ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - Showing animals at the Allen County Fair comes with practice, but it also helps if you get some good advice from someone that has gone through it.
When you get into the arena you need to know what to do to impress the judges. Just ask Nate Buell who won Champion of Champions for showmanship with his meat goat.
“It is very cool to get out there and brace my goat and compete against the other competitors,” says Buell.
Buell has been competing for seven years now, and there is one important lesson that he has learned.
“I have learned patience through these goats because they are always jumping around,” exclaimed Buell. “You work with them and you are patient with them, and they work with you.”
Now he is passing on what he knows to his neighbor Jackie Miller, who has found his own appreciation for goats.
“I like them because sometimes they kiss,” states Miller.
Showmanship takes some practice as you need to control your goat while making eye contact with the judge, and making sure it is set up correctly and you are not too aggressive with the animal. Buell joined Miller in the ring to get a taste of judging and “So my goat doesn’t run off,” says Miller.
And Miller has found his reason to continue showing at the Allen County Fair.
“Winning,” exclaims Miller
“Watching him go out there hold the goat and show it, it's really inspiring,” says Buell. “In my part, I feel like I did good teaching him somehow to show a goat and learn to be in my position someday.”
