Since joining Future Farmers of America her sophomore year at Mesa Vista High School, El Rito’s Samantha Terrazas has done things she’d never done before.
“I never thought I’d end up doing what I do now,” she said. “I wish I had started earlier.”
As a member of Future Farmers Terrazas, who graduated from Mesa Vista this year, was required to raise an animal for show. She decided to raise a goat.
Her first goat, a billy, took third place at the Rio Arriba County Fair in meat goat competition last year. This year, she’s raising a doe. As yet unnamed, the brown-and-white Boer goat looks a lot like last year’s entry, which was named Johnny Black.
“There was no black on him,” Terrazas said.
Raising a goat was new to Terrazas, so she sought advice.
“I asked some of my schoolmates what I had to do to get it ready for show,’ she said. “You constantly have to be with them so they get used to you.”
That’s important so the goat will learn to follow being led on a leash.
“At first, they don’t really want to cooperate with you and will pull back,” she said. “After working with them you find a way to get them to follow.”
Terrazas feeds her goat in the morning and in the afternoon. There are steps in the goat’s pen for it to climb up and down to help develop its muscles. Taking on the task of caring for an animal has taught Terrazas responsibility and patience.
“It’s really rewarding,” she said. “It teaches you the things you need to live your life. It’s up to you to do what you need to do to get where you want to go.”
That’s exactly the lessons her parents, Gina and Tito Terrazas, wanted her to learn.
“I always wanted her to join (Future Farmers),” Gina Terrazas said. “It was an opportunity for her to learn life long lessons.”
It also allowed for family bonding.
“It was a lot of work, a lot of fun,” Tito Terrazas said. “A lot of time spent together.”
Barrel Racing Too
Raising goats wasn’t the only activity Terrazas has learned. Since joining Future Farmers, she has taken up barrel racing.
“I went to the house of the Principal (Lillian Griego) at my school,” Terrazas said. “She showed me the pattern for barrels. I told her I would like to compete in it.”
Barrel racing involves riding a horse through the arena around three barrels — one on the right at about the halfway mark, another opposite barrel on the left and another at the far end from the start. The fastest time wins.
It’s as much about the horse as it is about the rider. Terrazas rides an Appaloosa horse named “Splash.”
“She has a lot of speed,” Terrazas said. “It’s pretty much up to the horse to know how to drop the shoulder around the barrel and to kick it in at the end.”
The rider has to control the horse, stay tight to the barrel and gallop hard to the finish line, Terrazas said. She competed in her first rodeo June 22-23 at the “Showdown in Old Abiquiú at the Rio Arriba County Events Center just down the road from El Rito. She turned in a very respectable time of 18.43 seconds.
‘I’m actually pretty good at it (barrel racing),” Terrazas said. “It was my first competition with riders who are veterans and I was right there with them.”
Terrazas has another horse, Scarlett, an Arabian, that she rides for pleasure.
“She’s a smoother ride,” Terrazas said.
Terrazas’ rodeo competition is just beginning. She’ll be attending New Mexico State University this fall with a scholarship from Future Farmers and will compete in rodeo at the college level. She will study criminal justice with a minor in forensic science. She’s looking at a career in law enforcement and participated in the Española Police Cadet program, where she rode along with officers. She’ll participate on a similar program at New Mexico State in Las Cruces.
“I’d like to be a detective,” she said. “Stay close to home and give back to the community.”
Future Farmers
While a member of Future Farmers, Terrazas served as reporter her first year and as sentinel the second. As reporter, it was her job to take photographs and put together a scrapbook for the state convention.
“It was fun making the pages and putting it all together,” she said.
As sentinel, she had to keep order in her chapter of Future Farmers.
“It taught me a lot about leadership,” Terrazas said. “How to deal with situations.”
El Rito is a rural community. Cattle graze in a field across the road from Terrazas’ home, which is right next door to the El Rito Ranger District office of Carson National Forest. This summer Terrazas is working with the Youth Consevation Corps of the United States Forest Service, doing jobs like fixing trails and mending fences. She said she enjoys growing up in a small town surrounded by mountains.
“It’s like a big family,” she said. “Going out into the mountains with my dad. Going for wood, fishing, hunting.”
Although Las Cruces is a long way from El Rito, Future Farmers has its state convention there, so she’ll see familiar faces and already knows the area. Future Farmers has played a big role in her life.
“It gets you interested in a lot of things,” she said. “It opens a lot of doors.”