Not yet ready for prime time with your horse? Here's a great option for NM horse and rider pairs who could use some competition experience in a low-stress environment:

Horse Play Days!

As reported in the Valencia News Bulletin this past weekend, long-time horse trainer J.T. Edmonds has organized a series of "Horse Play Days" at the Valencia County Rodeo Grounds in Belen, New Mexico. These events are designed to give New Mexico kids and their horses an opportunity to compete in a setting that is

• Low Cost
• Low Stress
• Full of opportunities for practice, praise, and yes, ribbons, too!

The competitions are geared to skill levels rather than age, so your sixteen-year-old novice rider won't have to compete with the kids who've been doing competitve barrel racing since the age of five! The events are especially good for green horses, green riders, or both. The Horse Play Days focus on barrel racing, flags, and pole-bending. The competitions are open to all, and the cost is low: just $5 per event to compete, and only $3 per event for an exhibition ride.

The Horse Play Days will be held on the following Sundays beginning at 1:00:

April 20th, May 25th, June 8th, and July 6th.

There will also be a Friday evening competition on August 22nd at 7:00 p.m. For more information, contact J.T. Edmonds at 864-8035. For information about horse properties, or just the New Mexico Horse scene in general, visit my website, or contact me any time by email at Laura@LauraWarden.com or call my cell phone at (505)869-7223.

Average home sales prices in Valencia County, NM, appreciated quite a bit in 2007 over 2006. Statistics from the Albuquerque Metropolitan Board of Realtors indicate that average sales prices in Valencia County were up nearly $10,000 for single-family, detached homes, compared to the figures from the previous year.

As the chart indicates, the average sales price for 2007 was $184,803 in 2007, vs. $175,068 for 2006. The average listing price for these properties was $190,485, compared to an average list price of $178,499 in 2006.

These are not bad figures at all for home sellers in such Valencia County towns as Bosque Farms, Peralta, Los Lunas, and Belen! These rural homes and small town properties are continuing to have excellent appreciation! The figures also indicate that sellers are not having to negotiate down very much from their list prices, either. In fact, the average home sold for 97% of asking price!

A little less positive note is struck by the figures for days on the market, and number of actual homes sold, though. The average days on the market for homes closed in 2006 was 64, but in 2007 that figure went up to an average of 70 days on the market. Similarly, 2006 saw 834 closings of single-family residential properties in the area, but there were only 630 such sales in 2007. So there are fewer buyers out there, and it is taking longer to sell a home. It is increasingly important that sellers

• Make sure the home is "staged to sell."
• Get an accurate market analysis and price the property in line with its market value
• Choose an experienced, agressive agent who can, and will market the property effectively.

All four of Valencia County's municipalities will be holding local elections in March.

The Valencia County News Bulletin reports that candidates for all offices must file declarations of candidacy on January 8th, with elections held on March 4th. Voters wishing to use absentee ballots for the election must complete absentee ballot applications and file them with the city clerk prior to 5 p.m. on February 29th. Completed absentee ballots will be accepted until 7 p.m. on March 4th. ANyone needing to register to vote must do wo with the county clerk by February 5th at 5 o'clock p.m.

Bosque Farms will be electing a mayor, two councilors, and a municipal judge. Current Judge Richard Wilke has announced that he will not seek re-election, but Mayor Wayne Ake and frist-term councilors Dolly Wallace and Robert Knowlton will all run for re-election. All Bosque Farms voters can cast their ballots at the Bosque Farms Rodeo Arena.

In Peralta, also, seats for the mayor, a municipal judge, and two councilors will also need to be filled. Current Judge Louis Burkhard has stated his intention to run, as has Councilor Nancy Burge.

In Los Lunas, NM, voters will be selecting councilors for District 1 and District 3. The existing District 3 Councilor, Cecilia Castillo, has announced her intention to seek re-election, as has District 3 Councilor Gerald Saiz.

Belen, New Mexico voters will also need to select two councilors. Current Councilor Rudy Jaramillo has stated that he has not yet decided whether he will run for a third term, while Councilor Jeff Trembly plans to seek re-election.

Valencia County will soon be home to a brand-new elementary school, and the Los Lunas School Board recently voted unanimously to name the school "Sundance Elementary School."

According to this weekend's issue of the Valencia County News Bulletin, the name beat out other choices in a recent poll that was conducted both online and within the community.

Groundbreaking for Sundance Elementary School is scheduled for Wednesday, January 9th.

In other action at the same meeting, the Los Lunas School Board accepted a new district logo, featuring a picture of a hill similar to Los Lunas Hill, with the sun behind it. Below the graphic is the new distrcit slogan, "Every student, every year, at or above grade level."