One Fine Acre - 2023 4H Steer Project Update

So exciting. Congrats.

I may have missed it, but did you show Fortunato? How did he do?

Goat Whisperer said:

So exciting. Congrats.

I may have missed it, but did you show Fortunato? How did he do?

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Thanks
He finished 3rd, 4th and 3rd in 1-2 year old class out of a class of 12
Funny thing same buck finished 1st in first two rings
Beautiful buck
Neither judge measured him
3rd ring the judge put the measuring stick on him and he was at least an inch over height
In a class of yearlings

An inch? wow! Sounds like he is gonna be a big (or tall) boy.

Last year at Shelby a buck almost wasn't able to be shown. The judge said he was over height. They moved him onto a platform and he was still in the standard, by 1/32 of an inch. Got a chuckle out of that. The breeder was happy

Goat Whisperer said:

An inch? wow! Sounds like he is gonna be a big (or tall) boy.

Last year at Shelby a buck almost wasn't able to be shown. The judge said he was over height. They moved him onto a platform and he was still in the standard, by 1/32 of an inch. Got a chuckle out of that. The breeder was happy

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Cookie got DQ"d for height at Mt State Fair
Judge took her on concrete and kept pulling her neck up
Said we had taught her to squat down under stick
Hey I can't help it if I have a smart goat
Got to keep those hooves trimmed really good

frustratedearthmother said:

Awesome! Congrats on such a great outing. Having great goats is one thing, but it takes tons of work and prep to do well also! You have every right to be proud!

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You are so right. And also great goats that aren't managed properly, and cared for properly do not usually do as well. I take a great deal of pride in how in the fact that my goats are great in "general appearance"
And Thanks

You are so welcome! I remember those days and I know how hard it is. A lot of folks who haven't shown don't realize all the work and prep that it takes before you can walk into the ring with that "purty" goat and get a big ol' ribbon! At least in showing a Pygmy "general appearance" got the biggest allotment of points. If you didn't have that you didn't have much else to rely on!

Knowing how to show the goat - good showmanship can win ribbons. A scritch on the belly to lift a topline... the set of the rear legs to make that rump look a little straighter... turning the goats face just a tiny bit toward the judge if they didn't have the best dish in their face (purely a Pygmy thing). There weren't tons of pygmy judges back when I showed so it paid to know the judges and their preferences.

I knew that one judge valued a dished face more than almost anything on a buck - so instead of slicking the hair on the bucks forehead down for a smoother look - I'd fluff it out so it would accentuate the dished face. You can make a goat that looks a little bit 'hocky' look straighter with the clippers by knowing where and how much to trim.... just little things like that make the difference in a ribbon or the gate.

And, the fact that you got all those big rosettes shows that you not only have beautiful animals - you know how to fit them, prep them and show them!

Congrats OFA!!

Beautiful animals OFA! Congrats on the wins!

mikiz said:

Love the sign OFA! And looks like you're doing really well, congrats!

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The lady who made our sign got her initial goats from us a few years ago. She gave us the sign when we let her lease our buck Fortunato. I thought it was a good deal.
She is going to make us another sign for our front yard, and she is going to paint that logo as a mural on the side of our barn.
It worked out good for her though. My wife hired her to make the sign for the Farmers Market, and she has gotten some business making signs for a couple of the vendors. She is very talented.

That's gorgeous. She is very talented indeed!