Young Eagle Pass 4-H Club Hog Exhibitor Braxton Blanchard Wins Class Division Championship at San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2021
Young Eagle Pass 4-H Club Hog Exhibitor Braxton Blanchard, age 11, and his hog named “Chorizo” won a Class Division Championship at the recently held 2021 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo in San Antonio, Texas, qualifying for the overall Hog Championship and Sale.
Braxton is a sixth grade student at Nellie Mae Glass Elementary in Eagle Pass, Texas and has been showing hogs at the Maverick County Junior Livestock Show since he was a two-year old toddler.
Braxton is the son of Logan and Jessica Blanchard of Eagle Pass, Texas and the brother of Hayden and River Blanchard.
Braxton learned to raise and exhibit hogs from his grandfather, Luis Torres, and two uncles, Joe and Robert Torres. Since a young age, Braxton took a liking to raising and showing hogs at the Maverick County Junior Livestock Show. In 2021, he took a giant leap of faith and decided to participate for the first time in the highly competitive San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.
All his hard work and dedication, including waking up early every morning to feed and exercise his hog named “Chorizo,” paid off handsomely at the 2021 San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo by winning his Class Division Championship. Not too shabby for being his first year at the prestigious San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. His previous top showing had been a third place at the Maverick County Junior Livestock Show.
Braxton was thrilled and excited to have won his Hog Class Division Championship and competing for the overall Hog Championship at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Although “Chorizo” and him did not win the overall hog championship, Braxton was ecstatic to have made the final sale at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo with his prized-hog, Chorizo.
Braxton plans to save part of his earnings at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo Sale for his future studies in college and reinvest part of the earnings to purchase new hogs to show in future shows during 2021.
Maverick County Junior Livestock Show Association President Tim Hardt stated many Eagle Pass and Maverick County youths participated this year at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo and gained valuable values and experiences that will make them future community leaders. Hardt added that the Maverick County Junior Livestock Show Association is very proud of Braxton Blanchard and all the local 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America members of Eagle Pass High School and C. C. Winn High School for participating in raising show animals and enhancing their personal educational experiences.
