Deanna and Blake Martin decided it was time to load up their llamas and head out of town when the South Fork and Salt fires hit Ruidoso Village. The couple lives in the Alto area and had to evacuate with their two llamas, Caramel Latte and Macchiato. Leah Romero/Source NM
Hundreds of racehorses were transported out of the area Ruidoso Downs area and relocated across the state
ROSWELL – As smoke from the South Fork and Salt fires rose in the sky above Lincoln County, Deanna and Blake Martin decided it was time to load up their llamas and head out of town. The couple lives in the Alto area and had to evacuate with their two llamas, Caramel Latte and Macchiato.
An estimated 8,000 people in Ruidoso, Alto and Ruidoso Downs were evacuated last week because of the South Fork and Salt fires. When residents received the message to evacuate, they were told to leave their belongings and immediately head to a nearby evacuation location.
Many people loaded their pets in their vehicles and took off, but other animals and livestock ran away or were left behind.
The Martins and their animals, which include three cats as well, found themselves at the Eastern New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Roswell – one of the closest evacuation shelters that was taking in both people and animals.
“They actually spent time here at this facility during another fire evacuation,” Deanna Martin said.
The couple have lived in Alto for 24 years and evacuated two years ago during the McBride Fire. Martin said they decided to evacuate early in the evening June 17, the day the fires started, because of their animals.
“You can just tell this is not something to mess around with,” she said. “And we knew we had the livestock so we didn’t want to be slower with the trailer and back up everybody. People were wanting to fly out.”
The llamas were seemingly unbothered in their stalls Wednesday by both the evacuation commotion and the attention they received from curious eyes.
Hundreds of racehorses removed from Ruidoso Downs by owners, trainers and volunteers
The llamas were joined by a rotation of hundreds of quarter horses passing through Roswell while evacuating Ruidoso Downs.
According to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s letter requesting federal disaster assistance, about 1,500 racehorses needed to be evacuated from Ruidoso Downs. While not all of the horses were removed from the racetrack, hundreds were moved to facilities in neighboring towns and area farms.
Horses were even transported south to Sunland Park Racetrack and Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque. Other owners or trainers decided to take their animals home, whether that was in-state or out.
Leslie Robertson, office manager at the ENM State Fairgrounds, said the numbers of people and animals who passed through the grounds was fluid Monday and Tuesday. They were also taking in people with trailers or campers.
“We have a lot of people who are evacuating in and then going to a more permanent location,” she explained.
Trainer John Stinebaugh said he had 42 horses to move and was able to keep them all together in Artesia at the Eddy County Fairgrounds, south of Roswell. When asked about locations other horses were moved to, Stinebaugh said he was in contact with trainers who relocated their horses across New Mexico and neighboring states.
“Some of them went home,” he said. “I don’t think the same number of horses will fill back up that left.”
Justyn Vogel was one volunteer who donated her trailer and time to transport horses. She said she’s originally from Ruidoso and decided to drive down from Edgewood with her mother and farm manager to help when she saw people posting about horse evacuations. The group worked with Stinebaugh to move eight of his horses.
“It’s not just evacuating but finding places for all these horses,” Vogel said. There were many trailers and people trying to help and horses being evacuated, she said, with people all the way from Texas who came in to try and help move horses.
Ruidoso Downs racetrack canceled live horse racing June 22 and 23, but will commence racing June 28 to June 30 with the Mountain Top Futurity and the Rainbow Futurity Trials.
A recent news release from the racetrack noted that the current horse population on the grounds is about 1,000 or half the average.
“We gotta get the wheels back on the bus,” said Rick Baugh, racetrack general manager, in a video on the racetrack’s Facebook page. “It doesn’t just affect Ruidoso Downs. It’s for Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas and California.”
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