(Left) Alex Gonzalez from the Mupu 4-H club was reserve champion at the Ventura County Fair Barrow Show. (Back) Santa Paula high school senior Lesley Veloz is raising her 6th pig for the Ventura County Fair. (Right) 18 year old Francisco Robles placed 3rd in his weight group at the Barrow Show.

Alex Gonzales takes Reserve
Champion in Fair Barrow Show

August 14, 2015
Santa Paula News

By Carole Butler

Alex Gonzalez from the Mupu 4-H club was reserve champion at the Ventura County Fair Barrow Show and was awarded a rosette ribbon and a belt buckle.  This is 11 year old Alex’s first year to raise a pig for the fair. He is the son of Alex and Lisa Gonzalez and a student at a Mupu School. Alex always enjoyed the animals at his grandfather’s farm up north. He thought raising a pig would be a good idea so he signed up for 4-H. He likes walking his 259 pound pig Amigo because Amigo likes to come when called. The bad part of the project has been shoveling out his pen every day. He has learned about the cuts of meat on a pig, and has been glad to have something to work on over the summer. He has made new friends, Danny Hernandez and Joey Moreno. Steven Carillo, Anissa Chacon and Mark Cortez have helped him a lot with his pig. His mom and dad have been helpful with the care of his pig and have enjoyed the project too. Alex has 3 dogs at home that he helps take cares for.

Santa Paula high school senior Lesley Veloz is raising her 6th pig for the Ventura County Fair. She is the daughter of Sandy and Raduel Veloz. She placed 2nd in her weight group in the Barrow Show. Her favorite part of the fair is competing against the other exhibitors. Everything went great for her this year, and her pig weighted in at 265 pounds. Lesley has been the designer for the Mupu pig project shirts for the last 4 years. Looking ahead to the future, Lesley plans to have her children raise fair pigs. She thinks it is a great way to learn responsibility.

18 year old Francisco Robles placed 3rd in his weight group at the Barrow Show. He is a Saint Bonaventure graduate and the son of Susana and Lazaro Robles. This is his second year to raise a pig. He loves coming to the fair and being with everyone. He enjoys the competition. This year his pig had trouble making weight, but with lots of hard work and enticing treats his pig weighed in at 223 pounds, 8 pounds over the minimum.

Competition continues with the Market Class and Showmanship classes. Auction is on Friday and all 30 members of the Mupu 4-H Club are excited to see how much their animals sell for. One Mupu pig was underweight and will have to be sold privately.  Underweight animals are not included in the auction.

Mupu 4-H will start meetings on Sept. 14th 6:30 pm at the church next door to Taco Bell. To raise an animal for the fair members must be 9 to 18 years old on Jan. 1, 2016





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