Saying goodbye difficult for market goat exhibitors

  • by Jennifer Kneuss
  • September 21, 2012
  • 394
                        
Summary: Goats of all breeds and sizes are delighting show spectators at the Tuscarawas County Fair. Known for their personable natures, the animals are also a favorite with guests touring the barns, as the goats often nibble on clothing and enjoy being petted. There all types of goats. Dairy goats, goats for grazing, goats for pets, goats for breeding. However, a certain type of goat is raised primarily for meat purposes, such as those shown during the Junior Fair Goat Show at the Tuscarawas County Fair. 4-H members purchase the goats, primarily of the Boer breed, in the spring and work with them throughout the summer to condition them and help them grow. By fair time, the goats must weigh a minimum of 65 pounds in order to be shown and then sold at the small animal sale on Saturday. These meat goats, along with dairy and pygmy goats, were exhibited on Friday, September 21 at the Junior Fair Goat Show. The show, which began at 9 AM, continued into midday. Makayla Miller of New Philadelphia, daughter of John and Marcia Miller, is taking a market goat project for the first year. “His name is Charlie,” said Miller. “It’s going to be hard to sell him on Saturday.” Miller’s younger siblings are wins Megan and Morgan, 6, and Makenzie, 9, and they, too, became attached to Charlie. “Meg and Morgan took turns walking him all the time. One would be walking him as the exhibitor, and the other one would pretend to be the judge. Makenzie did, too. In the beginning he was pretty frisky, and they couldn’t handle him as well. But once I trained him, he was fine. I used a dog choker and walked him around the barn tons of times,” explained the young exhibitor. “I walked him a lot with the goat halter.” Miller, who noted that she walked Charlie every day after school, said she would ‘definitely’ do the project again. “My little sisters would be excited to hurry home so they could see Charlie.” Next year, Miller is thinking about expanding her horizons and perhaps taking the market utility goat project, which involves training a goat to carry a pack and navigate an obstacle course. The goat for that project is kept from year to year. She also is considering taking a pygmy goat project, as they are also kept as a pet. Regardless, the 4-Her admits that there were both highs and lows with the market goat project. “The best part was picking out my goat. There were so many choices, and they were all so cute. The worst is knowing he’s going to the market at the end of the fair.” Miller won second place in beginner showmanship. First in the class was Lauren Rennicker. Taking first in the seniors was Taylor Darrah, intermediate was Lyrissa Porter, and Junior Micah Busby. Supreme dairy goat showman was Kristina Carr. Grand and reserve champion for dairy goats was Jordan Miller, and grand champion market goat was won by Jay Miller with Micah Busby taking reserve. Kody Kretzinger took champion sr. pygmy doe, with reserve awarded to Jade Jones. Kretzinger also won grand and reserve champion pygmy goat.


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