Goat Whisperer
Herd Master
I have been so busy lately and haven't been on BYH very much but wanted to share my excitement!
We headed up to the New River Valley Fair in Dublin, VA on Monday. It is a fair but the dairy goat show is ADGA sanctioned.
I didn't really plan to attend this show. We had talked about it but never sent in entries..... WELL... @Southern by choice was chatting with another dairy goat breeder and he said we should go to the show.
This was Tuesday of last week. Nobody is clipped. We needed to get health certificates since it is an out of state show. NC was also going through a very hot, heat wave. Several days the heat index was over 105 degrees! We had also been helping another farm get ready for their Linear Appraisal, and were already incredibly busy with "real life" LOL But we decided to go anyway
Got everyone clipped, hooves done, health certs. done and headed to VA, about 3 hours away.
The drive was beautiful
There were a bunch of Nigerians, there was even a farm that came up from FL with over 20 does! They were beautiful, they will actually have a goat in the 2017 ADGA spotlight sale. I believe they have several Old Mountain Farm goats at the show.
First up were the Nigerians. "Peanut" (Red Hot) was second place in both rings. These were the largest classes she's ever been shown in! She also went on to be Reserve Grand Champion in ring 2!
Poor girl was so tired when it was time to take pics and wouldn't corporate
The biggest reason on why we decided to participate in this show was to hopefully get Clover her leg.
She has been in the CH lineup five times already. I knew she could earn it. Her sister (CarolinaGirl) earned her leg at the last show we were at. Well, Clover went FIRST PLACE in her class, and went on to be GRAND CHAMPION and earned her leg! I am thrilled. I pulled her and didn't show her in the second ring, as they can only need one dry leg. I think it is silly to show a doe with a dry leg over and over again- it blocks other exhibitors and sometimes your own goats.
In the next ring, Ariat Boots was first place in her class! I was very excited, Boots get nervous and it seems that at every show I need someone else to handle her as I am showing my others does in the same class. With Clover pulled from this ring I was able to handle Boots and show her in her best light
She was giving the camera "the look"
Belle was in the top half of both rings, the judge in ring two really really liked her. But I realized something- in the last few shows Belle has been shown my a man. She is very nervous and will not let them set her up (she was a bottle baby). Our goats are not around men and the Nigerians will be friendly, but don't want to be grabbed or handled by men. So in the future if I am unable to show her myself, have a woman show her It's not the handlers fault, you just need to find someone that the does mesh with!
I need to see if I have any pics of her..... Will post if I have any.
Next up were the lamanchas! Raina was 2nd & 3rd in her classes. The judges didn't have anything negative to say about her! She is a yearling, and the does she was up against were pushing two years old.
Prynne was first place in her class in BOTH RINGS and went on to be GRAND CHAMPION in BOTH rings as well. Everyone LOVED her! Prynne was born back in March, we almost lost her a few hours after she was born but she managed to pull through. I knew she would be something special. Looking back, I remember holding this little doeling doing everything I could do to save her. Hoping, praying she would live and make it through the night. I remember waking up at 4 am to check her (expecting her to have passed away) and when I opened her crate she jumped up and starting crying for her bottle. It really touches my heart to see her mature into this beautiful, powerful doing.
@frustratedearthmother you might remember our conversation when we were worried she was born blind! This was her first show and her first time being on a lead as well!
Tiffany, our Grade doe out of Millie was first place and went on to be Grand Champion in ring 2!
All in all it was a great show! I am hoping to attend next year
We headed up to the New River Valley Fair in Dublin, VA on Monday. It is a fair but the dairy goat show is ADGA sanctioned.
I didn't really plan to attend this show. We had talked about it but never sent in entries..... WELL... @Southern by choice was chatting with another dairy goat breeder and he said we should go to the show.
This was Tuesday of last week. Nobody is clipped. We needed to get health certificates since it is an out of state show. NC was also going through a very hot, heat wave. Several days the heat index was over 105 degrees! We had also been helping another farm get ready for their Linear Appraisal, and were already incredibly busy with "real life" LOL But we decided to go anyway
Got everyone clipped, hooves done, health certs. done and headed to VA, about 3 hours away.
The drive was beautiful
There were a bunch of Nigerians, there was even a farm that came up from FL with over 20 does! They were beautiful, they will actually have a goat in the 2017 ADGA spotlight sale. I believe they have several Old Mountain Farm goats at the show.
First up were the Nigerians. "Peanut" (Red Hot) was second place in both rings. These were the largest classes she's ever been shown in! She also went on to be Reserve Grand Champion in ring 2!
Poor girl was so tired when it was time to take pics and wouldn't corporate
The biggest reason on why we decided to participate in this show was to hopefully get Clover her leg.
She has been in the CH lineup five times already. I knew she could earn it. Her sister (CarolinaGirl) earned her leg at the last show we were at. Well, Clover went FIRST PLACE in her class, and went on to be GRAND CHAMPION and earned her leg! I am thrilled. I pulled her and didn't show her in the second ring, as they can only need one dry leg. I think it is silly to show a doe with a dry leg over and over again- it blocks other exhibitors and sometimes your own goats.
In the next ring, Ariat Boots was first place in her class! I was very excited, Boots get nervous and it seems that at every show I need someone else to handle her as I am showing my others does in the same class. With Clover pulled from this ring I was able to handle Boots and show her in her best light
She was giving the camera "the look"
Belle was in the top half of both rings, the judge in ring two really really liked her. But I realized something- in the last few shows Belle has been shown my a man. She is very nervous and will not let them set her up (she was a bottle baby). Our goats are not around men and the Nigerians will be friendly, but don't want to be grabbed or handled by men. So in the future if I am unable to show her myself, have a woman show her It's not the handlers fault, you just need to find someone that the does mesh with!
I need to see if I have any pics of her..... Will post if I have any.
Next up were the lamanchas! Raina was 2nd & 3rd in her classes. The judges didn't have anything negative to say about her! She is a yearling, and the does she was up against were pushing two years old.
Prynne was first place in her class in BOTH RINGS and went on to be GRAND CHAMPION in BOTH rings as well. Everyone LOVED her! Prynne was born back in March, we almost lost her a few hours after she was born but she managed to pull through. I knew she would be something special. Looking back, I remember holding this little doeling doing everything I could do to save her. Hoping, praying she would live and make it through the night. I remember waking up at 4 am to check her (expecting her to have passed away) and when I opened her crate she jumped up and starting crying for her bottle. It really touches my heart to see her mature into this beautiful, powerful doing.
@frustratedearthmother you might remember our conversation when we were worried she was born blind! This was her first show and her first time being on a lead as well!
Tiffany, our Grade doe out of Millie was first place and went on to be Grand Champion in ring 2!
All in all it was a great show! I am hoping to attend next year