Goat Shows’ Times & Rules

Sponsored by the Hartsell Family

GOAT SHOWS

Open Breeding Show August 12, 2024 at 4 pm in Show Barn 

immediately followed by Junior Breeding Show

Junior Showmanship at 6:00 pm

Immediately followed by Junior Market Show

1. All goat entries, Market, Bred and Owned Market, and Junior & Open Commercial Breeding Does must be in place no later than 12:00 noon Fair Sunday.  Junior & Open Commercial Breeding Doe Show entries must be registered online by July 31, 2023.  All goats must be washed and cleaned before they arrive at the fair.
2. The Goat Department reserves the right to dismiss any goat on the fairgrounds that has any communicable disease such as fungus, foot rot, sore mouth, ringworm or any others that are identified. The Goat Committee also reserves the right to call in a veterinarian of its choice to review any health decisions made by the committee.
3. To be in compliance with the recommendations of the state veterinarian, all goats must be identified with an official scrapie program identification tag in their ear or an AGBA tattoo upon arrival at the fairgrounds.  The official paperwork must also accompany the goat.  Any goat not having the tag will be dismissed from the fairgrounds and sent home.
4. The Junior Goat Show is open only to Clarke County 4-H or FFA project members who have met all fair qualifier requirements.
5. Showmanship classes will be divided into Novice, Junior, Intermediate and Senior. Novice Showmen will be those youth who have not shown beef as a 4-H or FFA project previously at the Clarke County Fair and are the age of 12 or under as of September 30, 2024. Junior Showman will be those exhibitors who will be between 9 and 12 years of age as of September 30, 2024. Intermediate showmen will be those exhibitors who will be between 13 and 15 years of age as of September 30, 2024 and Senior Showmen are those exhibitors who will be between 16 and 19 years of age as of September 30, 2024.
6. There may be no covers when checking goats into the barn initially and absolutely no goats are to be brought into the barn without being checked off the list of the goat chairmen.  NO EXCEPTIONS.
7. Only water from a bucket may be used to hydrate any goats while at the fairgrounds.  No tubes, hoses, or bottles may be used at any time. 
8. All market goats must be in possession and ownership of the exhibiting 4-H or FFA member and be on feed by the June weigh-in, year of the show.
9. Goats must be weighed in and tagged at the official project weigh-in held the first Saturday in June, year of the show.
10. Each exhibitor may weigh-in up to 5 goats at the official weigh-in in June; they may show 3 goats and sell 2 goats at the fair livestock sale. If showing in the Bred & Owned Market Show; the goat must be designated at June weigh in.  Please notify Sale Committee no later than Tuesday at 5 pm if any goats are not selling in the Friday Night Livestock Sale.
11. All 4-H and FFA entries must have been personally managed and cared for by the exhibitor making the entry. From the time the project starts, the member must have personally managed, cared for, and fed the project animal(s) he/she enters, except in the case of illness or other circumstances beyond the owner’s control and not covering a total period of more than 14 days.  All exceptions shall be made by the Goat Committee.  Entries are accepted in good faith that feeding, management, and care of the animals have been conducted as part of 4-H or FFA projects by the exhibitor.
12. 4-H and FFA goat livestock exhibits are only to be shown by the exhibitor. 
13. If Goats are not housed on property owned or rented by immediate family then the exhibitor must notify the Livestock Committee in writing of the location of the animal and why it is housed there and receive committee approval. If the animal is moved at any time during the fair project, the Livestock Committee must be notified immediately.
14. All entries are subject to on-farm inspections to verify entry information. All exhibitors agree to accommodate such inspections.
15. All goats will be weighed on Fair Monday at 7:00 AM, and will be graded by Monday, also. All market goats must weigh a minimum of 50 pounds, OR grade choice or better, and must be born on or after December 1 of the year previous to the show to qualify to show.  NO RE-WEIGH’s. Goats not making weight and/or grade can: (1) show in Junior Goat Showmanship Show and will be in a “Prospect Market Class”.
16. To recognize goat buyers, $6.00 may be retained from the proceeds of each goat sold to purchase a newspaper advertisement and recognition banner.
17. All buck goats must be castrated (removal of testicles) by the initial project weigh-in. Any evidence of testicular tissue will be evaluated and up to the discretion of the goat committee.  Both wethers (neutered males) and doe goats may be shown in the market goat classes.
18. All goats must be shown wearing a collar or a halter. No pinch collars or any collar that may create a choke on an animal are allowed.
19. The fitting and show preparation area is confined to the wash rack, the goat barn and other designated areas surrounding the goat barn.  These areas will be designated at the Sunday exhibitor meeting. The market goats will be divided into classes by weight, not breed.  All breeds will be shown together.
20. For a goat to be considered a meat goat at the Clarke County Fair, the goat must be full blood or a cross containing any of the following breeds: Boer, Kiko, Myotonic/ Tennessee Fainting Goat, Spanish, or Brush; Full blood dairy (ex: Nubian and all Swiss breeds); fiber (ex: angora/cashmere) or dwarf/pygmy goats or any crosses of these type goats that do not contain a % of the meat goats listed above will not qualify.
21. The Goat Committee and Junior Exhibitors will set-up pens on Thursday, August 8th at 6:30 p.m. and will meet again on Sunday, August 18th at 9:00 a.m. to take down goat pens.  Before exhibitors in the barn area leave the grounds at the conclusion of the Fair, they must clean their pens.
22. Youth exhibitors must be present at the show and the sale in order to sell an animal.  If the exhibitor and/or animal are not present at the start of their show or their time at the livestock sale; neither will be allowed to participate in that event.  Any exception must be approved by the goat committee chairman.
23. The Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion of the Junior Market Goat Show and Bred and Owned Show must sell in the junior livestock sale.
24. Exhibitors are not allowed to hit animals in the show ring.  There will be no exceptions and no warnings.
25. Bred and owned market goat exhibitors must own and care for the mother during gestation of the bred and owned market goat prior to breeding. Bred and owned market goat exhibitors must take and complete the breeding goat project.
26. Youth exhibitors cannot show the same goat in the bred and owned market goat class and the general market goat classes. Youth must designate at June weigh-in which goat(s) are to be in the market goat class and which goat(s) are to be in the bred and owned market goat class. 
27. A Group will consist of any four animals of the same breed that have been shown in a previous class of the show. An exhibitor is limited to two group entries.
28. The Youth Open Showmanship “Pee Wee” class is open to any youth that will not reach their 9th birthday by September 30 of the year of the show.
29. A doe and kid entry will consist of a doe and her kid of the same breed that have been shown in a previous class of the show.  No Market Goats can show in the Open Show.
30. Entry Forms and fees will be due on July 31st either via internet entry or a form will be sent via mail if requested by the exhibitor no later than July 15th.  A fee of $3 per head will be charged for the open show.  
31. All goats must remain in the goat barn until 4 pm on the Saturday of the fair unless being removed to another fair.  Permission from the goat co- chairmen must be obtained early in the week.
32. Breeding Show entries cannot be shown in a market class.
33. There is a limit of 4 does per exhibitor.  Pen availability is limited, the livestock committee has the right to reduce the amount of entries if needed.
34. Any commercial doe must be in possession of the exhibitor by June 1st of the year of the show.
35. Use of irritants including alcohols, sprays, and other irritants is prohibited. The use of external or internal tail stimulants is prohibited. 
36. The use of muzzles is prohibited. 
37. The use of coloring agents is prohibited. 
38. The use of adhesives and glues for the purpose of fitting hair is allowed, however the addition of twine, hair, or any substance (such as to “build” legs) is prohibited.

Dairy Goat Show

Monday, August 12th at 12 p.m. in Show Barn

only 4-H/FFA Members are allowed to Show

Show Rules

1.  All entries for the Fair must be turned in by August 4th – a form will be emailed. Incomplete entries and late entries will not be accepted. 
2. For an entry to be valid, all required information must be included on the entry form. Goat identification may be either breed registry tattoo, scrapies ear tag, or microchip. In the event of microchip identification, it is the responsibility of the owner and/or exhibitor to provide microchip reader at the request of the veterinarian or fair staff. Please see “Animal Identification Requirements” to ensure compliance.
3. Picture copies of registration papers must be submitted with entry forms. Goats with registration papers need to be in the current owner’s name. Purebred goats that do not have a copy of registration papers with their entry form or are unregistered will be entered into the commercial classes. 
4. Junior Exhibitor’s showing the goat will be listed on the Show Sheet also. An exhibitor may show someone else’s animal but they must be paired with that animal on the August 4th entry form.
5. Exhibitors must show in the Showmanship class.  The goat shown must be one that they are showing in the 4-H Show.
6. Each exhibitor may enter a maximum of 4 goats in the show. No more than 1 entry in the dam and daughter classes per exhibitor.
7. All dairy goats must be clipped prior to the arrival at the Fair per their breed’s specifications. All goats must be clean and not fitted.
8. Goats should be shown with a collar, short lead, or halter. The use of muzzles is prohibited.
9. All goats must remain in the designated penning area and immediate area upon arrival
10. until released from the Fair. Goats are allowed brief excursions to the exhibitor parking area or show barn for exercise, show practice, and milking. 
11. Breed classes consisting of 3 or more individual animals will be run separately. Order of go (if there are enough animals to run the class) will consist of: Alpine, Commercial, Lamancha, Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen, Toggenburg, and AOB (All Other Breeds). The AOB class will consist of any other dairy breeds that are not previously listed.
12. Dress Code: Exhibitors are expected to report to ringside in short or long sleeved white shirt or blouse (shirts with commercial logos not associated with goats are not acceptable), white or black pants (or professional length skirts) with close-toed shoes. Dairy whites are preferred!
13. Dry milking does or does 2 years of age or older will be entered in their age appropriate senior class.

Animal Identification Requirements: 

For Dairy Goats, only an ID recognized as “official” by the Commonwealth of VA is acceptable:

• Official Ear Tags: must bear the U.S. Shield
  • Scrapie Program tags: Flock ID tags (flock number and individual animal ID on tag)
  • Serial ID Tags: (state code with serials or letters, white and orange tags)
  • RFID Tags: either standard (cattle size) or sheep size. Must be 840 For earless goats, a scrapie flock ID or Serial ID tag may be secured through a collar which cannot be slipped over the head
• USDA Compliant Microchips: Microchip number must be listed on registration paper
• Breed Registry Tattoos: MUST be legible. MUST be accompanied by the registration paper

2024 Dairy Goat Show Class Listing

Showmanship Classes

Class 1: Pee-Wee Showmanship (ages 5-8 as of 9/30/2024)

Class 2: Junior Showmanship (ages 9-12 as of 9/30/2024)

Class 3: Intermediate Showmanship (ages 13-15 as of 9/30/2024)

Class 4: Senior Showmanship (ages 16-18 as of 9/30/2024)

Breed Classes 

Class Order: Alpine, Commercial, Lamancha, Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen, Toggenburg, and AOB (All Other Breeds).

Class List will run through for each breed with 3 or more animals entered

Any Breed can show in All Other Breeds if there are not enough entries to fill a class.

Seniors Show

Class 5: Milkers, 2 years and under (as of August 12)

Class 6: Milkers, 3 and 4 years old (as of August 12)

Class 7: Milkers, 5 and older (as of August 12)

Senior Champion & Senior Reserve Champion per Breed – Rosette

Best Senior Doe of Show – Banner

Specialty Classes 

No Breed Separation

Class 8: Dam and Daughter

Class 9: Dairy Herd (three senior does, entered by herd or farm name)

Champion & Reserve Champion from each Class – Rosette

Class 10: Best Udder of Show – Banner

Juniors

Class 11: Junior and Intermediate Kids – born on or after March 1, year of show

Class 12: Senior Kids – born on or before February 28, year of show

Class 13: Dry Yearlings: over 1 year of age and under 2, never freshened nor in milk

Junior Champion & Junior Reserve Champion  – Rosette

Best Junior Doe of Show – Banner

Shows

Awards