Karen Gleason
Owners and trainers will have about a month to remove all animals from the Val Verde County Fairgrounds, county commissioners court members decided Tuesday.
On a 4-1 vote, the court approved a motion by County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton to remove all animals from the fairgrounds unless they are part of the county’s 4-H program or are brought in for a scheduled event like the annual George Paul Memorial Bullriding or a rodeo.
The court made the decision after about an hour of deliberation with County Attorney David Martinez behind closed doors in executive session.
When the court returned to open session and County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. reconvened the meeting, he began to announce an item dealing with insurance requirements at the fairgrounds, but Nettleton interrupted.
“Judge, I’d like to make a motion that all animals be removed from the fairgrounds except 4-H and those during an event, and after the event, those animals must be removed,” Nettleton said.
“Do I have a second?” Owens asked.
“I’ll second that for discussion,” County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores said.
“Will you clarify what animals you’re talking about?” Flores asked.
“Any livestock at all at the fairgrounds, any horses, cows, whatever’s up there, will only be allowed during an event, with the exception of 4-H or the event,” Nettleton replied.
“Do you keep your second?” Owens asked.
“Yes, I will,” Flores said.
“And let me amend that,” Nettleton added. “That a notice be sent out to everybody that they have 30 days.”
“The second accepts,” Flores said.
Owens then asked each commissioner for a vote on the motion.
Only County Commissioner Pct. 1 Martin Wardlaw voted against the motion.
The court did not discuss the motion further, but it was clear from the tone of Tuesday’s meeting that the move to remove animals from the fairgrounds was, at least in part, continued fallout from a video posted on social media last week that showed the owner of a horse savagely beating the animal as it lay prone and struggling in the dust outside a stall at the fairgrounds.
The video sparked widespread outrage, and the man depicted in the video has been arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty. The horse has been confiscated by the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office.
Owens said after the meeting there are currently 64 persons leasing stall spaces at the fairgrounds.
Contacted after the meeting, Nettleton said the video posted on social media was only the latest in a series of chronic problems at the fairgrounds.
“It’s that, and the other fact that we have a lot of drinking out there and other issues that we can’t get under control, and the fact that it costs us a lot of money to do this. At the end of the day, it costs a lot of money to manage, and it’s continual issues, one right after the other after the other after the other,” the commissioner said.
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