New York State Dairy Goat Breeders Association

I wasn't going to go to their annual show because there are lots of really big name breeders that go, how could our little farm compete with the "big boys" that have years of experience and heavy culling. It was also on a weekend that Andrew couldn't go because he had stuff going on at the school and I wasn't too confident at showing all by myself, it's a lot of work for only 1 person. I was sharing these thoughts with a fellow goat friend who assured me I was being ridiculous, she would help me as we own different breeds and at the very least I should come and hang out with everyone for the day. I thought it would be silly to go without goats so I took Catarina, Ella and Amelia. Cat was in one of the biggest classes of the day, 2 year old Alpine milkers, and landed towards the bottom of her class in both rings. Amelia & Ella are twins, they are dry does (meaning they aren't milking yet) and in the first ring they didn't do so good, they were two of the younger does in the class which means the older ones were bigger and more mature, which is what that judge was looking for.

For those that are unfamiliar with goat shows...this was one big show but there were 2 different rings with a different judge in each one, so really it's like 2 shows in one. Each breed only competes against their own breed and their own age category. If a goat wins their age category then at the end they come back into the ring to compete against all age category's in the junior (under 2 and non-milking) or seniors (milking) divisions. The judge then picks his/her preference for Grand Champion out of all the 1st place age category's. The second place in that age category that just got Grand Champion comes in to fill that empty place in the line up and the judge then picks the Reserve Grand Champion. Back to the Syracuse show....

In the second ring Amelia won her age division and Ella came in second. That meant that when they were picking Grand Champion Amelia got to be in the line up of all the 1st place goats in each age group in the Junior division. AND THE JUDGE PICKED HER!!!!! That meant that Ella had to come into the ring as the second place goat to Amelia in their age category. AND THE JUDGE PICKED HER. In ring 2 we won Junior Grand Champion and Junior Reserve Grand Champion!!! I was so happy that I had come and so grateful to my friend Patty that helped me show. Her goats did great that day too and she took home a Grand Champion Ribbon in the Senior Nubian Division. I was so excited that I forgot to clean out my stall at the end of the day! Luckily a boy was offering to clean stalls to earn money for a boy scout trip and did it for me and I gave his mother the money for doing it at the next show of the season.

Amelia with her GRAND CHAMPION ribbon at the show

Amelia at home posing

Ella at home after taking RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION