Updated 6/26/2024

Division IV: Junior Fair Goats

Adult Consultants:   Becky Jones - Dairy/Pack & Harness Goats; Kolbie Brandenburg, Harlie Brandenburg, Morgan Miller - Market Goats; Cindy Stegbauer - Pygmy/Pack & Harness Goats; Isabelle Jones - Fiber Animals; Faith Stegbauer - Pygmy Goats

Junior Consultants:

Pre-fair tag-in:              8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the second Saturday of May at the fairgrounds for all market goats.

Pre-fair registration:    All meat breeding does, dairy goats, pygmy goats, pack goats, harness goats, and fiber animals                                         (sheep, goat, alpaca, llama) must register online using FairEntry.

Arrival time:                  6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday before the fair for market, meat breeding goats, and pygmy staying                                                the entire week.

                                      8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday before fair for dairy and fiber animals

                                      8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday of fair for pygmy, pack, and harness goats

Fair weigh-in:               6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday before the fair         

Dismissal time:            Market goats: Within one hour after the show if not being sold, after the sale, or 12 a.m. Sunday                                         after the fair

                                     All dairy goats: May leave between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday or after 12 a.m. Sunday after                                            the fair

                                     All lactating dairy goats: May leave one hour after the show or after 12 a.m. Sunday after the fair

                                    Pygmy, pack and harness goats: May leave within one hour after the show or after 12 a.m.                                                      Sunday after the fair

                                    Fiber animals: Within one hour after the show, anytime Monday of the fair, or 12 a.m. Sunday                                                after the fair

All goats must be off the fairgrounds by 12 a.m. Sunday after the fair

Show times:     8 a.m.  Monday:          Fiber Show, Gibbons Arena

                         1 p.m. Monday:           Pygmy show, Holman Arena

                          Immeditally following Pygmy-    Harness and Pack Show, Gibbons Arena

                          2 p.m. Tuesday:          Market Showmanship, Holman Livestock Complex

                          5 p.m. Tuesday:          Meat Breeding Does, Market Goats

                          9 a.m. Wednesday:    Dairy Goat Showmanship and Dairy Goat shows, Holman Livestock Complex

                         12 p.m. Thursday:      County Born and Raised Show Sponsored by Clermont County Meat Goat                                            Association, Holman Livestock Complex

Goat identification

All goats must be identified by the methods listed below or they cannot show and/or sell at the fair. All market goats must be tagged with an official USDA scrapie tag.

1. Meat breeding does must have their registration papers for their herd tattoos or they must be tagged with an official USDA scrapie tag.

2. Dairy and Fiber goats/animals must have their tattoos and registration papers.

3. Pygmy goats must have their registration papers for their herd tattoos or microchips or they must be tagged with an official USDA scrapie tag.

General Goat Rules

1. See General Rules for Junior Livestock Exhibitors and General Rules for more information.

2. Market goats are to come to the fairgrounds from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the second Saturday of May.

3. Goat exhibitors will be allowed to bring a maximum of six goats to the fair; each exhibitor will be allowed a maximum of two pens for their goats.

4. No intact males will be permitted. All male goats must be castrated and healed prior to the May tag-in. See Castration and Dehorning under the General Livestock Rules for complete information.

5. All breeds must have three entries to show as a breed, except for fiber animals.

6. Drenching is prohibited.

7. No animal may be shown in both breeding and market classes. This decision must be made at the pre-fair tag-in and cannot be changed.

Section 1: Dairy Goats

Dairy Goat classes will show by breed (Alpine, Nubian, etc.)

A:    Production Class - Dam and daughter, any age

B:    Doeling Kid - Doe kid born this year

C:    Yearling Doe - Born last year and never freshened

D:    Dry Doe - over 2 years, never freshened

E:    Milking Doe - 1 year but under 2, first time freshener

F:    Milking Doe - 2 years but under 3, must be second freshener

G:    Milking Doe - 3 years to 4 but under 5

H:    Milking Doe - 5 years or older

All milking doe classes includes does that have ever been bred even if currently not in milk. 

Dairy Goat General Rules

1. See General Rules for Junior Livestock Exhibitors for more information.

2. All dairy goats must be castrated and dehorned prior to the pre-fair tag-in date. Small scurs are acceptable, less than one inch in length, and cannot be attached to the skull, as determined by the vet. See the section titled Castration and Dehorning under General Livestock Rules for complete information.

3. All milk does are to be milked daily. On show day, milking may be postponed until after the show unless determined by the judge to be milked out prior to Best in Show Senior.

4. Senior does may need to be milked out after class if they are going back in for champion. This is at the judge’s discretion.

5. Exhibitors showing does in milk must provide their own milking supplies and equipment.

6. All milk must be disposed of properly. Do not dump milk in water drains.

7. Dairy goats will be shown by breed, in alphabetical order, followed by the All Other Breeds category, if applicable.

8. First-place winners in classes B and C will compete for junior champion and the second-place doe from the champion's class will move up with the other class winners for reserve champion. Breed champion will compete for Best in Show, Junior.

9. First-place winners from classes E through H will compete for senior champion and the second-place doe from the champion's class will move up with the other class winners for reserve champion. Breed champions will compete for Best in Show, Senior.

10. Wethers may be shown in Dairy Goat Showmanship if they are pack or harness goats, only. Wethers will not be shown in the dairy goat show.

11. Nigerian Dwarf Goats are dairy goats. They are to be shown in a dairy class.

12. All goat projects must be in the possession of the exhibitors by second Saturday of May.

Section 2: Fiber Animals (Goat/Alpaca/Llama)

1. Fiber animals will be judged on body conformation and fleece quality in the following classes:

A.    Showmanship, these classes are not qualifiers for the Showman of Showman Contest.

1. Alpaca

2. Fiber Goat

3. Fiber Sheep

1. Fiber Classes

   1. Alpaca

   2. Fiber Goat

   3. Fiber Sheep

2. Costume Show, choose one of these classes, all animals will compete together

1. Dress alike, showman and animal dress alike 

2. Celebrity, animal dresses as a celebrity 

3. Movie favorites

General Rules

1. See General Rules for Junior Livestock Exhibitors for more information.

2. Fiber samples must be turned into the 4-H office by 4 p.m. June 15 of the current year.

3. Fiber animals should be shorn in the spring. Fleece samples turned in June 15 will be returned to exhibitors at the conclusion of the show.

Section 3: Market Goats

Market goat classes

Market goats will be split into classes after the fair weigh-in. Classes will be divided by weight and the number of classes needed is determined by the number of animals.

Class order

1. Showmanship

2. Meat Breeding Does

3. Market Goats

Market Goat General Rules

1. See General Rules for Junior Livestock Exhibitors for more information.

2. Meat breed wethers and does and dairy wethers (no dairy does) are eligible.

3. Market goats must be born on or after November 1 of the prior year. Wethers and does are eligible.

4. Exhibitors may weigh-in and tag-in three market goats at the weigh-in from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. the second Saturday in May. Exhibitors may check in Friday before fair up to two market goats.

5. No intact males will be permitted. All male goats must be castrated and healed prior to the May tag-in. See the Castration and Dehorning section under General Livestock Rules for complete information.

6. All market goats will have the option to have a beginning weight taken for Rate of Gain during the May tag-in.

7. Market goats will be weighed for show and sale Friday before the fair begins.

8. Market goats must weigh a minimum of 50 pounds to show and/or sell. Lightweight goats may show in the lightweight class below 50 pounds and must remain on the fairgrounds until dismissal of other goats. They cannot participate in the sale. Lightweights show first.

9. There will be a five dairy market goat minimum to make a class. If there are less than five, then the goats will be combined with the Meat Breed Goat classes. Any goat that has any meat breed genetics (Boer, Spanish Meat, Kiko, etc.) will be considered a Meat Breed Market Goat and will show in these classes.

10. Champion and Reserve Champion Market Goats must sell.

11. No animal may be shown in both breeding and market classes. This decision must be made at the pre-fair tag-in and cannot be changed.

12. Meat breeding and market goats are permitted to have horns except for dairy wethers. See Dairy Goat Rule 2.

Meat Breed Production Classes

A:    Junior Doe, any Meat Breed Doe under 1 year of age the day of the show

Grand Champion Junior Meat Breed Doe

Reserve Grand Champion Junior Meat Breed Doe

B: Yearling Doe, any Meat Breed Doe, 1 to 2 years of age the day of show

Grand Champion Yearling Meat Breed Doe

Reserve Grand Champion Yearling Meat Breed Doe

C: Senior Doe, any Meat Breed Doe, 2 years and a day of age the day of show

Grand Champion Senior Meat Breed Doe

Reserve Grand Champion Senior Meat Breed Doe

D:    Overall Doe

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F: The Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Does from the Junior, Yearling, and Senior Divisions will compete to select a Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Overall Meat Breeding Doe

Meat Breed Production Classes

1.  All does must be registered on Fair Entry by the second Saturday in May. Exhibitors must declare the birth date and class of each doe at this time.

2.   Does do not have to be registered with ABGA.

3.  Meat Breeding Does must declare DOB when registering on Fair Entry. Friday of check-in, does will be weighed and classes will be separated within Division of age and then by weight.

Section 4: Pygmy Goats

Pygmy Goat Classes

A:    Junior Doe, 0 months to under 12

B:    Yearling Doe, 1 year to 2, never freshened

C:    Yearling Doe, 1 year to 2, freshened

D:    Senior Doe, 2 years to 4

E:    Senior Doe, 4 years and up

F:    Wether, 1 year

G.    Wether, 1 year to 2

H.    Wether: 2 years to 4

I.      Wether, 4 years and up. First-place and second-place winners of all wether classes will complete for Grand & Reserve Champion.

Pygmy General Rules

1. See General Rules for Junior Livestock Exhibitors for more information.

2. Exhibitor’s showing only pygmy goats, as a livestock project must have their goats at the fair for the entire week. Arrive the day of the show and stay through Saturday.

3. Pygmy goats may have horns. Exhibitor’s showing pygmies with horns will be responsible for lining the pen with fencing that prevents the goat from sticking the horns out, or people reaching in. In addition, there will need to be a cover over the top of the pen (example hog panels). Prevention must be in place regardless of horn length.

4. If an exhibitor has another animal project housed on the fairgrounds the week of the fair the exhibitor has the option to bring their pygmy goats for the day of the show only. Exhibitors who bring goats the day of the show must check in their goats from 8 to 10 am that morning and they must keep their goats stalled in a pen for the time they are on the fairgrounds.

5. Pygmy goat exhibitors should show using a nylon collar and lead. NO training collars are allowed (example: metal choke chains with spikes).

6. Does less than 2 years of age that have never freshened (dry yearlings) are shown in the junior division, and yearlings that have kidded (freshened yearlings) are shown in the senior division.

7. Nigerian Dwarf goats are not Pygmy goats.

Section 5: Pack Goat

Pack Goat Classes

A:    Senior Pack Goat – 1 year of age or older

B:    Junior Pack Goat – Under 1 year of age

C:    Pygmy and Nigerian Dwarf

Pack Goat Rules

1. Each exhibitor may only show one goat.

2. All pack goats must wear a pack during the show.

3. Each exhibitor is responsible for having a halter and pack for their goat, none will be provided.

4. Pack Goat is a fair project that is chosen in the beginning of the year. There will be no sign ups during fair week.

5. No currently lactating goats will be permitted in the Pack Goat Show.

6. No market goats that will be going to the sale will be permitted in the show.

7. If excessive force is used on a goat on the course, the judge may excuse the exhibitor from the arena.

8. Each exhibitor will have 2 minutes and 30 seconds to complete the course. If an exhibitor has not completed the course in that time, he or she must exit the arena.

9. If a tiebreaker is needed - the judge either will make each animal go around the course again or will choose an obstacle to be used as the tiebreaker. If the judge determines to use one obstacle, then this obstacle will be decided upon and announced at the beginning of the pack goat competition prior to any exhibitor starting the course.

10. Exhibitors can sign up for a show time to avoid showing during their sale time or other conflicts.

Pack

1. Must be suitable for carrying supplies on a hike.

2. Should be appropriate in size to the goat.

3. Pygmy and Junior classes will carry two 20 oz. weights (2.5 pounds total). Senior class will carry four 20 oz. weights (5 pounds total).

4.     Halter: A halter must be on the goat the entire time it is in the show arena, collars may be on the goat in case the halter slips off but may not be used to lead or direct the goat. The halter should be the main tool in guiding the animal through the course. These sheep/lamb halters are inexpensive and can be purchased at any feed store.

5.     Exhibitor attire: Exhibitors should be appropriately dressed. No open-toed shoes, sandals, halters midriff tops, or low-rise pants are permitted.

6.     Course: If a goat refuses an obstacle after the second attempt, handler should proceed to the next obstacle. Goats should be encouraged, but not forced to complete the course. Dragging or forcing the goat is not permitted. Goat and participant will be judged on how well they work as a team, whether they complete the course and the exhibitor’s patience with his/her goat.

Section 6: Harness Goat

Harness Classes

A:    Junior Harness – 1 year or less

B:    Senior Harness - 1 year and older

1. Each exhibitor may have no more than one entry per class. This may be a harness goat team of two, or an individual harness goat in each class.

2. No goat competing in a harness class may be sold as a market wether. Harness goats may be shown in Junior Fair Showmanship classes.

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