This past weekend was my one that I will not quickly forget! We loaded up the car last Wednesday with our roof rack, luggage, crock pot, stanchion, goat tools and a bale of hay along with us and the five goats! To say we were packed to the gills is an understatement. I for one do not like to take the trailer to the farm show for several reasons. 1: Taking the trailer out of the mines and putting it back in is a hassle. 2: Hauling a trailer in the winter is a serious fear of mine in snow and ice. 3: Loading and unloading at the PA Farm show can be a really big deal because of the lack of trailer parking, so it is simply easier to pack everything into the Jeep and hit the road.
We arrived at the complex, unloaded, got the girls settled in. Both Rob and I remarked it was easier than previous years. The trickiest part was loading the girls into the car. Rob held them one collar at a time while I picked them up and put them in the car. Poor Stella is much heavier because she is pregnant, so it was all I could do to lift her up and get her in the car!
Thursday morning rolled around, and we got to the complex and I immediately started working. I had 5 goats that I needed to wash, blow dry and clip prior to my parents and sister arriving that evening. As I was coming back from washing my first goat I saw my husband talking to a woman, so I went over to them and found out it was a reporter doing a story about Nigerian Dwarf goats! We spoke for sometime and even had an article written about us. Check it out here!
It took me several hours to wash, dry and fit each of the girls to get them ready for their close up. I was on the second to last goat when my family showed up. They came to both cheer me on and help support me as additional show hands. I could not have done it without them!
Show day was upon us, Friday. I was nervous and excited. We arrived at the complex as the Alpine show started, so we did chores, took the blankets off of the girls and headed up to the ring to monitor the show and watch the beautiful goats. Quickly, it was time to start the Nigerian Show, I started going back to our pens to gather my goats to have them ringside. My mom, dad, sister and wonderful husband were all waiting in the wings to receive goats. That is exactly what they did, I brought the goats two by two up to the ring until they were all there. I am so thankful that there were there to help me show!
The first class started and I was nervous as all get out, which is normal for me. The Jr. Kid class was large about 17 goats were in the class and I was shocked Trudy won the class! We left the ring and took Maggie into the next class, where she placed 2nd in her class. Then I took Godiva in for the dry yearling class and she also won her class! I was flabbergasted!!!
Caleigh took Trudy in for the grand and reserve line up, I took Godiva and Rob took Maggie in. I was so proud to have the 1st place dry yearling, and 1st place Jr kid along with the 2nd place intermediate kid. Of all six goats out in the line up for Jr Grand and Reserve, three were mine! To top it off I only brought 5 goats!!! Trudy, ended up winning Grand Champion Jr Nigerian and I could not have been prouder, she is a second generation home bred Udderly Wicked Goat!
Next, we moved on to the Sr division, where Stella won the 2-3 year old milker class and Zoey won the 3-5 year old class. As we entered into the grand and reserve line up I had tears in my eyes. I am so proud of my little herd! Every one of the five goats I brought made it into the grand and reserve line up. This was bittersweet as I was not able to fit my other dry yearling into the car that I wanted to bring. We came out of the line up with Zoey winning Grand Champion Sr. Nigerian and also went on to win Best of Breed. From there we moved to the group classes where we got 1st and 2nd place Dam and Daughter, 3rd in best doe bred by exhibitor with Trudy as a Jr Kid! Finally, we finished it off with first place get of sire group with Maggie, Trudy and Godiva! This was the first year where I got to represent my breed in the best in show line up at the PA farm show! I was so excited, and even though we did not win, the beautiful Lamancha did, I was proud to be able to stand next to those other gorgeous does and represent our breed on the big scale!
This event was a wonderful reprieve from the winter doldrums. We truly enjoy talking to others and meeting fellow agriculture enthusiasts. I am so happy we were able to participate in this tradition this year! I hope you all are doing well, stay warm with this blast of artic air we are getting and Happy Goating!!!