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Showmanship:
The judge needs to be able to see the goat to judge it. Keep the goat between you and
the judge at all times. Transition between sides slowly and smoovely, always passing in
front of your animal. Never step over your goat or move behind them. Keep your eyes on
the judge and pay attention. Don't talk in the show-ring, its embarressing when you're
caught (Guilty! =), plus its distracting to the judge. Don't crowd other goats, when walking
your goat, go around others who are refusing to move. You should look the part and dress
for the show ring. Your goat will show better if you've worked with it. Keep the collar high
on the neck and use a "traffic lead".
Show prep for the goat:
1. Trim hair in ears. Not only does it look tidy but it helps if the judge needs to read the
tattoo letters. BTW your goat must have a legible tattoo for a GCH to be legitamate.
2. Shear beards and whiskers off does. Wipe nose, under eyes, and hind end with wet
wipes.
3. Clip hair off hooves at the level of the pastern (so hoof shape can easily be seen. Trim
and clean hooves.
4. To wash or not wash the fleece is a personal decision. There is a danger of the fleece's
handle being affected which subtracts a lot of points in the ring. Some judges will mark
you down for doing too much to a fleece. Some for doing too little. A safer way to clean
the fleece is to use a livestock blower to blow all the junk and dust out of the fleece. Keep
the blower a distance from the fleece- 1 1/2 to 2 feet- and don't overdo it. Blow at an angle
at first so you don't blow the surface stuff further into the fleece. Don't do this the day of
the show as you will lose curl definition and your goat will look gorgeous- the day after the
show. Misting can help reset the locks.
Other helpful tips:
If your doe or wether (over 1 year old) is not in full fleece you will need your goat's last
fleece brought "in the box". Bucks over a year old who are not in fleece must be
accompanied by a one ounce sample of fleece in a zip lock bag and a full color photo-side
shot.