GOAT GOSSIP: A lot of good stock on hand at American Premier Show

Fred Vandermartin

Living in the country has its advantages, breathing fresh air, living in wide open spaces, freedom to farm or ranch, and enjoying nature every moment.

There are some definite disadvantages also such as not having stores and supplies within a short drive, distance from friends and relatives, and having to drive long distances to get to the big cities. I drive once every four days to work and back on the coast and that's quite a chore since I have to commute nearly 200 miles. Gwen drives 50 miles round trip so I guess you could say she goes farther during the week but at least she gets to sleep in her own bed every night.

You could say that we are used to traveling since everything is a road trip away so it wasn't anything for me and The Boy, Rhys, to get in the Tyoater and hop, skip and jump over to Fort Worth last Sunday for the American Premier Boer Goat Show.

The American Premier Boer Goat Show along with the Yellow Rose Classic Boer Goat Show is considered the shows that start the year off as far as Boer goat shows are concerned. Pretty much all of the top Boer breeders are there to show off their stock and more importantly, reestablish friendships with their friends from across the country.

I got to visit with Miss Evelyn Culp of Tumbleweed Boers (www.tumbleweedboergoats.com) (Mr. Jack had to work, so he didn't get to see their handsome buck, Bo Diddley, win Junior Division Reserve Grand Champion Buck!) and update her on how Tumbleweed's Thunderbolt is doing.

I enjoyed visiting with Betty and Gerald Peterson of Blue Top Farm (www.bluetoppetersonboergoats.com) whom I had met at the Cream of the Crop Boer Goat Show a few years back. Ms. Betty rides a neat herd over their goats and Gerald, I just wish she would get Gerald's hat cleaned! I really enjoyed the show when their grandson, Will, was instructing Papa G on how to properly set up a young doeling!

I got to see Dawn and finally meet Kyle Steward of Flying S Boer Goats (www.flyinsboergoats.com). Dawn and fitter/showman Dakota Ash always take Gwen under their wing at the shows she participates in and help her out giving her goat a nice hair cut!

It was a pleasure to see Callene and Patrick and Kylee Zapalac of Zaptex Boer Goats (www.zaptexboergoats.com). The Zaptex Crew had a very successful pair of shows. Callene does Web development with Zaptex Web Design and created our site. She also has the Texas Boer Goat Association site (www.texasboergoatassociation.com ) it has the latest in show, sale, and Texas breeder info.

I got to meet Brandi and Kaitlynn Miller of Winding Oaks Ranch (http://www.woranch.com). They did very well at both of the shows with their commercial does. Way to show, Kaitlynn!

I had a good talk with Carol Rochester of Circle R Boers (http://www.circlerboers.com ) and Robin Walters of Bar None Meat Goats (http://www.barnonemeatgoats.com) and many more folks that my feeble mind cannot remember.

The Boy got bored with the goat thing and took to wandering and seeing what's what around the fairgrounds but he didn't complain so I guess he had a good time. I had a good time and saw a lot of beautiful does and handsome bucks and took a lot of pictures. If you would like to take a look then let me know and I'll try to get them to you. Thanks to all of the breeders and stock show workers who worked hard to make this a great show!

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The Freestone County Goat Breeders Association would like to announce that they will be holding their Spring Open Pen Sale on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. at the Ike Carden Arena in Fairfield.

We invite any breeders who wish to market their stock to participate. This will be an open pen sale for everyone to participate in no matter if you are from Alpine or Arp! Come and buy, sell, or trade to your hearts content. There will be a special meat goat pen to sell your healthy meat goats for an average market price. Pens can be rented for $10 each. There will be a limit of 5 goats or one Buck per pen. The meat goat pen will be $2 per meat goat. Meat goats will be numbered and will be weighed upon sale and sold for an average market price to be determined. This will be a private treaty sale with prices agreed upon by the buyer and seller. The average market price for meat goats will be agreed to by the seller on the day of the sale unless the price is renegotiated by the buyer and seller.

The FCGBA and its members will provide the facilities and livestock scales for the sale but will not be held responsible or liable for the condition or sale of any animal sold.

We will be offering meat goats, show wethers and doelings, breeding nannies, and breeding bucks. Call our Prez, Garry Tugwell at 903-390-7780 or me for more information on the sale. We ask that sellers call ahead or e-mail with some numbers so that we can get a number of pens for the sellers built. Concessions will be provided by the Dew 4-H. We hope to see you all there and sell you a possible Grand Champion. Last year's Freestone County Grand and Reserve Grand show wethers were sold by Jennifer Newton of Figbar Farms (www.figbarfarms.com) at this sale!

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The East Texas Goat Raisers Association is proud to announce their Cream of the Crop Boer Goat Shows to be held Feb. 13. There are two shows on one day. The ABGA sanctioned shows are being held in Henderson. The Judges are Ray Bolinger and Robert Washington. For more info contact Danette & Curtis Shoemaker 936-867-2068 or the ETGRA web site at www.etgra.com .

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The next event for the North East Texas Goat Raisers Association is their Field Day to be held on April 17. Details will be posted on their web site at www.netgra.com. I would like to thank the NETGRA and their President Ms. Judy Hill for posting a notice of our FCGBA sale on their web site. That was right nice of them!

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Since I started writing the Goat Gossip I have had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of many folks in other goat breeders associations. One of those fine breeders and an officer of the Southern Goat Producers Association, Judy Langley, asked me to post this notice for her. The SGPA Web site is www.southerngoatproducers.org

The Southeastern Goat & Sheep Seminar will be held near Clemson University in Pendleton, S.C. on April 17. Many of the workshops will be accredited. Small ruminant producers from the southeast are "WANTED." This event is hosted and sponsored by four goat associations and they have worked very diligently to keep the cost of this event affordable, but "PRICELESS."

Nine Workshops are available...Goat Ethics, Goat Nutrition and Feeding Progrmas, Basic Herd Health-Scrapie, Internal Parasites, Anthelmin Tics Resistance, FAMACHA, Fiber Animals “from goat to glove,” Kidding Issues-All Inclusive, Food Regulations — dairy and meat producer guidelines, AI/Reproduction/ Embryo Transfers, Farm Performance / Herd Management.

For details go to: www.southerngoatproducers.org. We hope you can travel the distance... it will be worth it. Also on the agenda: FFA & 4-H contests, vendors with goat related and farm products, exhibits, catered lunch and a blue-grass band.

That's all I have for now. Call me at 903-388-8528 or e-mail clwyer@gmail.com if you have any juicy tidbits for the Goat Gossip. Bye, for now.



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Submitted by Fred VanderMartin

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