Goat show advise needed

[moosemaniac]

I'm thinking very seriously about taking my buck to a goat show in May. I've never even been to a goat show before, so I need as many tips as I can get. Please help.

Ollie is quite docile most of the time and very used to being handled and led around. He'll be a year old in April. He's quite an outstanding looking American Alpine.

Ruth

[Tracy in Idaho]

You'll have fun

Here is a handy little page -- gives a good bit of info and breaks down the score card for bucks too: http://www.inform.umd.edu/EdRes/Topi...D_SHOWING.html

You'll want him clean and preferrably clipped up (leave his beard!) Feet trimmed some time before, so that if you get too close he isn't limping by show time. You will show him in a chain choke collar like used for dogs -- except that the two ends are clipped together rather than ran through as for a dog. If you have any doubts about controlling him -- use a prong collar -- sometimes called a pinch collar -- the dog kind with "prongs" Folks will NOT be happy if he tries to breed their buck in the ring <G>

Besides that, best thing you can do is to watch the classes before him -- does will show first, and bucks are set up the same way. It will also show you how to walk him around and move in the ring. He will have to allow the judge to walk up and feel him.

So since I have Alpines, I'm curious <G> What breeding is your boy, Ruth?

Tracy

[moosemaniac]

Thanks so much. I'm hoping this works...posting Oliver's link on Miss Dee's pedigree search. Oliver

Ruth

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

Make sure he is registered to you and you take his paperwork. Make sure his tattoo's are in his ears and they match exactly his paperwork, if you can't see them shine a poweful light through his ears and see. If no tattoos tattoo him.

Get the rules early and follow them, if you need a health certifciate to show, than get on, soon you will find out that fair boards ask for these but goats folks don't even get asked for them, but a long time breeder doing this is much different than a new one.

Get him out of his pen, or trailer, our show makes you trailer or tie them away from the does, and walk him around the ring area during lunch, this will get him used to walking on whatever the ring is, like my girls do not walk well on sand.

I always use a prong collar, nobody will even look twice at you with it, I am not going to have to worry how my buck or big doe is going to react to a new judge or to another goat in the ring...just because they are fine at home does not mean they will be fine in the ring, and nothing is worse for a new person than being embarassed by a buck acting up! They also can't be seen to their fullest if they are dancing around, especially when the judge comes to feel of them.

Clean is the most important thing, which includes clean feet and clean under the tail. Then what Tracy said Vicki

[moosemaniac]

Thanks Vicki. His papers are in order and his tattoos are good too. I just have to get his vet to give me a health cert. I'm not too worried about him acting up, but then he's never been shown. He has been handled a lot since birth and he's very easy to handle. Even my mentally disabled son can lead him around with no problem. I know that a show is different though. I used to show horses as a kid. Which reminds me of a great "control" story. Friend of mine, showing a gorgeous Morgan stallion in hand...The Black acts up, gets away from Nelson and runs full speed around the arena. Nelson casually walks up to the judge and says "look at that s..o..b.. go". He placed first!

Ruth

[Vicki McGaugh TX Nubians]

:haha:

Yep you add your nerves to the goats nerves and being around older bucks and your sweet young thang may turn into a handful! Vicki