Gail Armstrong with Shaylee Vega Ritter.
Submitted photo
Socorro County’s Shaylee Vega-Ritter was awarded the New Mexico Cattle Growers’ Association Heritage Buckle. “Fair season is when our youth see all of their hard work pay off and we as adults see the future in action” said Loren Patterson, NMCGA President. “I for one am proud of all the kids and what they have accomplished.”
Shaylee Vega-Ritter in her essay stated: “I wish every kid could have the experiences I have had while out on the ranch. It is hard work and not always pretty. There have been times we have lost cows and the babies are alone, when a horse or cowboy gets hurt, when a mom and baby don’t make it through the birthing process, when we are out of water, or even when it rains too much…. For me, ranching is definitely not just a job, it is, and will continue to be, my way of life.” Her family has been ranching in Socorro County for over 30 years. Shaylee is her dad’s ranching buddy at the Kelly Canyon Ranch and Montosa Ranch in Magdalena, where he is the ranch manager. She fixes pipelines, checks water, puts out liquid feed, mends fences, brands cattle, vaccinates, and pulls calves.
To be eligible for the Heritage Buckle award, youth ages 9-15 were asked to provide a 200-500 word essay on how they would continue their family’s agriculture heritage to better their community.
