g o H d l i W s It’ ! d n e Week
Welcome to the 2013 La Salle County Fair, Wild Hog Cook-Off, Junior Livestock Show & Ranch Rodeo
A Special Publication of the Frio-Nueces Current, Thursday, March 7, 2013
2 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
Schedule of Events
THURSDAY, MARCH 7 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. Pet Parade 5:30 p.m. ivestock Show Entries to Stalls 5-7 p.m. ivestock Weighing & Sifting 5-7 p.m. Grounds Closed to Vehicles 9 p.m. Grounds Closed Midnight FRIDAY, MARCH 8 Cook-Off Teams Check-In 8 a.m.-5 p.m. ood Contest Check-In 8-10 a.m. ivestock Show Judging (Broilers, Goats) 10 a.m. ood Show Entries Display & Pictures 1 p.m. ivestock Show Judging (Swine, Cattle) 2 p.m. Grounds Closed to Vehicles 9 p.m. Grounds Closed Midnight SATURDAY, MARCH 9 Wild Hog Cook-Off Set Up 5 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 Cooks’ Choice Judging 11 a.m. Wild Hog Cook-Off Judging Noon Wild Hog Cook-Off Showmanship & T-Shirt Judging Noon ivestock Show Awards 1:30 p.m. ivestock Show Auction 2 p.m. Wild Hog Olympics 2 p.m. ood Show Auction After Stockshow Auction Wild Hog Cook-Off Awards Approx. 5:30 p.m. Wild Hog Futurity Auction Approx. 6 p.m. Grounds Closed to Vehicles 9 p.m. Dance at Legion Hall 9 p.m. Grounds Closed 1:30 a.m. SUNDAY, MARCH 10 Cowboy Church 1 p.m. Wild Hog Futurity 1:30 p.m. Ranch Rodeo / Pig Scramble 2 p.m.
Welcome Friends!
To The La Salle County Fair & Wild-Hog Cook-Off!
Movie Plex
- It’s Fair Time -
Welcome back, y’all! By Marc Robertson h e annual La Salle County Fair, Junior Livestock Show, Wild Hog CookOff & Ranch Rodeo begins this week and welcomes visitors from far and wide, many of whom return each year for family and school reunions, and some of whom once called South Texas home and are glad to savor the smells of good old-fashioned outdoor cooking, listen to the sounds of live entertainers on the American Legion and Fair Barn stages. This year, the theme for the fair is “Black Gold & Swine,” acknowledging the great impact that the oil exploration of the Eagle Ford
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Wild Hog Cook-Off
Special Edition
4th grade student Brandyn Ramirez, grand champion poster artist for the 2013 county fair
Shale has had upon the community’s economy. Many booths, exhibits, cooking sites and parade entries will be decorated in the theme. So, welcome to our part of the world, relax and enjoy the biggest show around!
Welcome to Historic Cotulla!
A Publication of the
Frio-Nueces Current Thursday, March 7, 2013 Rocky Alcala General Manager Marc Robertson Editor Lonnie Herrera Advertising Design Michelle Frausto Advertising Sales Marc Robertson Timothy Robertson Photography
Cotulla Mainstreet Program 105 N. Front Street
830-879-4166 or 830-879-5126 (cell) cotullamainstreet1@yahoo.com
4 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
- Annual County Fair Dedication -
Salute to the honorees T
he La Salle County Fair Association announced earlier this year that it is dedicating the 2013 event to Chris and Jackie Meyer of Cotulla, honoring the couple for community involvement and support of county, local and youth-related activities. The Meyers are part owners and operators of a local business, Ranch Equipment and Hardware Inc., and active members of the Cotulla Church
of Christ. The two have been active in the community as well as the county fair, according to the fair association in its announcement. Chris is a lifetime resident of La Salle County, graduated from Cotulla High School and returned to the area after college, where he married and raised his family of four children, Mindy, Brandy, Chris and Emily. He has served on several local boards as a director or
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
officer, including the Cotulla - La Salle County Chamber of Commerce, the Cotulla Little League, the Cotulla Athletic Booster Club, the La Salle County Farm Bureau, the Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District and the Southwest Texas Rain Enhancement Association. Chris has also served on the Cotulla ISD Site-Based Committee, the Cotulla Main Street Board, and the City of Cotulla Board of Adjustments. He is also active in youth programs in La Salle County, having served as an instructor for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunter Education and International Bow Hunter Education Program. He has also coached a number of Little League teams. Jackie Meyer has been actively involved on many of the same committees. She has served on the La Salle County Farm Bureau, Cotulla - La Salle County Chamber of Commerce, Cotulla Little League, Cotulla Athletic Booster Club, and Cotulla Main Street committees and has been active in the La Salle County 4-H Club as an assistant leader. “Many 4-H activities have found Jackie on our clean-up crew, where she’s become known for getting the dishes washed and the floors cleaned,” fair association representatives noted. “For those who have ever overseen youth activities, you know that clean-up is usually a big job. Despite the
The 2013 La Salle County Fair is dedicated to Chris and Jackie Meyer of Cotulla
size of the task, Jackie has never shied away from any project put before her.” Jackie has also directed many youth activities at the Cotulla Church of Christ, including bible studies, and served as a Sunday School teacher. “Jackie is very supportive of the youth in La Salle County, taking the time to help with bake sales, caroling, food drives and fundraisers,” the fair association reported. “Though their children are grown, you will still find the Meyers helping the youths in our community. “Both Chris and Jackie are members and supporters of the La Salle County Fair,” the association noted. “Chris is one of the Wild Hog Cook-Off competitors and Jackie has been the food show chairperson and helped many times behind the scenes. They support the youths in our livestock and food
shows, purchasing animals and food products each year. “Chris is the fair’s go-toguy for supplies for those emergency repairs we seem to have each year,” the association added in its announcement. “Jackie is always there for us, whether it is to lend a hand or just to give us that extra pep talk or special smile we all need when things become hectic.” The La Salle County Fair Association is extending its thanks to Chris and Jackie Meyer for their work in the community, adding that the Meyers are being appreciated for serving as “an inspiration to the community and for their support of our youth and community activities.” As per tradition, the fair honorees are recognized for their contributions to the event at the official grand opening ceremony.
Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
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- The Wild Hog Cook-Off -
Light a fire!
By Marc Robertson or 33 years, outdoor chefs and their friends have gathered in ever-increasing numbers at the fairgrounds in Cotulla for the annual Wild Hog Cook-Off, and many have won trophies in the past for the meats they have cooked for the judged event. Cooks and their entourage, often participating in the event as a team, will set up their campsites and their fire pits or
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barbecues early in the morning on Saturday, March 9. Most will have arrived on Thursday and Friday to put together all the components of their camp, and several will have spent the night under the stars or in tents in unpredictable weather. In all cases, contest teams provide their own firewood, cooking equipment and as much wild hog meat as they care to cook. At noon on Saturday, the
teams will put the finishing touches on their contest entries and present them to the judges in the Fair Association Barn. Each team has a number, and only the contest director knows which number belongs to which team. Consequently, the entries are anonymous. Cook-off teams are able to enter their trays of food in a number of different contest categories. The first is the barbecued wild hog meat plate, and all foods in that competition are cooked barbecue style. Approximately two pounds of wild hog meat are offered to judges for tasting. In the barbecue category, the teams’ trays will contain only meat. The exotic cooking category is open to all those who cook their wild hog meat in any way other than barbecuing it. Again,
(See FIRE, Page 6)
Cooking teams will set up their sites beginning before dawn on Saturday
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6 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
^Fire
(Continued from Page 5)
meat will be the only food offered on the tray to judges.
The cook-off also includes a presentation category, in which
teams submit trays of food that has been artistically arranged
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or cooked and is offered as a showpiece. Foods can be submitted 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, principally, how well the hog meat itself is presented. Teams often carry the theme of the annual event, this year “Black Gold and Swine,” into their artistic arrangements. This year, the cook-off also includes a t-shirt contest, and
teams may inquire at the fair association office for rules and entry guidelines. Finally, teams are also able to have their own cook-off areas judged, having decorated their reserved spaces with a theme or style related either to the team’s name or brand or to the theme of the cook-off itself. Trophies go to the winners of first, second and third places in each of the cook-off contests. Awards will be given at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Saturday in the livestock show barn. Winners will need to be present to collect their trophies.
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Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
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- The La Salle County Fair Queen Contest -
Ready to show community pride
By Marc Robertson his year, three candidates have filed applications for judging in the annual La Salle County Fair Queen contest, a pageant that was held Saturday evening, March 2 in the Betty Avant Cafetorium on the Cotulla High School campus across the street from the fairgrounds. On the same evening, a large group of local youths will have been judged in a similar contest, all of them vying for the title of Little Mister or Little Miss La Salle County. The winners will accompany the new La Salle Fair Queen on many of her public engagements. The job of the La Salle Queen is a varied and challenging one. Aside from traveling to as many county fairs, rodeos, festivals and
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Roberta Garcia
community events as she can manage in a year and riding in the parades through those
Gianna Rodriguez
Kendra Torres
communities on the Cotulla La Salle County Chamber of Commerce float (which she and
her parents will tow to each event), the queen serves as an ambassador for her community,
fair and Chamber, local events and the county’s many attributes. Far from being a beauty pageant, the contest brings forward a titleholder who exemplifies the essence of La Salle County and its cities, a student with good grades and a positive outlook on life, involvement in the county fair and other events, and able to discuss in detail the history of the wild hog hunting pastime in South Texas, the history of her community and, in today’s economy, give an overview of the burgeoning oil and gas industry that has begun affecting all aspects of Brush Country life. The La Salle County Fair Queen will present virtually all of the trophies and awards
(See QUEENS, Page 8)
WELCOME TO THE 2013 LA SALLE COUNTY FAIR & WILD HOG COOK-OFF!
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8 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
- The Duties of a Titleholder -
An ambassador’s year
By Marc Robertson hen she took the title of La Salle County Fair Queen in 2012, Raney Hanks may have been fully prepared for the task that lay ahead, although she could have known little about the rewards it would bring. The queen’s year as ambassador for the county and Chamber of Commerce began with the presentation of all the awards during Wild Hog Weekend, events at which she greeted friends and strangers alike, many of them her peers. The job certainly entailed more than posing for pictures, as the queen was required to exude friendliness and encouragement to all she met, to welcome newcomers to the winners’ enclosure and to help all those taking part in the fair feel at home and at ease. It was at the final event of the weekend, the Cotulla Ranch Rodeo, that Raney learned of the impact her position had upon the weekend’s festivities and the message of welcome that all fairgoers would take home with them. The rodeo began with a circuit of the American Legion Arena to wholehearted applause from the crowd, and she was accompanied by the Little Mr. and Little Miss, Eric Aldaco and Amira Adams, as well as by the runners-up in the queen’s and young ambassadors’ contest, and by a local teen cancer survivor. At the end of the rodeo, Raney met and congratulated the winning team members and found herself elevated not as a pageant winner but as an ambassador of the deep-seated traditions of the Brush Country way of life, a figure representing all that was true about the down-to-earth and wholesome ruggedness of the county fair. It was a lesson she took to heart and carried with her on a year’s worth of road trips across South Texas to other county fairs, parades and, most
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2012 La Salle County Fair Queen Raney Hanks
^Queens
significantly, in her charity work. During the year, Raney took part in eleven parades, accompanied by the Little Mr. and Little Miss. At each event, she helped promote the county fair, Chamber events and the hunting industry. In the spring of 2012, Raney took an active role in the Frio & La Salle County Unit of the American Cancer Society’s fundraising Relay For Life, which was held in Pearsall, and raised $2,500 herself to contribute towards the drive to help support cancer research. In the winter, she organized a special toy drive to help bring Christmas presents to the children of La Salle County, rallying support for her charitable cause from donors of all walks of life. Among her other public appearances, Raney handed out awards at the Chili Cook-Off, served as a volunteer at the DRH Sporting Clays event, and worked at the Hunters Extravaganza in Cotulla. She also taught a class at the Vacation Bible School for the First United Methodist Church and gave a presentation to local 4H Club members to discuss her duties as the county’s ambassador. Raney is extending thanks this week to all those who helped her accomplish her duties and reach her goals as an ambassador and as a public figure to help motivate others into supporting charities, to take a new interest in the many events across South Texas in the calendar year, to promote tourism and, ultimately, to demonstrate pride in her goals and in the colorful, rugged and lively heart of the South Texas Brush Country that she calls home.
(Continued from Page 7)
in the county fair and Wild Hog Cook-Off and rodeo, will make several public appearances throughout the weekend and will then embark on a year of ambassadorship in which she will be expected to help promote the county, the Chamber and all of the events they host, thereby boosting awareness and tourism to the region. In addition to her title and gifts, the queen will receive a scholarship towards the expenses of higher education. This year, the candidates for the title include Kendra Torres, Roberta Garcia and Gianna Rodriguez. Kendra Torres, 16, is the daughter of Rodrigo and Melissa Torres and is an 11th grader at Cotulla High School. Roberta Faith Garcia, 15, is the daughter of Myrta Garcia and the late Ernesto Garcia. She is a 10th grader at CHS.
Gianna Gabriela Rodriguez, 16, is the daughter of Roxanna Rodriguez, Pete Nunez and late JJ Rodriguez. She is an 11th grader at CHS. This year’s contestants for the titles of Little Mr. and Little Miss La Salle included Deric Zane Aldaco, son of Debra DeLeon; Emilie Marie Melodie Ann Vance, daughter of Patricia Fratus; Anadelia Garcia, daughter of Monika Flores; Alexandra Janey Santana, daughter of Melody Towbridge and Reynaldo Segura; Alessandra Garcia, daughter of Vanessa Garcia; Morena Selma Gonzalez, daughter of Lorena Perales; Jesirae Nicole Alvarado, daughter of Rikka Rios; Devyna Justell Munoz, daughter of Myrna Ruiz; and Bella Victoria Linares, daughter of Mark and Kim Linares. (Photos courtesy of Amanda Brown Snowden / Brilliant View)
Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
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10 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
- Behind the Scenes with the 4H Club -
Toil and sweat... By Marc Robertson hen they bring their livestock projects into the judging circle in the county fair barn on Friday, March 8, local 4H Club members Karina Sauceda and Tristen Martinez will be demonstrating everything they have learned and trained for in what is one of the most challenging events of their year. The junior livestock show represents the culmination of months of hard work, early mornings and late nights, trips to the vet and to the feed store, picky budgeting, endless exercise and vigilance, an in-depth education in animals, coaching to an almost militarygrade standard, and attention to the smallest of details. Both students, chosen at random from the ranks of the 4H and FFA this year for a glimpse of life behind the scenes in the junior livestock world, are raising cattle, goats, swine and poultry for this year’s show. The task they have assumed in the multitude of animals for which they are responsible is certainly unusual; many students raise only one or two animals each year for the show. Karina, an 8th grader at the Frank Newman Middle School in Cotulla, is showing animals at the county fair for the sixth year as a 4H Club member, is also in her second year as a member of the Junior FFA and, this year, earned first place in the District 4H Horse Judging Show. No stranger to livestock projects, Karina is raising a Maine Anjou steer, a Boer goat, a Hampshire pig and several pens of broilers, all of which she keeps in enclosures at her home in Cotulla. The broilers, to which she draws attention this week, were bought as chicks from Ideal Poultry in Cameron,
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“Anyone who does this is going to have to be ready to dedicate a lot of time...”
- Karina Sauceda
Texas, in mid-January. Karina made a home for her 25 chicks in a wire cage that included food and water dispensers, shelter and bedding of wood shavings. Over time, some of her chicks died. “It’s always hard to do this,” Karina says of the animal projects. “It’s hard to come out and find that one of the chicks isn’t doing well. It’s really difficult to deal with, after all the work I’ve done, but it’s something we all have to be ready for. They don’t all survive.” Each morning, Karina will visit the enclosure, wake up the chickens and “stir them up,” as she calls the early exercise. “I want them to move around, get plenty of exercise,” she says. “At the same time, I’m watching to make sure they’re eating and drinking, and I’m keeping an eye on their body development. “When I go into the show, the judge will be looking for chickens that have good breast development, all-over good clean appearance and no injuries,” she adds. “I have to make sure that these chickens develop good form and that they don’t hurt themselves, which can happen. “I chose to add chickens to my animals because I like the challenge,” Karina says. “They’re not easy to raise. I have to be here all the time. Anyone who does this is going to have to be ready to dedicate a lot of time to the project.” Karina is active in a number of other organizations, including the Junior Honor Society and the Student Council. “What I am hoping to get out of this is experience and hopefully money that I can put in the bank for college,” Karina says. “But along the way I am learning responsibility, perseverance and the meaning
Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
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- Behind the Scenes with the 4H Club -
...worth it in the end
of being dedicated to a task. “I would tell other students that this is a project that teaches me skills,” she says. “This is something that really gives us confidence. We have to walk out in front of a crowd and present our work, and I’m not nervous about that at all anymore.” To date, Karina has earned a number of awards for her livestock projects, including the grand and reserve championships for her chickens, the grand championship for her pig and two years’ worth of showmanship awards for her pig. “When I go out there,” she says, “I’m confident that I’m showing my very best.” Tristen Martinez is a 5th grader at Encinal Elementary School and is raising a Charolais steer, a Santa Gertrudis steer, a heifer, a Boer goat, a Duroc cross and a Yorkshire pig in addition to poultry. Tristen discusses her pigs, of which she presently has three in separate pens at home in Encinal. She bought them in Orange Grove last October and is now seeing them gain as much as two pounds a day in weight. “I am feeding them two scoops of feed per day, each,” she notes, “and I’m exercising them all the time. They need my attention a lot. “My day begins early,” Tristen says. “It starts with waking up all the animals and feeding them. Then I will need to brush and walk the pigs, one at a time, for at least five minutes each. We have a walking pen for that. This is all before I can leave for school each day.” Tristen says one of the greatest challenges facing anyone raising a pig for a county show is teaching behavior, as judges will expect the animals to heed their
“I’m going to be demonstrating everything I’ve learned, and my animals will be the proof”
- Tristen Martinez
owners, to walk alongside them and to remain calm. “We have to get them settled, to teach them to obey,” Tristen says. “I have to teach them to walk with me. This is very important. The pig has to know me. We have to do a lot of work on behavior.” When judges examine pigs, they will be looking for good muscle development and “not too much fat,” Tristen says, and that the animals walk well. “I don’t want them to gain too much weight, and I want them to be fit,” she says. “I have to limit their diet and keep up the exercise. “When I walk into the show with him, I hope he behaves,” she laughs. “The judge is going to be watching the way the pig walks, at his muscle development and at the width of his chest. I’m going to be demonstrating everything I’ve learned, and my animals will be the proof.” Tristen has been a 4H Club member for three years and has earned a number of championships at prospect shows in the past, including the Texas Junior Livestock Association. “I really do this because it’s fun,” she says. “It is something to do after school, and I can save up for college. I have friends in Encinal who also do this, and we enjoy it. It’s a lot better than sitting in front of the TV. “I tell other students that this is something that helps us raise money for college, that it’s fun and that we are learning to care for animals,” Tristen adds. “This is my responsibility, and I’m proud of it.” (Editor’s note: The FrioNueces Current expresses its gratitude to La Salle County AgrLife Extension Agent Larry Perez for helping to organize the above interviews and photo opportunities)
12 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
- The Pet Parade -
Bring out the little furry ones! By Marc Robertson mong the first public events to take place at the fairgrounds during Wild Hog Weekend will be the Pet Parade, set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7 in the Fair Association Exhibition Barn. Appearing in line at the event will be local youngsters with their animals large and small, ready to take the stage and demonstrate tricks, costumes and any other special features they’d like to share with the audience. The event is always sure to bring a chuckle to young and old alike. The lighthearted parade, which is open to all children in the community, is judged by a panel of invited guests and features a master of ceremonies who summons the youngsters onto the stage with their pets for an interview. Those whose pets are able to perform tricks are invited to demonstrate them; others are quizzed on their choice of pet or the animals’ costumes, which are often fanciful and creative. Animals that have been entered in the Pet Parade in the past have included dogs of all sizes and breeds, cats and kittens, miniature goats, hamsters and gerbils, lizards, spiders, assorted livestock and even a fish. Judging in the event is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.; all entries must be in the exhibition hall to register between 4:30 and 5:15 p.m.
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Youngsters enjoy bringing their animals to the stage in the Pet Parade
Exhibitors will be allowed one pet each and, if they choose to use costumes on the animals, they must use different costumes than in years past.
Judges will award trophies to the grand and reserve champions at the end of the show, and all participants will receive a ribbon.
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Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
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- Canned Goods, Desserts, Cookies & Breads in the Food Show -
Serve it up homestyle
By Marc Robertson n La Salle County, anyone who can cook or who wants to give it a try can enter one of the annual fair’s rewarding events with samples of some family favorite recipes, many of them handed down over the generations, others created for the occasion. Attracting more participants and viewers every year, the Food Show at the county fair has grown to include canned goods and now invites home cooking ranging from breads to desserts, with revenue from sales going to the fair association and to student participants. The Food Show is held in the Fair Association Barn and Exhibit Hall, beginning on Friday, March 8, when contestants submit their entries between 8 and 10 a.m. Judging of the foods begins at 10 a.m. and ends at noon, all behind closed doors and with
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foods labeled anonymously, after which winners’ ribbons are attached. The public is given admission to the Food Show shortly after judging ends; photographs of the champions in each division are taken at 1 p.m. Many of the foods which have been judged in the contest will be sold Friday afternoon for prices ranging between $5 and $25; the champion entries are withheld until Saturday, when they will be auctioned to the highest bidders in the livestock show barn at approximately 4 p.m. Revenues from the sales on Friday and from the auction on Saturday are divided between the students and the fair association in the case of younger participants’ entries and go entirely to the fair association in the adult contest divisions. At Saturday’s auction, foods
We salute our neighbors in Cotulla and wish them a successful 2013 La Salle County Fair and Wild Hog Cook-Off.
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2012 Elementary School Champion Carlos Alba
2012 Canned Goods Champion Dora Wolfe
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are sold for high prices as bidders understand a large portion of their contributions will support the students’ college expenses, according to organizers of the event. The fair association uses the
funds it earns at the auction and at other events throughout Wild Hog Weekend to pay for improvements to the fairgrounds, to facilities around the grounds and to help pay for organizing the annual event.
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14 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
- The Chamber of Commerce Wild Hog Cook-Off Parade -
Tall in the saddle
By Marc Robertson he annual Cotulla – La Salle County Chamber of Commerce Wild Hog CookOff Parade will set off through downtown Cotulla at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 9 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 the busiest day of the weekend, includes participants from several surrounding communities as well as student groups, local businesses, local government officers, non-profit groups, antique car and truck collectors, custom vehicle and hot rod drivers, armed forces veterans, horse riders and musicians. Spectators will also have their first view on Saturday morning of the new La Salle County Fair Queen and the Little Mr. and Little Miss La Salle as they take part in their first public event, riding the Chamber of Commerce float. The youths will have
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earned their titles the previous weekend. Judges will tour the parade entries shortly before the convoy begins its route and will announce the winners in several divisions as the parade proceeds past the reviewing stand in the middle of town. A number of floats and other marching or musical entries will have been decorated in the theme of this year’s festival: “Black Gold and Swine.”
Cotulla city council members greet crowds in the annual parade
Classic car clubs always have popular parade entries
Welcome to the 2013 La Salle County Fair & Wild Hog Cook-Off!
The La Salle County Fair Queen, runner-up and Little Mr. and Miss La Salle ride the Cotulla - La Salle County Chamber of Commerce float
STOCKMENS NATIONAL BANK 206 N. MAIN - COTULLA, TEXAS - 830-879-2331 MEMBER FDIC
Law enforcement, horse clubs and civic groups are represented in the parade through downtown Cotulla
Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
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- 2013 Parade Grand Marshal -
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his year, the Cotulla the challenges of dieting.” - La Salle County Rodriguez describes his Chamber of Comcomedy as high-energy and merce Wild Hog Cook-Off Paobservational with a Latino rade will feature a South Texas twist. personality as its marshal, with With more than a dozen San Antonio comedian Cleto years performing comedy, RoRodriguez driguez has heading the worked with motorcade. a number of Born and successful coraised in San medians and Antonio, Cleto stage performRodriguez is ers. He has living his “lifestrong San Anlong dream of tonio roots gobecoming an ing back to his elite stand-up grandfather, comedian.” He San Antonio performs nanative Cleto tionwide in for Rodriguez I, comedy clubs, who was one corporations, of Texas’ first colleges and Congressional churches, is Medal of Honthe feature reor winners. porter on News Rodriguez 4 WOAI’s also contribRadio, TV and comedy circuit personality morning segutes his time Cleto Rodriguez ment “Where’s and talents Cleto?” in San Antonio and to the community by helping also appears on the late morn- raise money for disadvantaged ing lifestyle show “San Antonio youths and the homeless. Living.” Among the performers for Rodriguez was chosen as whom Rodriguez has served the comedian for the 2008 as the opening act are Toby Promise Keepers events in Mac, Salvador, George Lopez, seven US cities. He believes Wanda Sykes, Wayne Brady, he connects with audiences Third Day, John Gray, Linda from all backgrounds by relatRonstadt, KC and the Suning his everyday life experishine Band, War, Carlos Menences, adding that “Everything cia, Bill Bellamy, Gary Owen, is fair game, from marriage to Village People, Starship, Dan-
A man for all seasons
iel Tosh, Tommy Chong, Paul Rodriguez, Dustin Diamond, Bob Smiley and Rolls Royce. He has also performed his show and addressed audiences at numerous large colleges and universities, churches across Texas and corporate functions. He has been booked to perform at festivals across
the American West, comedy clubs in all of Texas’ largest cities and in Las Vegas, Nevada, and at each of Texas’ largest military bases. He has also been on tour, appearing in shows such as the Ultimate Comedy Tour, the Laugh All Night Comedy Tour, the Promise Keepers Tour, the Laugh-
aluja Tour, Que Locos Comedy Tour, the Loco Comedy Jam Tour, the Cadillacs Of Comedy Tour, Canada’s Comedy Tour and the Texas Comedy Tour. Rodriguez will ride in the grand marshal’s vehicle for the parade through downtown Cotulla at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 9.
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
16 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
- The Cotulla Ranch Rodeo, Wild Pig Futurity & Scramble -
Hang on to your hats!
By Marc Robertson obody plays in the dirt like a South Texas cowboy. The 26th annual Ranch Rodeo at the American Legion Arena in the La Salle County
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Fairgrounds on Sunday afternoon, March 10, closes the weekend’s festivities with a number of competitions that have become crowd favorites over the years. Before the actual rodeo
itself begins, however, spectators will see the Wild Hog Futurity, a pig race in which winners are awarded 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. Since some of the pigs are smaller than others and some quicker, crowds will enjoy
cheering for their favorites in the race, even if some of the little runners decide to stop and turn around halfway down the course. Organizers of the event are
(See RODEO, Page 17)
Welcome, elcome, Hunters! Welcome, Hunters! HAVE FUN AT THE LA SALLE COUNTYHunters! FAIR & WILD HOG COOK-OFF! elcome, Hunters! Welcome, Hunters! OPEN ‘TILL 1:00 A.M.
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OPEN OPEN ‘TILL ‘TILL 1:00 A.M. 1:00
Super Super Pick upYour your Pick-Up Your Pick-Up A.M. Value • Cold Drinks •• Snacks Value ColdCold Drinks • Snacks • Ice• Ice • Ice Drinks • Snacks 830-879-3343 Super Menu 879-3343 • Beer •Your Tickets Menu 879-3343 • Beer • Gasoline • Lotto Tickets Pick-Up Beer •Gasoline Gasoline• Lotto • Lotto Tickets Value • Cold Drinks • Snacks • Ice and FMin468 in Cotulla -35IH-35 and FM 468 Cotulla Menu • Beer • Gasoline • Lotto Tickets
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Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
^Rodeo
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(Continued from Page 16)
collecting hogs for the race this week; donors will meet in the fairgrounds on the evening before the race in order that the pigs can be ear-tagged 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 Ranch Rodeo itself will feature professional riders from South Texas ranches, cattle companies and feedyards. The teams compete by invitation only and include five riders each. Cash and prizes are awarded to the winners. The first event of the day will be the Wild Hog Sacking, a riotous contest in which team members catch a hog in a pen, place it in a bag and hand it to a horseman who must ride as fast as possible to the opposite end of the arena without losing the wriggling animal. Again, the size and agility of the different pigs in the pen will determine the level of the challenge in the contest. 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. Teams with the most skill in quick roping and cross-tying will win the event, although cheers from the crowd and any number of unforeseen circumstances could change the odds. 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 are given the number of the steer (digits are painted on the animals’ flanks) and must head and heel the animal and lay it on its side in order that a teammate on foot may “brand” the steer with an iron. In the Wild Hog Roping & Tying contest, the teams capture wild hogs that have been released into the arena. They will chase their
Ranch Rodeo teams display expert skills along with more than a little humorous bravado in the arena
pig on horseback, dismount and rope the animal in any way they can, load it onto a tethered cowhide and then drag it out of the arena with a horse. The event, which can be extremely hazardous, includes a great many thrills and spills as team members struggle to hold down the wild hogs and keep them on the cowhide as they skid through the dirt out of the arena. The contest requires expert horsemanship and roping skills, considerable strength and well-rehearsed teamwork. The Wild Cow Milking contest is a little removed from the actual duties of the cowboy but nonetheless requires skill and dexterity in handling cattle. Teams will head and heel a cow in the traditional style and must then milk her into a bottle. A runner for the team will carry the bottle of milk across a finish line for the timekeeper, who will examine the bottle to determine whether it contains enough milk to qualify. Spectators at the Ranch Rodeo will also have a chance to compete in this year’s event as the an-
nual Wild Pig Scramble is opened to anyone under the age of ten. The children do not need to register ahead of time, just climb over the arena railings and wait in line for the whistle that signals the start of the contest. The youngsters will then chase the pigs all over the arena, darting in every direction and colliding with each other and with the ground in their frantic pursuit. Those who manage to catch the pigs and hold on to them will either receive prizes or be able to keep the pigs and take them home, depending on the judges’ decision on the day. Altogether, with its thrills and spills, happy crowds and enthusiastic riders, the Cotulla Ranch Rodeo always lives up to its reputation as one of the best arena events in South Texas.
A FUN PLACE TO BE THIS WEEKEND!
TRY COTULLA!
Come to the Wild Hog Cook-Off & Fair! While in town, come in and enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner with us.
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 The ever-popular Wild Pig Scramble is open to kids up to the age of ten; winners take home the pigs they catch
18 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
Have Fun at the Wild-Hog Cook-Off & Fair This Weekend in Cotulla! Helicopters, Inc.
- Vendors & Artists -
A touch of swag
e Sinc ! 1982
SPECIALIZING IN
Cattle Round-ups * Game Surveys * Game Captures Predator Control * Aerial Survey & Photography Pipeline & Powerline Patrol All Credit Cards Accepted
By Marc Robertson hroughout Wild Hog Weekend itself, fairgoers will crowd the exhibition hall to view artwork, jewelry, crafts and treats unique to South Texas, as vendors from across the region host booths with handcrafted goods and gift ideas. The barn will have been filled with booths offering a wide range of specialty items suitable for all budgets and running the gamut from oil paintings, handbags and clothing accessories to homemade peanut brittle, silver and beaded jewelry, woodwork, metalwork and home decor. The barn will be open throughout the day Saturday, March 9 and for most of Sunday, March 10. Many vendors will keep their booths open both days.
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Office 830-879-4820 Mobile 956-744-6533 Jay Smith Josh Krueger www.smithhelicopters.com
Thursday, March 7, 2013, Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition
Welcome to the La Salle County Fair & Wild Hog Cook-Off!
MIKE’S
Country Liquor In Downtown Cotulla
104 S. Main 830-879-2063
FIRST STOP AT THE LAST CHANCE FOR
Bagged Ice, Kegs, Snacks, Chips, Cigarettes, Candy, Ice Chests, Ice Cream and Plenty of Cold Drinks! Kegs In Stock!
CHECK OUT OUR SPECIALS ON COLD BEVERAGES TO GO! Mike’s Country Liquor delivery license for anywhere in La Salle County.
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20 Frio-Nueces Current Wild Hog Cook-Off Special Edition, Thursday, March 7, 2013
It’s Wild Hog Weekend!
MIKE’S
Drive-Thru
In Downtown Cotulla
FIRST STOP AT THE LAST CHANCE FOR
Bagged Ice, Kegs, Snacks, Chips, Cigarettes, Candy, Ice Chests, Ice Cream & Plenty of Cold Drinks!
CHECK OUT OUR SPECIALS ON COLD BEVERAGES TO GO!
In s g Ke k! c o t S
106 S. Main
830-879-4640