 Erin McCarthy, of Hudsonville, Mich., sets up her buck during the National Pygmy Goat Association show held at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds. The first pygmy goat show sanctioned by the group in Wapakoneta proved to be a success, organizers said. Staff photo/William Laney By WILLIAM LANEY
Managing Editor
These animals typically have longer hair and wider bodies than their kin, who often are seen in show rings.
But for three days, approximately 35 exhibitors with more than 150 pygmy goats took center stage as they competed in the Wapak Pygmy Goat Classic, a National Pygmy Goat Association sanctioned-event held this past weekend. It was the first-ever event held at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds.
“Things have been going very good,” said Karen Butler, who organized the event with her husband, Cliff, and other family members. “My whole goal is to make it a forum for 4-H kids mostly to get a head start on their 4-H projects and showmanship as judged by a pygmy goat judge.”
The judges included Lynda Gredin, of Pennsylvania, Carol Shea-Hepner, of Indiana, and Denise Fraser, of California. The Wapak Pygmy Goat Classic featured two doe, two wether and three buck shows during the weekend event.
The pygmy goat is a multi-purpose goat as compared to the boer or dairy goat. A pygmy goat can be used for its meat or for its milk and can be a nice pet if given enough attention, just like any other animal.
Another reason that Butler gave for hosting the show is that Wapakoneta is centrally located between many of the exhibitors. Exhibitors came from Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
She also noted the city of Hamilton is hosting the annual convention of the National Pygmy Goat Association on June 19-20.
Butler said Ohio has one of the largest pygmy goat populations for showing and exhibiting and she believes exhibitors travel afar because they “just have a love for the breed.”
Shea-Hepner said exhibitors show the breed based on two factors.
“If they are family, it is an easy breed to start out with especially for kids who may want to start with something small,” Shea-Hepner said. “For other people, it is easier for them to handle and they get along well with other livestock.
“They are a lot like other animals, the more attention you give them the better their temperament will likely be,” she said. “They are typically good natured, but if you do not work with them they will be more wild.”
Mikala Osborne, of Sheridan, Ind., has been spending a lot of time with goats, having shown goats for nearly 10 years. She brought eight goats to the Wapakoneta show.
“It is definitely a nice place to be and one of the nicer shows we have been to,” the 17-year-old Osborne said. “It seems to be very welcoming here.”
She said preparing these goats is easier than showing the boer or dairy goat. Her family farm is Ivy Hill Farm.
Osborne said the Wapakoneta show was the first show her family has attended in Ohio and “that is was good to get out of state and face some new competition.”
Erin McCarthy, of Hudsonville, Mich., made the trip for several reasons including to get ready for stiffer competition. She has been showing goats since 1988, and her family has been showing goats since the 1950s.
“For the first show here in Wapakoneta, I think there is a real diverse group of people showing from different states including Michigan, Ohio Kentucky, Indiana and even Illinois, Pennsylvania and West Virginia,” McCarthy said. “I think it is good competition, but also good friendship here.
“I came here to show my bucks and hopefully sell a few animals,” she said, “as well as see some people I haven’t seen in a long time.”
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