Summary: The goat show kicked off on Wednesday, August 10 at the Holmes County Fair.
Story: At the Holmes County Fair, spectators in the large arena had to keep a careful eye on their possessions while they watched the goat show, but not because they were among a rough crowd. No, the culprits they had to keep their eyes on were being led around the arena, stood on four legs and even bleated occasionally. It was the goats who would nibble off a shoelace or snag a dollar from a purse for an afternoon treat when backs were turned.
During the goat show on Wednesday, August 10, the participants in the arena had better luck than the spectators at controlling the goats. Contestants were judged in many categories, including dairy goat showmanship, supreme dairy market goat, milk production, best of udder, dam and daughter, pack goat, doe kid and yearling.
Theresa Burke, whose children are in 4H and who raises dairy goats to show and sell, explained what the judges look for in goats. You want a goat thats straight across the top line, slightly lower in the rump, straight legs so that when they track they track kind of in the same pattern, she said. Once they get udders, you want nice full udders rounded in the back, sloped up in the front.
But these physical qualifications are not the only category in which the participants are judged. Their skill at showing the goats, their ability to guide a stubborn goat and their adeptness at answering questions from anything from the names for goat body parts to their knowledge of goat care.
Theyre doing showmanship right now, said Burke. Right now the kids are showing the goats and shes judging the kids more than the animals and how they present the animals.
Wyatt Fortune, who showed his goat at the fair, said he practices setting his goat up and being able to walk her. He said he had fun, but that with more practice he could do better. I did pretty good, he said. I didnt do the best, but I could do better.
Many participants managed to handle their goats up to the judges showmanship standards. Cody Brown was the Senior Dairy Showmanship Grand Champion, Miranda Hostettler was the Intermediate Dairy Showmanship Grand Champion, Morgan Hoxworth was the Junior Dairy Showmanship Grand Champion, Alayna Griznak, Supreme Dairy Market Goat Showmanship Grand Champion.
As the participants led their goats around the arena, some proved to be very uncooperative, preferring to drag their feet or munch on the hay instead of following their owners directions and guidance. Burke explained that this is a typical behavior for most goats, a trait that makes showmanship especially challenging.
The Nubians are a little more stubborn, they like their way more than the other breeds but theyre very easy keepers, said Burke. As long as you feed them and water them theyre quite content wherever theyre at.
The goats might be content with water and feed, but they also enjoyed the occasional mouthful of t-shirt or tether during the fairs goat show. For a full list of the winners, go to http://www.holmescountyfair.com/.
