Yuma Youth With Autism Shines at County Fair Pig Auction

Amid the final hours of the 74th Annual Yuma County Fair at the Yuma County Fairgrounds, a young Yuma resident with autism walked into the show ring Sunday with the pig he had raised, completing a months-long commitment that culminated in both a judging placement and a sale at the junior livestock auction.

The achievement unfolded on the closing weekend of the fair, which ran March 31 through April 5 at the fairgrounds on Avenue A. Junior livestock shows ran daily beginning at 8 a.m., with the large livestock auction, covering hogs, steers, lambs, and market goats, starting at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The youth, a member of Yuma County's 4-H program, had spent months feeding, training, and conditioning his animal to meet the standards of both the judges and the auction block.

For 4-H participants, the livestock project is rarely a single-day event. Members take on full responsibility for their animal's care from selection through fair week, learning veterinary basics, nutrition management, and the physical demands of daily handling. For a young person with autism, the structured routine of livestock care can provide both predictability and a concrete, measurable goal.

The Yuma County Fair Junior Livestock Committee, which coordinates the auction and connects youth exhibitors with community buyers, organizes the event each spring as one of the fair's signature programs. Buyers bid on animals entered by 4-H and FFA members, with proceeds returning directly to the youth exhibitors.

The 74th fair ran under the theme "America the Beautiful: Celebrating 250 Years," and this year's cover for the official Premium Book was designed by students from Richard Fontanes' class at Cibola High School, including Fernando Camacho, Alberto Fraijo, Alexia Meza, and Yulieth Yanez.

Those interested in bidding on or sponsoring future junior livestock participants can contact the Yuma County Fair Junior Livestock Committee through yumafair.com, where online auction registration and exhibitor information are posted each year ahead of the April fair.