We were so happy to be able to attend the
Eagle County goat show in 2020!

As with the other shows this summer, we weren’t sure if the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions would stop us from attending.

It was touch-and-go for weeks prior to the event, but thanks to our great customer Jacob and his parents, Cindy and Ernie—who pulled some strings with the powers that be—we were able to go. Our daughter Colleen, who lives in Idaho, was visiting at the time and was able to go with us, too. We were very grateful!

The Eagle County show has a special place in our hearts as our customers always do such a great job with their animals. The goats had all grown and developed really well. It was obvious they had been fed healthy diets, and that they were well trained and loved by each of their owners.

It’s so nice to have customers who take such good care of their animals!

So let’s get into some of the highlights of the show.

First, a little background. The events took place in an outdoor pen in the middle of the arena. Thankfully, the coordinators had put up some tents which was helpful, as we did get a good soaking rain in the late afternoon. Unfortunately, some of the kids got wet while waiting to come in the ring, but all in all we stayed dry.

In order to comply with health recommendations, everyone was wearing masks, so in a way we were glad it was a stormy day as it made it a little cooler, which was more comfortable for everyone.

The showmanship class was first. This class was particularly difficult, as the judge had the kids exchange animals at one point, so they had to be on their toes.

One of the girls lost her goat about halfway through the class, and he went running around the ring as she, the judge, and the assistant all took turns trying to catch him!

Hannah took it all in stride. We were proud of her.

Here she is taking second place with Barney.

Hannah and Barney.

Jacob helps all of his siblings with their goats, plus he had had two of his own and did well with both. Here he is with Dallas, who took second place in the market goat class.

Jacob and Dallas.

Lizzy had a challenging time last year managing a spirited goat, so she was happy to have such a great animal to work with this year.

Here she is showing Charlie, and doing a great job. We noticed some definite improvements in her technique over last year. (Check out the recent post Lizzy inspired here. She has a great creative mind.)

Lizzy and Charlie.

Isaac came in the ring with Marshall like he’d been showing for many years rather than just one (prior to this one). We were pleasantly surprised to see how well he’s doing with his showing technique. He was calm and confident and did a good job keeping an eye on the judge. We may have a future showmanship winner here if he keeps at it!

Isaac and Marshall.

Everyone was pooped after the show was over, including Dallas, who as you can see here was obviously ready for a nice easy chair.

Dallas ready for a nice easy chair.

Following the show, our customers invited us over for dinner. It was one of the most delightful evenings we’ve spent in a long time, as the family—including all of the kids—sat down and visited with us over a tasty meal. The art of conversation is so often lost in today’s world, it was refreshing to see it alive and well inside this happy home.

When it was all over we were sad to leave as both Jacob and Hannah will soon be off to college. We felt like we were saying goodbye to some of our own grandkids! Hopefully they will be back for the fair next year as we would really miss seeing them.

Congratulations to Hannah on her high school graduation this year and good luck to her in college in Iowa. Jacob has completed one year of college already in Nebraska and is well on his way to determining what his major area of study will be. Both of these institutions are lucky to have such fine young people attending them. We know they will both be very successful.

Meanwhile we look forward to seeing what Lizzy and Isaac will do next year. Thanks again to everyone!