First show!

[hoofinitnorth]

Well.... We didn't finish until 1AM today!!! VERY tired at work now. *sigh*

We had 2 AGS shows and 2 ADGA shows yesterday for our June Soltice Show put on by the Alaska Diand this morning it looks like everyone handled the stress pretty well.

My oldest buck, whom I purchased from SilverAurora last year, Sandy Hollow UK Chesire Cat *S *B took Reserve Champion Nigerian Dwarf Buck in all four shows. He was a very good boy for showing at midnight and later after a long day of sitting in a small pen with his buddies and being swarmed by attack-diving mosquitos at midnight! There were only two bucks in his age class (over 4 years) but there were 13 total ND bucks shown. I don't quite understand all the "legs" for championships, but I believe the other buck finished his championship so my buck has now earned a restricted leg. Or something... lol

The girls were on good behavior too and my awesome little Sandy Hollow SS Butterscotch 3*D 2*M, whom I also purchased from Suzanne last year, actually took two second places and two fifth places due to a limp (I managed to quick her front left hoof a week before the show - poor thing)! These were classes of 9 senior does between 3 and 5 years and she received a 2nd and a 5th each in the ADGA & AGS shows. I was just surprised the judges could appreciate such a very dairy doe who is not in her prime condition right now, having only recently freshened with two very hungry kids on her!

My biggest shock of the day, though, was that one of my new little bucklings, tiny 10-day old Fair Skies XK Yu'pik Me, took first in his class over a number of older bucklings (I think there were 4 in the age range of 0 to 3 months, all mine lol) in two classes (1 ADGA and 1 AGS)! WOW! The first judge for the first two classes (1 ADGA and 1 AGS) liked him a lot but placed him last because he was too hard to evaluate at his tender age and his unwillingness to stand and walk freely, but she did comment on a lot of things she liked about him, especially his feet, pasterns, and legs. The second judge put him first and really raved about his correct stature. I had four of my goats go back for two of the championship buck classes and three go back for the other two classes!

The rest of my goats did pretty well considering all the stress and new things we asked them to try (without enough practice!), I learned a lot, and I had a great time socializing.

Thanks to all the helper handlers and show staff!!! Our next (and probably last show of the year) won't be until the State Fair in Palmer in late August.