We officially survived our first-ever goat show!
Yesterday, we headed to the Northern Goat Classic in Bloomer, Wisconsin, with a trailer full of goats, an impressive amount of stuff, and absolutely no idea what we were doing.
Thankfully, a few experienced friends helped us figure out where to go, what to do, and how to make it through today without completely embarrassing ourselves. We definitely could not have done it without them!
Kirlia Shines Under Judge Jay Rudolph
Under Judge Jay Rudolph, Kirlia was named Grand Champion Oberhasli and came incredibly close to earning Best in Show among all breeds. If she hadn’t toed out a tiny bit while doing the last lap, she might have made it!
We were especially proud of her because she had miscarried her triplets earlier in the year. Even after everything her body had been through, she still walked into the ring and represented our herd beautifully.
Judge Rudolph also really liked Kirlia’s daughter, placing her at the top of her class. Seeing both mother and daughter do so well under the same judge was incredibly exciting and gave us even more confidence in that line.
A Completely Different Lineup Under Judge Scott Bice
Judge Scott Bice had almost completely opposite preferences, which was a very quick introduction to just how subjective goat shows can be!
Under Judge Bice, Riesling and Futura rose to the top of their respective classes. They narrowly missed Best of Breed to a gorgeous doe owned by one of the wonderful new friends we met at the show.
Although they did not take home the final ribbon, we were thrilled to see both of them recognized so highly.
So Much for Making Herd Cuts Easier
One of our main reasons for attending the show was to get some outside opinions that might help us with our much-needed herd cut decisions.
Unfortunately, that plan completely backfired.
Instead of helping us narrow things down, the two judges highlighted different strengths in different does. Now we may be even more confused than we were before!
Still, that may have been one of the most valuable lessons of the day. Different judges prioritize different traits, and one placing does not define the quality or potential of a doe. Seeing several of our girls succeed for different reasons helped us appreciate the variety of strengths within our herd.
A Successful First Show
More importantly, we learned a ton, met some wonderful people, and made it through our first show with both the goats and humans mostly intact.
We are incredibly grateful to the friends who guided us through the chaos and to everyone who made us feel welcome. The Northern Goat Classic was a fantastic first-show experience, and although we clearly still have a lot to learn, we are already looking forward to doing it again.
And We Didn’t Come Home Alone
As if the ribbons, lessons, and new friendships were not enough, we even came home with a stowaway!
We brought home Xpress, our new Oberhasli buckling from Wayne Greene. Apparently no first goat show is complete without bringing home one more goat than you arrived with.
All in all, the Northern Goat Classic gave us a little bit of everything: confusion, excitement, great people, encouraging results, and one very cute new addition to the herd.
