George M “Corky” Fernandez was raised on the family ranch in the Sweetwater Valley west of Colmor, NM.
He attended Springer Schools where he participated in FFA all 4 years of High School, learning Parliamentary
Procedures, serving as Class President, Student Council, FFA Chapter President as well as local, county, and
state 4-H officers. In the late 50’s, he began showing market beef & market lambs, where he won Reserve
Champion Angus steer at the New Mexico State Fair. He also participated in Livestock & Meat Judging teams,
winning the State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest as well as a trip to the National Western 4-H Judging Contest
in Denver, CO.
After graduation, he attended New Mexico State University & continued competing in Livestock Judging &
Showmanship Competitions, where their judging teams won 3 out of the 4 National Judging Contests including National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado, Houston Livestock Show, as well as Gold Spike in Ogden, Utah. During his college career he worked for the Foreign Ag. Service in Angola (Africa), fitting & prepearing Hereford & Santa Gertrudis Bulls for public auction to producers to improve their Beef Industry.
While attending NMSU, he pursued a Masters Degree in Animal Science where did research in Paraguay
(South America).
Following graduation for NMSU, he went to work in the Chavez County Cooperative Extension Service office
as Assistant County Agent. He coached the Livestock Judging Team, & won numerous Breed Association Field
Days & District Contests. In 1975, he went to work for Security National Bank as the Ag. Representative &
became involved with Eastern New Mexico State Fair Board for 10 years. He served as Chairman of the Sale
Committee foe 3 years in Chavez County. In 1982, he moved to Las Vegas, New Mexico, to run the Bank of
Northern New Mexico. At that time, he became involved with the San Miguel County Fair Board. In the 90’s,
he became a Realtor & operated Fernandez Realty-High Country Realty. During that time, he & his wife,
Cathy, moved back to the family ranch to take our the operation.
Throughout his career, he has always been involved with 4-H & FFA activities as a way to give back for the
doors that were opened for him through 4-H & FFA programs. Corky currently serves on the Colfax County
Fair Board primarily with the Jr. Livestock Sale & Bar-B-Q Committees, as well as planning & funding for the
Laird Pavillion & Sweetwater Kitchen facility to improve the fairgrounds.
Write up provided by George M “Corky” Fernandez’s family.
“I am truly honored to have been selected as one of the grand Marshals of the Colfax County Fair, especially
to have been selected with Corky Fernandez, a life-long friend.
I have been associated or been part of the Colfax County Fair since I was ten years old. A friend of mine in
Springer said his mother had called and he had to go home because they were having a 4-H meeting at his
home. He wanted me to go with him, but I said no. I didn’t want to go until he said they had refreshments,
so I said okay I’d go and I’ve been hooked ever since.
My parents, Jewell and Ollie Smith, had never been in 4-H or shown livestock or judged livestock, but they
were very supportive of everything I decided to do. My mother was the Champion Baker at the Colfax County Fair for a number of years.
I have enjoyed my years of 4-H, showing and judging livestock, being selected as the first State Vice President, our Colfax County Livestock judging team winning State my senior year, being selected to go to the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago, but most of all, all the friends I’ve made over the entire state and still
enjoy to this day.
While I was in Veterinary School at CSU, I got tired of studying all the time and went to the Extension Office
to see if they might have a livestock club that I could work with. They did and it turned out great. {There
was} a bunch of young kids and parents…they were able to learn a lot, have a lot of fun and one of the boys
showed the Reserve Grand Champion steer at the Colorado State Fair my senior year. We still keep in touch
with some of the kids and their families.
I’m very luck to have had four great kids, Rand, Fara, Camrey and Chase, that all showed steers, heifers,
lambs, and horses. Fara and Camrey both had Reserve Grand Champion steers at the NM State Fair and
Chase had the champion Simmental steer at the NM State Fair also. My wife, Susie, has been a great partner
and inspiration to me in everything we’ve done. Three of my four step-daughters, Stacie, Sharla and Stephanie were in 4-H and showed steers and lambs. Stephanie had a Grand Champion Hereford steer at the NM
State Fair and was a state 4-H officer.
As you can see, in addition to fifty-one years as a Veterinarian and enjoying everyday with the people I
worked with and for in our practice area, the people of Colfax County have been so great to me and my family and we really appreciate all of you.” Write up provided by Dr. Truman Smith, DVM
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