Saturday was our first goat show of the season hosted by the Connecticut Dairy Goat Association. We left just before 6am with to make the 1:20 drive to Somers, CT with 13 of the herd loaded in the trailer. Attendance was down a little this year but we had a good time catching up with friends. This is a 2-ring show, meaning each goat is shown twice with different judges, so placings can change in each ring. The judges were Ring 1: George Andrew Jr (Newark NY) and Ring 2: Karen Akers Smith (Cedar Hill, TN). It was wet and quite cool all day. Spoiler Alert: we had a good day!
The day started off with showmanship. ADGA Nationals is held in Springfield, MA this year, so there is a lot of emphasis on showmanship for the local 4-H exhibitors to help them get ready. Many of the youth will be able to attend that wouldn’t otherwise because it will be so close. Amanda was in the Intermediate showmanship class that included 13 youth, ages 13-16. Judge Karen Akers Smith kept them in the ring for over an hour evaluating fitting, asking knowledge questions, doing maneuvers, and overall pushing the exhibitors to demonstrate their skills. When it was all said and done, Amanda was in 1st place! This was something she worked on during the winter and was a major improvement for her. Her showmanship goat, Sawfish Apple Fritter, got lots of practice just standing and being patient. The win has encouraged Amanda to keep putting in the effort to get ready for ADGA nationals.
Once showmanship was complete, we started the breed classes. Unfortunately, we had the only Lamancha milkers at the show, however, there were plenty of other Lamancha Juniors.
Ring 1 Results: Sawfish AS Porsche took Champion Sr Lamancha AND Lamancha Best of Breed. Lucky 4-Leaf E Red Hot Chili was Reserve Champion for Recorded Grades. In the Best Sr Doe in Show lineup, Porsche was mentioned in contention for Best in Show, but ultimately didn’t get the win. Porsche’s udder as a 3yo, 3rd freshener is looking amazing. Pics of the milkers are below.
Ring 2 Results: Sawfish AS Porsche took Champion Sr Lamancha, while CH Majenli LK Carolina won Lamancha Best of Breed. Lucky 4-Leaf E Red Hot Chili was Reserve Champion for Recorded Grades. In the Best Sr Doe in Show lineup, Carolina was mentioned in contention for Best Udder in Show, but ultimately didn’t win (she is producing over 2 gallons a day again this year).
In the pictures above, Fritter and CB (Creme Brulee) are only 17 days fresh. The udders are looking very promising for each of them.
Once the milkers were done, it was time for the junior show. We had 5 of this year’s kids at the show including 1 that was purchased by another 4-H youth in CT. In both Ring 1 and Ring 2, our 5 were 1-5 in the 1-3mo class.
Ring 1 Results: Sawfish Bon Bon was Reserve Champion to another beautiful Lamancha yearling (who also took Best Jr Doe in Show). Sawfish Tiramisu was Record Grade Champion and got her restricted leg!
Ring 2 Results: Sawfish Bon Bon took Lamancha Jr Champion and Sawfish Kahlua was Reserve. Sawfish Tiramisu (our only Jr Recorded Grade) was Reserve Champion. The real magic came when Sawfish Bon Bon took Best Jr Doe in Show!
When we finally got home after 8, we unloaded the trailer (in the rain), sent Alex to pick up Chinese food for dinner, and reloaded for the next adventure. But that’s a separate post.