The BIG E 2009

We have arrived home, all in one piece! It was a fantastic weekend at the Big E this year. All of our 4-Hers showed extremely well in both showmanship and fitting! The Great Goats 4H club definitely made a statement about how to do it right!

Abby placed in the front line in both fitting and showmanship and her goats all did well in the breed classes. Abby worked very hard to win the herdsmanship award but due to a miscommunication she was inadvertently also judged on the condition of our pens and not just on her own. We gifted her with an International Harvester fleece blanket. She was very happy.

Nathalie did well in her dog showmanship/fitting class, placing in the second place line-up. Turk was very stressed and did not do well in the obedience class. Nathalie was disappointed and frustrated but received several compliments on her ability to muster through it with a good attitude. We are still looking for a dog for her to compete with next year as this was Turk's last journey away from the barn. Nathalie learned a lot this weekend and we gifted her with a fleece blanket as well.

The Open ADGA goat show was held on Sunday and was a lot of fun! Oberhasli's were the feature breed so there was a lot of competition and we were able to show first. My doe Heaven's Hollow Lucille placed second in her class and was best udder in her class. In the same class, Abby's doe Owl Ridge Nite Lite placed third, and her doe 4M-Gateway Moeeka placed fifth, with my doe West View Okra placing sixth. Haycreeks Showtime Kroquet placed first in her class of yearling milkers, but she was also the only one in her class. These placings meant that the Smith family had TWO goats in the Best of Breed Class!!!

Our junior does didn't place as well with all of them placing 8th or lower. Junior kids are still growing and change from week to week. It took Lucille four years to finally look good!

We got home from the fair (with a new Alpine for Hannah. A four year old milker who has already completed three of her legs towards a championship!) around 10PM and finally fell into bed at about 11PM. One more fair left til next summer!