Lessons Learned

The sun was hours from rising when my feet hit the ground Saturday morning. For weeks, I have been preparing for this day. You could even say that I have been putting the puzzle pieces in place for months. I creep quietly to the spot where I left my clothes the night before, hoping to not wake my family before they needed to join me in the work that needed to be done. I quietly warmed up the milk for the bottle babies, bundled up in my overalls and coat, and stepped out into the misty, chilly morning air at 3:15 am. I sat in the dark as baby goats sat in my lap, their little nursing sounds telling me just how happy they were to see me.

Eventually, I leave the goats to wake up the family to get ready for the day ahead. My two children had to be helped into their clothes, their eyes still mostly shut. My husband groaned about having to start the day when the day before ended so late for him, but he rose out of bed and began to help me finish loading up the truck. Pens, buckets, crates, hay, grooming supplies, our lunch, snacks, and tablets to keep the kids entertained for the long drive we had ahead of us, 3 hours and 45 minutes one way, to be exact. But the biggest cargo to load? Two smelly Nigerian Dwarf bucks and a Nigerian Dwarf doe with her 4 kids. The kids stayed in the backseat in a crate nestled between the car seats of my children. It wasn’t long after we went on our way before my oldest was fast asleep, her hand gripping the crate handle in fear of the babies falling, even though I had assured her of their security.

If you haven’t guessed by now, we were heading to a goat show in Colbert, GA. What is a goat show? A goat show (dairy, in our case) is a gathering of goat breeders to parade their livestock in front of qualified judges in a competition of who has the best quality animal of the day. There are many factors that play into how a goat is presented, including nutrition, age, maintenance, training, and the opinions of the judges. There are typically 2 rings, each ran by a different judge. Classes are divided into Open and Youth, Junior Does and Senior Does, and Junior Bucks and Senior Bucks. Those are then divided by age of the goat. The first and second place goats of each age category then compete for Grand Champion and Reserve Champion of their class. A goat must earn 3 Grand Champions to earn their permanent championship, which is placed on their pedigree and tells other farms and potential buyers of their ability to compete.

I’ll admit, shows aren’t for the faint of heart. Once we arrived to the show, our truck had to be unpacked, the contents carried into the barn, pens set up, water buckets filled, hay given, and goats settled down before their time in the ring would come. This was my first show I was competing in, and as a “newbie” in the breeding world, I was intimidated. It wasn’t because the people at this show weren’t welcoming, although I have dealt with some that weren’t so friendly, but rather, I had not proven the quality of my animals, yet. The breeders here had been in the business for years. Some had competed in Nationals. Some had quality so high, I couldn’t even dream of affording the purchase price of their youngstock. Some were legends in the Nigerian Dwarf world.

To add to my stress, I knew I wanted to help my friend who had organized this whole show, so I offered to be Ring Steward. A Ring Steward checks goats into the ring and helps keep the placings tracked down. I was reading herd names that had me starstruck. I’ll admit, I was fangirling just a bit, and I apologize here for any breeders that were uncomfortable with my enthusiasm (I promise I’m harmless). I worked through several classes before my time to enter the ring had come. Gertie (Dreahook NK Sea Gate 84+VV+) is a 3 year old, 2nd Freshener (two time mother), senior doe (doe that has had kids before), and she was my first goat to show. The judge in the first ring of around 15 does measured our goats, had us walk in circles around him while he watched their movement and he had us line up so he could feel their udders, their ribs, and their skin. He’d ask a few questions, make some comments, then he would excuse some does from the ring to help narrow down his choices for the final lineup. This process seemed to last forever. I held my breath every time he made a cut, wondering if it was my turn. My stomach flipped every time we made it through a cut. Finally, he started to line the does up in order of place. I was in 8th place. While that may not seem like something to be proud of, it is when you consider the quality of does she edged out to be a part of that final lineup, and that wasn’t even the most important part. The best part of the entire experience is the comments the judge makes about your goat. He pointed out her strengths and weaknesses, and he told me why he placed others ahead of her, and he even discussed how to pair her with a certain type of buck to improve her offspring. Then I repeated the process in Ring 2 under a different judge. This judge placed Gertie in 7th, and gave different opinions on her, but nothing that contradicted what the first judge had said. These people were a wealth of knowledge, and they shared that knowledge with you without harshness or ill-intent, but with a clear desire to help you succeed in your breeding program.

I was on Cloud-9 for hours, until it was time to lead my next buck into the ring, Stone (Gypsy Moon SW Yellowstone), a yearling Senior Buck who appeared to be tiny next to his competition. I knew he wouldn’t place well, but I wanted him to have the experience, and I wanted a judge’s opinion on him to help me decide if he fit into my program. Like I predicted, he placed last in both rings. This doesn’t mean he’s a terrible buck, in fact, one judge commented he would be happy to use him in his breeding program, but it just meant he wasn’t better than the other bucks in the ring that day. I rushed to put him back and grab my second buck, Moonman (Gypsy Moon ST Moonman), a 2 year old Senior Buck. Back into the ring with 4 other bucks of exceptional quality. He placed 4th in Ring 1, but the judge in Ring 2 placed him 2nd! I was ecstatic, and I was going to my first Champion Lineup. I wouldn’t win Grand Champion no matter what, but I had a shot at Reserve if the buck that won my class was selected for Grand, which he was. I held my breath in anticipation, but although the judge again gave high praise for Moonman, she selected a buck from a different age group to win, which was well-deserved.

Although it was already after 5 pm, my day wasn’t over yet. Moonman still had one class left: The Sire/ Son Specialty Class with his son from another breeder. The other pair that was entered didn’t show, so our pair won by default, but that didn’t matter. So what did? The judges’ opinions! Both judges gave their critiques right in front of us and discussed their opinions openly to each other. They told us what Moonman passed on, both good and bad, and they again gave suggestions on how to best use him in my program to improve the breed. I left the ring grinning from ear-to-ear, and we began the long process of packing up our gear, and loading back up to get home, where animals were waiting to be fed. We arrived back home at dark, and I fed animals while my husband worked to get the children to bed. I fell asleep immediately that night, and I didn’t wake up for hours.

It’s been a few days since the show, and I’ve taken a lot of time to reflect on what I learned from that day. I’ve had breeders add my name to the drama pot, drag me through the mud, block me, black-list me, and what have you. All because I had a year of tough losses when they didn’t. It discouraged me. I wasn’t sure if my skin was thick enough, but I persevered. And I am so glad I did! I met breeders that encouraged me, gave me advice and helpful feedback, who taught me their tips and tricks, and who welcomed me as an equal. I gained knowledge on my animals from two unbiased professionals who judge animals from all over the United States. I gained new connections and experience.

The bottom-line: I only gained from this experience. Doing something new, being in a new environment, striking out on your own, and just trying to make a name for yourself is intimidating, no matter your field. The people you meet can make it a good or bad experience. There may be some who try to discourage you but keep searching! You’ll find the golden people who wants everyone to succeed.