bumps its way through the gates, the Stewarts and their Chillin’ n Grillin’ team are already planning for next year, tweaking recipes, setting aside weekends for taste tests and gettogethers... Because, honestly, it don’t get any better than this.
Leonard Stewart (above) prepares his popular wild hog loin at the 2011 Wild Hog Cook-Off; wife Gail and son Ben (right photo) help design recipes and taste during the team’s pre-contest get-together earlier this year
COME VISIT US DURING THE WILD HOG COOK-OFF! HARRISON ENTERPRISES
Gold Mine Jewelers 601 N. Main St. * Cotulla, Texas
830-879-2703
Thursday, March 8, 2012, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Page 9
GARFIELD MEDICAL CLINICS
HERBERT I. GARFIELD, M.D. WILL D. THOMPSON, PA-C • CAROLINA ALEJANDRO, PA-C
Have A Safe and Happy Weekend! DILLEY CLINIC
COTULLA CLINIC
PEARSALL CLINIC
PEARSALL 830-334-3336 * DILLEY 830-965-4466 * COTULLA 830-879-2279 DR. GARFIELD
8:30-12 noon & 2-5:30 p.m. Cotulla Monday * Dilley Tuesday * Pearsall Wednesday * Dilley Thursday * Cotulla Friday
TO SCHEDULE YOUR WOMEN’S HEALTH EXAM, TEXAS HEALTH STEPS, OR ANY OTHER FAMILY HEALTH ISSUE, PLEASE CALL ONE OF OUR CLINICS.
Thank You For Your Support! “We are privileged to serve your family’s health needs”.
Page 10, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 8, 2012
A Time for Olympians
By Marc Robertson here’s a new event at the county fairgrounds, and all eyes will be on the American Legion Arena at 2 p.m. Saturday for the Wild Hog Cook-
T
Off Olympics, launched last year to huge acclaim. The games, which are aimed at bringing out the athletes in all entrants, are open to a total of eight teams, each made up of four
members, all of them representing teams that have registered for the Wild Hog Cook-Off. Taking a cue from South Texas outdoor life and the many challenges it poses to the farmer and
Welcome to the 2012 La Salle County Fair & Wild Hog Cook-Off!
STOCKMENS NATIONAL BANK 206 N. MAIN - COTULLA, TEXAS - 830-879-2331 MEMBER FDIC
rancher who has nothing better to do with his time than make routine chores even more difficult than they already are, the Wild Hog Olympics put a serious twist on the charmed life. This year’s contests will include five events that pit muscle and brawn against sheer bravado. The Round Bale Roll requires teams to push large haybales the length of the American Legion Arena. In the field, this is a job done by those whose tractors have broken down. The Shovel Race is a deeply moving experience for all those involved, particularly the team member seated on the scoop of a manure shovel that is pulled at speed through the arena. Muscle, balance and a very good pair of underpants are key elements. In the Tug of War, teams put their combined weight into dragging their opponents through the dirt, and it helps if one or more members of each team is a hearty eater. As a demonstration of raw pulling power, this is a challenge
often faced by those whose pickup trucks have bogged down in mud on their way home across the ranch after a dance on a Saturday night. The Wheelbarrow Race is one of the great crowd-pleasers of the weekend, as it recreates the job of any self-respecting cowboy whose buddy needs carting home at great speed. With little or no regard for traffic laws or the proper maintenance of wheelbarrows, contestants take turns propelling their teammates either safely to the finish line or face-down into the dirt, much to the delight of the crowd. Finally, the Three-Legged Obstacle Course is a true test of the cowboys’ ability to remain upright and dignified while strapped sideby-side to a teammate lunging with all haste towards the finish line. The new Wild Hog Olympics on Saturday afternoon may not be all that Greek and may be a far cry from the true 2012 Games (where almost none of the athletes show up in jeans and boots), but that’s the way we like it in South Texas.
Thursday, March 8, 2012, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Page 11
Bring your furry friends Pet Parade is a family favorite
By Marc Robertson t’s something all the kids look forward to, and it’s one of the first events to take place at the La Salle County Fair after the official opening ceremony in the Fair Association Barn on Thursday. It’s the Pet Parade, and it attracts all sorts of entries, some furry and some not so furry, all of them brought to the stage in the Fair Barn by their young handlers for display and a quick interview with the master of ceremonies. And if the animals can do any tricks, the Pet Parade is their opportunity to shine. Traditionally, pet parades feature puppies and kittens, but La Salle County’s version of the kids’
I
show has its own angle. Not only are most of the animals wearing costumes, some of them matching their owners, but several will be dressed in the theme of this year’s show, “Oil Rigs and Dancing pigs,” so an oil boom or Western-themed costume assortment is to be expected. Furthermore, La Salle’s show is not limited to felines and canines. Children have brought goats, tortoises, turtles, hamsters and gerbils, lizards and goldfish to the Pet Parade, all to the delight of the huge crowd of proud parents, friends and judges. Awards for a grand and reserve champion are made at the end of the show. All entries will be awarded ribbons for taking part.
Welcome
Wild Hog Cook-Off Dance
Archyʼs One-Stop 638 N. IH-35 in Cotulla Presents
MA$$ORE
to the la salle county fair & Wild hog cook-off! COMPLIMENTS OF
Ranch Equip. & Hardware, Inc. 302 N. Front St. - Cotulla, Texas 78014
830-879-2223 SUNDAY, MARCH 11
Doors open at 7 p.m., Dance 8-12 * Pre-sale tickets $15 available at R&C Drive Thru in Pearsall, Dilley Refreshment Barn & Archy’s One-Stop (Javier Garcia) in Cotulla 830-965-6518. For info call 830-267-1883.
Feeds
If we don’t have it, we’ll help you find it!
Indulge Yourself
Page 12, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 8, 2012
Vendors exhibit jewelry, arts & crafts
By Marc Robertson here’s always something special to be found at the La Salle County Fair, and it’s likely to be something surprising. If you’re looking for that special gift, perhaps a memento of your visit to La Salle County or a souvenir of the fair, maybe even a toy for a grandchild, a locally authored novel, a cookbook of local delicacies or a gadget that you know you can’t live without, or if you’ve fallen in
T
love with some South Texas art, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the Fair Barn on Saturday. Booth spaces are booked every year in the barn by vendors offering a wide range of specialty items, almost all of them handmade, ranging from fine jewelry to paintings, trinkets to metalwork. Wood carvers, oil painters, home decorators, clothing designers, writers and lovers of the great outdoors will have goods on display that appeal to all ages.
Fashions, jewelry, homemade goods, gift ideas and unique souvenirs from Wild Hog Weekend can be found at the Exhibition Barn
Welcome, Hunters! Welcome, Hunters! lcome, Hunters! HAVE FUN AT THE LA SALLE COUNTY FAIR & WILD HOG COOK-OFF! Welcome, Hunters! lcome, Hunters! OPEN OPEN OPEN ‘TILL ‘TILL 1:00 1:00 ‘TILL A.M. A.M. 1:00
¢ 99¢
Super Super Value Value Super Menu Menu 879-3343
99¢
35
Pick upYour your Pick-Up • ColdCold Drinks • Snacks • Ice• Ice • Cold Drinks • Snacks • IceDrinks • Snacks • Beer • •Gasoline Tickets • Beer • Gasoline •Beer Lotto Tickets 879-3343 Pick-Up Your Gasoline• Lotto • Lotto Tickets
Pick-Up Your A.M.
830-879-3343
Value • Cold Drinks • Snacks • Ice IH-35 in Cotulla and FMand 468FM in•468 Cotulla Menu Beer • Gasoline • Lotto Tickets 879-3343
Thursday, March 8, 2012, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Page 13
L
a Salle County has a wild few days of festivities lying ahead in March, but if it weren’t for a few clever individuals bringing swine to the southern regions of the New World many years ago, Cotulla wouldn’t have a hog with which to celebrate. According to the Texas Department of Parks & Wildlife in a recent report, wild hogs as we know them today are, for the most part, the descendants of animals that were deliberately released into the wild during the 20th Century. Some, however, might trace the wild hog in Texas back a lot further, crediting early explorers with having introduced the European animals to the American landscape. Feral hogs belong to the family Suidae, the same family as the domestic pig. There are approximately 23 normally recognized subspecies of wild hogs in the world, Parks & Wildlife says, and those found in Texas have a mixed heritage. Feral hogs include pigs from various sources, according to state officials, such as domestic hogs gone wild, European boars and crosses between the two. The history of feral hogs in Texas must be traced back to the original domestic breeds first brought to the state. Hogs are an Old World species, state wildlife officials have confirmed, and are not indigenous to the New World. In other words, America’s wild hogs came from Europe and Asia. The predecessors to the modern swine family date back to times before the Ice Age which, although it was extremely hard on them, did not wipe them
out. Hogs managed to survive between the major glaciations. Their adaptability is still evident today in the modern-world pigs that currently inhabit Texas. Because of the extreme cold and ice, hogs were able to cross the Bering land bridge between what is today Russia and Alaska, the only possible entrance to the New World prior to separation. Research indicates that domestication of pigs began between 7000 and 3000 BC with the coming of Neolithic man to Europe. Indeed, studies have shown that hogs were an important part of early civilization. Many who have studied wild hogs in North America over the course of several decades believe that the first wild hogs in Texas are likely to have come from early attempts to colonize the coast, particularly by Rene Robert, the Sieur de La Salle. While some of the swine that escaped during those early colonization days may have survived for a time in South Texas, researchers believe it is unlikely that any of their descendants’ bloodlines are to be found in Texas’ wild hogs today. According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, the vast majority of wild hogs found in Texas are the direct descendants of pigs that have been deliberately released into the wild on a regular basis since the 1950s. The reason? Hogs make good hunting, and hunting makes good economic sense for rural communities. Today, Texas is approximately 97 percent privately owned, according to state records, and hunting leases provide a major economic incentive. Until 1992, domestic hogs or wild-trapped hogs could
Selling Ranches in South Texas We salute our friends in La Salle County and wish them a successful Wild Hog Cook-Off and Fair this weekend!
Dan W. Kinsel III Ranch Broker
C-
Cotulla, Texas Office 830-378-5856 •Cell 830-317-0115 www.dankinselranches.com
Superior Gravel Ranch Call Chris at 512-439-9472 for Road Material
All About the Oink
be purchased locally through livestock auctions or from individuals and then released into the wild for hunting. That year, however, the Texas Animal Health Commission enacted new regulations concerning the movement of wildtrapped swine in an effort to prevent the possible spread of disease. It is obvious, both from their number and adaptability, that wild hogs are an integral
part of Texas wildlife, according to Parks & Wildlife officials, and they are now second in number to the ubiquitous white-tailed deer. They are considered extremely wary and secretive, very adaptive to conditions and, wildlife officials say, they are in Texas to stay. *Information for this article was obtained from the Texas Department of Parks & Wildlife.
HUNTING RANCH SPOTLIGHT! 1938 HIGH FENCED ACRES PERFECTLY LOCATED WEST OF FRIO TOWN IN FRIO AND ZAVALA COUNTIES. Just off SH 117 and very private, isolated by large ranches on a title insured access easement. No cattle or commercial hunting for over 4 years. Good terrain changes with some great views. Heavily brushed rolling hills with very fertile bottom land for food plots. Good road system and new water well being drilled right now to supplement existing well. This is a good place with no excess improvements. $1950 per acre.
Tobin Brauchle Sales Associate
210-508-0965
Johnnie Rosenauer Broker
210-275-8828
Page 14, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 8 2012
Hold on Tight Wild Hog Weekend ends with thrills and spills in the Ranch Rodeo
By Marc Robertson he annual Ranch Rodeo at the American Legion Arena on the county fairgrounds Sunday afternoon, March 11, closes the weekend’s festivities with a number of competitions that have become crowd favorites over the years. Before the actual ranch rodeo itself begins, however, spectators will see the Wild Hog Futurity, a pig race in which winners are awarded
T
cash prizes. The pigs, which will have been auctioned the previous day, are gathered in pens at one end of the arena and sent scurrying along a fenced course, at the end of which they are recaptured. Several heats include pigs of vastly different sizes before a final race with the four fastest pigs takes place. Since some of the pigs are smaller than others and some quicker, crowds will enjoy cheer-
Cotulla Fish Hatchery & RV Park
1531 S. Main - Cotulla, Texas
Office 830-879-2593 * Cell 830-879-5200 www.cotullafishhatchery.com LEE PETERS, OWNER/BROKER
All types of fish available for stocking.
La Salle We support the County Fair k-Off ! & Wild Hog Coo
ing for their favorites in the race, even if some of the runners decide to stop and turn around halfway along the course. Organizers of the event are collecting hogs for the race this week; donors will meet in the fairgrounds on the evening before the race in order that the pigs may be eartagged for the contest. The hogs chosen by a selection committee for the race will be auctioned after the junior livestock and food auction Saturday afternoon. The Wild Hog Futurity is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, immediately before the ranch rodeo. The rodeo itself will feature professional riders from South Texas ranches, cattle companies and feed yards. The teams compete by invitation only and include five riders each. Cash prizes and buckles are awarded to the winners each year. The first event of the rodeo will be the Wild Hog Sacking, a riotous contest in which team members catch a hog in a pen, stuff it into a feed sack and hand it to a horseman, who must ride as fast as possible to the other end of the arena without losing the wriggling animal. The Steer Roping & Tying event is a more traditional cowboy challenge and requires riders to rope a steer and lay it on its side. The animal’s legs are cross-tied before a flagman signals the end of the contest to a timekeeper. Steer Roping & Branding is a
similar event that tests the teams’ skills as they effectively re-enact the duties of the cowboy on the open range. Riders must head and heel a steer and lay it on its side in order that a teammate may “brand” the animal with an iron. Wild Cow Milking provides a humorous twist on the cowboy’s duties, calling for team members to rope a wild cow, milk her until there
is sufficient milk in a bottle to show judges, then run to the end of the arena on foot. The Wild Hog Roping event is one of the biggest attractions of the ranch rodeo, as it requires riders to rope a hog from horseback, cross-tie its legs and place the animal onto an animal hide, which is then towed out of the arena (See RODEO, Page 15)
(Photos this page and next) Steer roping, wild hog roping and wild cow roping and milking rank among the highlights at the Ranch Rodeo
^RODEO - Continued from Page 14 while a contestant holds it down. While no hogs have been injured in the event in the past, the contest is filled with thrills and spills as the ropers, truck driver and handlers chase down a hog that has been released from a cattle trailer, attempt to rope it and then wrestle with the animal, which must be towed through the arena gate before the timekeeper’s flag is lowered. The Wild Pig Scramble, which takes place halfway through the rodeo, is the highpoint of the after-
noon for hundreds of youngsters, all of them age ten and under, who gather in the arena and wait for a cattle trailer to disgorge more than a dozen baby pigs. As the crowd cheers the youngsters, pigs will run in every direction and the children will try to catch them. Those who succeed will be able to take their baby pigs home, although most will release them back into the wild. There is no advance registration required for the scramble; children must be within the appropriate age range and should be able
Thursday, March 8, 2012, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Page 15 to climb into the arena to chase the pigs. A limited number of parents will be allowed to accompany the very youngest participants but only as chaperones during the scramble and to help winners carry their
ments. Seating in the grandstands on either side of the arena will be crowded and is not shaded from the sun. Commercial vendors will have booths offering food and drink at the fairgrounds on Sunday.
pigs out of the arena. Parking for the ranch rodeo will be in the fairground parking area; spectators are allowed to bring their own refreshments, folding chairs, umbrellas and refresh-
ND E G E L S 946! A X E T A SINCE 1
e l a S d l i W g o H Felt Hats
A FUN PLACE TO BE THIS WEEKEND!
Men’s Western Shirts
15% OFF $10 OFF 20% OFF
Ariat Boots & Anderson Bean Children’s Boots
TRY COTULLA!
UNCLE MOE'S COUNTRY KITCHEN
Open Tuesday thru Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Closed Mondays
418 S. MAIN - COTULLA, TEXAS
830-879-9981
Owned and operated by Ruiz Family
$10 OFF $20 OFF 20% OFF Mens’ and Ladies’ Western Boots
Children’s Shirts
Red Wing Boots
Come to the Wild Hog Cook-Off & Fair! While in town, come in and enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner with us.
Children’s Justin & Smokey Mountain Boots
Style #2231
Men’s Wrangler 20X
Jeans
$34.00
159.95 Check out our various styles of steel-toed boots!
Cinch Green Label Jeans
35.00
Cinch Black Label Jeans
39.95
Cinch White Label Jeans
45.00
COTULLA - 830-879-3500
www.benswesternwear.com
Page 16, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 8, 2012
Welcome to the La Salle County FAIR & WILD HOG COOK-OFF!
MIKE’S
Drive-Thru and Country Liquor In Downtown Cotulla
FIRST STOP AT THE LAST CHANCE FOR
Bagged Ice, Kegs, Snacks, Chips, Cigarettes, Candy, Ice Chests, Ice Cream and Plenty of Cold Drinks!
CHECK OUT OUR SPECIALS ON COLD BEVERAGES TO GO! Mike’s Country Liquor delivery license for anywhere in La Salle County.
In s g Ke k! Stoc