Racers on the half shell

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Brooklyn Zunich, 9, puts her turtle, Spike, down for the fourth heat of the Great American Turtle Race. Zunich’s turtle took a third place finish in it’s heat.

They crept, crawled and sometimes just stood there thinking about it; but the half-shell racers were always slow and steady during every round of the 15th Annual Great American Turtle Race Saturday morning at the Curry County Fairgrounds.

And, race results showed, slow and steady always wins the race.

Each person competing in the event was allowed to race one recently-captured Southwest box turtle.

A long line of contestants formed near the Kevin Roberts Arena shortly before the event; carrying their turtles in cardboard boxes, tubs, buckets and pet carriers.

“(We) just try to keep them fed and watered,” said D’Auna Lockmiller of Clovis.

Lockmiller said she fed her turtles — which she said she captured on a farm near Ranchvale — grass, carrots and lettuce.

She brought two turtles — one for each of her daughters to race. She said her daughters, Aspyn Furrow, 8, and Cassidy Furrow, 14, have not had much luck in the turtle race. Lockmiller said they have never won and Saturday was their third year competing.

Jana Bonney’s turtles don’t follow a vegetarian regimen, and seem to fair much better.

Bonney, of Clovis, was at the event with her sons, one-year-old Kash Bonney and 9-year-old Noah Bonney.

“We actually feed (the turtles) earthworms,” Jana Bonney said. “They love them.”

She said Noah won first place one year. Another year, he won the event’s slow poke round — meaning his turtle was the slowest finalist.

No aquatic turtles were allowed in the event, according to Priscilla Chavez, a Plateau employee and volunteer during the event.

“Sometimes, (the turtles) are green, and their feet are webbed,” Chavez said. “We don’t allow those to race.”

It’s all about the Southwest box turtle, Chavez said. Native to West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and northern Mexico, these critters are more yellow in color.

All turtles were released back into the wild after the event.

Just before the race, volunteers such as Chavez gave each turtle’s shell a quick wipe-down and a sticker with a number.

Then, in groups of eight, the turtles were placed in the middle of a circle drawn in the Kevin Roberts Arena. A tub was placed around the turtles and, after the words, “on your mark, get set, go!” the tub was lifted.

The first four turtles to make it beyond the boundaries of the circle were considered the winners, and got to compete in subsequent rounds.

Following a bracket-like system of competition, four winners were declared along with quarter-finalists and a semi-finalists.

A slow poke round honored the last of four turtles to make it outside the circle. The slow poke winner was awarded $100.

Quarter-finalists were awarded $25 each; semi-finalists, $50 each.

First place received $300; second place, $200; third place, $125 and fourth place, $75.

Winners of the 15th Annual Great American Turtle Race were:

• First place, Cade Jones, age 11

• Second place, John Anchondo, age 8

• Third place Jace Boney, age 8

• Fourth place, Emma Lindsey, age 3

• Winner of the slow poke round: Rebecca Byrd.