Raul B. Tellez - It`s Personal - Part 2

place, so he was snapping pictures of
across the border.
“They took Raul out to eat that everything. The brothers got a satchel
night, and we went, too. They asked out of their Jeep and started countif we had any more bulls. I had four ing money on the hood. When the
at the Tucumcari (NM) Bull Test. We reporter asked what was going on,
settled on a price, and all
shook hands. Raul said,
‘No, we’ve got to have a
contract,’ so he got a napkin
and wrote a contract on it,
four bulls for X amount of
money. They got out their
cash and pooled it on the
table, figured out how much
they had, and that was
written in as the down payment. Then we all signed
the napkin.”
Dwayne laughed and
added, “They said, ‘Now
you have to buy our supper
because you have all our (L-R) Raul and his NMDA award. Raul receiving his award in Durango.
money.’”
When the Disneys accompanied I said they’re paying for the bulls.”
“On the hood of a Jeep?” Yes. “Can I
that second set of bulls, Raul and
his assistant had several people with have a picture of that?” No. Laughing,
them. Said Dwayne, “One was a free- Dwayne said, “It was one of those fun
lance reporter from up north some- things.”
The Disneys enjoyed the Mexican
cattlemen, and attended their cattlemen’s conventions every chance they
got. “We always enjoyed those conventions. If you ever have the opportunity to attend one,
you need to go,” he added.
The conventions are in
May and October. Wesley
Grau said: “We made a lot
of trips to Sonora and Chihuahua, and we’d go to
the state fairs because the
cattlemen’s associations all
met at the same time as the
state fairs. We could go at
those times and see every
cattleman raising stock in
both states. All the cattlemen are members of the
associations; in fact, they
really can’t market cattle
very well unless they’re a
member of the association.”
Charles Dickerson, auctioneer based
in Las Cruces, said: “Raul and I traveled together for 29 years. In Mexico,
Raul is strictly business. In all those
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43
years I saw him drink maybe two breeder and American Hereford As- met me at the airport and allowed me
beers, and that was after all the busi- sociation president, said: “When we to speak to their association. It was an
went as a group he looked after us. honor, and I spoke to them in Spanish.”
ness was done.”
Later, Raul laid the groundwork for
Dickerson’s auctioneer business in- He was always thinking ahead to
cludes everything agricultural. He has try to make things work, and he had Harvey to help breeders establish a
a machinery auction annually, which good judgment. If something didn’t Mexican Hereford Association. “I was
many Mexican farmers and ranchers look right he’d say, ‘I wouldn’t do that,’ honored to do it,” he said, and added:
“Later, after disattend. Raul carpersion of Harries a set of cards
vey
Herefords,
containing probI was asked to
ably 800 names,
judge their show.
phone numbers
My Spanish is not
and other inforperfect, but I enmation, but Dickjoyed doing it.”
erson said, “Raul
doesn’t
need
Like many
that. It’s all in his
others, Harvey
head.”
mentions Raul’s
Regarding the (l-r) Mexican President Vincente Fox Quesada.NMDA informational booth at Sorora Cattlemen’s.
dedication to getcomment that it’s
ting New Mexico
not “what” you know but “who” you and besides all that, he’s a good agricultural products and those who
know in order to be successful, Dick- friend.”
need them together. “I’m not a salesRaul, of course, is fluent in both Eng- man,” he reminded. “I’m a facilitator.”
erson maintains: “That’s not right. It’s
‘who’ knows ‘you.’ Until you establish lish and Spanish. Every New MexiIndeed! Harvey said Raul has faciliconfidence in each other, neither side can who traveled with Raul received tated sales of New Mexico “dairy cattle,
Spanish lessons, and they appreci- beef cattle, tractors, working chutes,
really trusts the other.”
Without question, Raul and his ated it. Wesley Grau said, “He helped semen tanks, cotton gins, whatever is
friends on both sides of the border me learn Spanish. My Spanish is not needed.” That list also includes honey
share a special rapport and trust. He very good, but I know a lot of words.” from Miami, N.M.
Phil Harvey really paid attention
told of an NCBA meeting where he
Steve Irisik, Jr., a Southwest Kansas
made sure his Mexican friends were and got very good at Spanish. He Cattleman and farmer, recalled how
treated as the special guests they were. proudly recalled a trip to Durango, he first met Raul: “We were trying to
The word “friend” comes up often in Mexico during his term as American sell flour into Mexico out of our mill
conversations about Raul. Phil Har- Hereford Association president. “The in Rincon, NM. He was helping, but,
vey Jr., former New Mexico Hereford Union Ganadera (cattlemen’s union) made it clear that we had better treat
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the Mexican’s right -- he did not go
for any underhanded shady dealings.
This was great, now we were all on
the same page. I have been to Mexico
with Raul, he is connected and a man
of integrity. He was fun to go with because he was so well thought of. If we
had more Raul’s the world would be a
better place.”
Raul’s helpfulness even, sometimes,
included non-agricultural products.
Sharron Stuart, president of a Las Cruces bank, said she had seen gorgeous
pottery made by a lady in a village
in Mexico. “It was such fine pottery,
painted with human hair.” She mentioned it to Raul, and told him she
would really like to purchase some
of that wonderful pottery to give to
the bank’s directors at Christmas. On
his next trip, Raul told the artist. “She
brought them here to the bank, and
we wrapped them. It was all done on
a handshake.” After a pause she added, “I don’t think anyone could fill his
shoes now that he’s retired. It might
take a delegation.”
Raul’s excellent work has been noticed and appreciated by many. The
honors and awards he earlier received
as an FFA officer were only the beginning. The Las Cruces Jaycees presented the 1972 Jaycees Distinguished
Service Award to him in recognition of
his outstanding and dedicated service
to his community.
The Durango, Mexico cattlemen
honored him with their San Juan del
Rio Durango Friend Award, which
was a Pancho Villa statue. In 2005
the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) presented to Raul their James A. Graham
Award for outstanding service to agriculture.
Also, in 2005 he was recognized as
NMDA’s Exemplary Employee of the
Year. Dr. I. Miley Gonzalez, director/secretary, wrote: “You are an outstanding
employee in every respect and we appreciate your professionalism as you
promote the New Mexico Department
of Agriculture.”
In 2007, Raul received NMDA’s second Distinguished Service Award.
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45
He appreciated the recognition, of closed their border to the U.S.
Meanwhile, the Mexican governcourse, but his comment was: “I
come to work, not to get awards.” ment seems to be losing the battle
His work didn’t change all that with the drug cartels. Even ever-posmuch when the North
American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA) was
implemented in 1994.
Sales of breeding beef
cattle going to Mexico
were mostly unchanged,
because the so-called advantages already were
in place. Actually, the
drought in Mexico had a
greater effect. Since then,
New Mexico and the
American Southwest are
suffering from drought as
well. It seems Mother Nature often trumps political
(l-r) Raul and Gloria Tellez and Avelino and Carmen Tellez.
agreements.
Still, politics rear their ugly heads itive Raul Tellez shook his head and
now and then. When a cow in far said, “We haven’t been to Mexico in a
away Washington state was diag- long time.” Still, Raul will be happy to
nosed with BSE (mad cow disease) help his hundreds (not an exaggerain 2003, the U.S. closed the border to tion) of friends any way he can. His
Canada. So the Mexican government home phone number is 575-527-2855,
46
T ER R ITOR I A L M AGA ZINE
and his cell number is 575-644-3419.
Born and raised south of Las Cruces, NM, Raul’s father, Avelino O. Tellez
and mother, Carmen Bustamante
Tellez had 15 children.
Thirteen reached adulthood, and Raul is number
five. His great-grandfather
came to the Mesilla Valley
before New Mexico was a
state. Including his grandchildren – and one greatgrandchild -- that’s eight
generations.
Raul’s wife, Gloria grew
up near Anthony, NM, a
mile north of the Texas
state line. Her father, Jesus M. Acosta arrived in
the valley much later than
the Tellezes. He and his
five brothers fled Mexico
riding burros in the early 1920s, escaping the Pancho Villa revolution.
Avelino Tellez’s goal was a high
school education for all his 13 children. He got a bonus: The eldest, Ray,
earned a business degree from Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M.
Avelino not only knew his children’s
ages and birthdates, he even knew the
day of the week each child was born;
along with weather conditions that
day (or night).
Large families, especially among
those who live and work on the land,
are most always close-knit. Raul and
Gloria epitomize that concept. Their
counterparts in Mexico have the same
value systems, which probably explains the comfortable relationship the
two groups enjoy. They give the idea
of “family” a whole added dimension.
Most every successful person can
name mentors (“guiding lights”) in their
lives. Raul has four: his grandfather,
Leon Tellez; his father, Avelino Tellez;
Hugh Whitfield, owner of Whitfield
Trucking, and Dr. William Stephens,
NMDA director who hired him in 1984.
Lastly, the mutually beneficial trade
between Mexico and the United States
has been happening for hundreds of
years. In rancher/cowboy parlance it’s
called “neighboring.”