Livestock shows are not only a big part of the Lea County Fair, but they also an alternative aspect of education.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF LEA COUNTY)
LOVINGTON, N.M. – Area schools will kick off their year soon, but a good number of students have been continuing their education the past couple of months.
It’s a summer school, of sorts, but the homework is more about caring for others while learning. Dozens of children have spent weeks preparing to show animals at the Lea County Fair and Rodeo, set for Friday, July 31-Aug. 8, at the Lea County Fairgrounds in Lovington.
“We are seeing our numbers are up this year,” said Amber Groves, one of several members of the Lea County Fair Board who also showed during the expo when they were younger. “This offers a lot of great lessons for our youth, because it’s a lot of hard work.
“These kids get up every day and go out and feed their animals and work with them. They spend their entire summers working very, very hard to get that reward at the fair. Whenever they get rewarded and they go into that sale ring and somebody buys their animals, that just gets them money for next year to keep continuing it. It teaches responsibility, which is why it’s so rewarding.”
While their bodies are growing physically, the labor of love also helps develop their minds.
“It teaches you how to deal with people and gives you the tools to help you as an adult,” she said.
When she was in 4-H, Groves showed lambs and goats. Those are the highest number of species of animals shown in Lovington, but she said there are more young people showing steers this year than in 2025.
Dustin Gaskins showed virtually everything at the Lea County Fair when he was involved in 4-H and FFA. His passion for animal agriculture led him to New Mexico State University. He now teaches agriculture at Eunice High School in a program he helped develop.
Initially, though, his passion was guiding him toward being a veterinarian. He opted for education instead, and even though the Eunice High graduate didn’t have an FFA program, he had the forethought to establish one there once he began teaching. Like Groves and other fair board members, he wants to help strengthen agriculture. Having youth involved in school and the fair is a good way to make that happen. He’s seeing it in Eunice.
“This year we have a large number of kids showing animals from all different backgrounds,” Gaskins said. “We have some who live on farms and ranches. We have some who live in town. We’re able to reach a large, diverse group of people through this program and getting started with it. I’m really excited to see this year what we’ve grown. We’re going to continue to grow.”
Lea County is a diverse community of about 75,000 people, and the fair brings them together every summer. With that, it opens the doors for attendees to gain a better understanding of the area’s history.
“We do bring agriculture to people who may not know anything about it,” Gaskins said. “We have things in the Yucca Building, where they do leatherwork, baking and photography. For them to just be able to come, and it’s one spot where you get to see all the different things done by not only the youth of Lea County, but also the adults.
“You get to see the diversity that is within Lea County itself.”