Goat club members show off their skills
By Ann Marie Chechalk
On Friday, Sept. 11 members of the Niagara 4-H Goat Club were welcomed to the West Niagara Fair for their achievement day. A great crowd of parents, siblings and grandparents came out to cheer on these young people.
Judge Irene Farrow, of Rockwood, Ontario, is a goat breeder, showman and judge. She was pleased to come to Niagara. Her calm and smiling face enabled the members to relax somewhat in the showring.
Novice members were still a bit nervous, noted by how quickly they walked around the show ring and how they had a tendency to line up close to one another, leaving little space for the judge to walk around the goats and showmen.
As the show progressed with junior, intermediate and senior members the calmness was noted as the showmen were attentive to the judge and led well trained animals who walked slowly.
Judge Farrow made sure the novice, junior, intermediate and senior members knew the goat’s breed and age and that the members had been working with their goats all summer so that they were well trained for the show ring.
Farrow made the 4-H members work very hard before choosing the winners. Members were asked to manoeuvre their animals from place to place and to change animals with each other. This ensured that the goats were familiar with being handled and not by just one person. Moving throughout the show ring she was watching to see who moved their animals smoothly, kept their eyes on the judge and set up their animal quickly and calmly.
The Novice showmanship was very competitive as a group of very well trained goats and well-dressed showmen were ready for anything the judge would ask them. Becky Gunn placed first and Cecilia Srigley placed second.
In Junior Showmanship, members were nervous but very attentive to the judge, placing first was Katie Gunn and second Jack Kelly.
In Intermediate Showmanship the smooth and calm skills placed Jack Kelly first and second was Hadessah Lodewyk.
Seniors saw the experience of Morgan McGee placing first and Emily McGee second.
Returning to the show ring the top winners of each class competed for Rosettes and the honour of being Grand Champion Goat Showperson at the Achievement program. Morgan, Emily McGee and Emily Kelly received the honours that day. Morgan had previously won the title of Grand Champion Showperson so the Honorable Mention Showman Emily Kelly would go on to represent the goat club for Grand Champion Showman later in the evening.
“The members were all previously schooled on showing techniques and their animals were impeccably presented. The show was very organized. Congratulations on a job well done,” commented Farrow.
Thanks go out to all the parents, and families that encouraged the young showmen and to the West Niagara Fair for sponsoring the classes.
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