Our goating adventure has brought us to the county fair! So many thoughts...
Take away number one: we were not as prepared as we thought we were.
Take away number two: we had no idea how to do “fittings“ (fluffing goat leg hair).
Take away number three: the people who compete in livestock competitions are very, very, very serious about what they do.
Take away number four: it was pretty cool to look at other peoples goats and talk about the finer points of muscle definition.
Take away number five: seeing other people's goats showed us our goats have very little muscle.
Takeaway number six: it was a blast. So, so, so fun.
The fair was unlike anything we have ever done. We were there everyday, almost all day. The kids washed their goats daily and primped them for judging. M, J, and D competed in the ring and came in mostly last each time. A true learning experience. We did not get to see much of the rest of the fair because our goats were the priority. Each day we would walk around the barns and talk to others about their animals. We would admire pens, training and grooming practices, the overall look of the animals, size, muscle definition, coloring, and socialization. The kids decided this was our most awesome adventure to date. M's favorite moment was winning premium money which was unexpected. J's favorite moment was the swag. D's favorite was winning premium money and showing Sonic in the ring.
Preparing for the fair.
But before county fair 2021, there was my Dad.
My Dad was raised in eastern Tennessee on a 15 acre farm. On half of the farm they raised cattle. On the other half they raised corn to feed the cattle. He spent much of his growing up years taking care of animals. He was heavily involved in FFA, serving in many leadership roles. Every year he showed hogs and steers at the fair. If life had gone the way he thought, he most likely would have continued on as an Appalachian cattle rancher. He had purchased a registered Black Angus Bull to start growing his herd shortly before being the pedestrian in an auto/pedestrian accident that left him with a mangled body and a traumatic brain injury. Brain injuries are not well understood today. They were less understood in the 60's and 70's. Being raised by a father with a TBI was pretty awful. I wonder who he would have been if things had been different....that was a very long tangent to say…
When we were growing up my Dad would take us to county fairs. We would want to see the arts and crafts, produce, music, rides, food, etc. But...Dad would take us to the barn to see the steers and heifers. Always the stinky, huge, scary cows. He would walk up and down the aisles, occasionally leaning against one of the pens, smelling and listening to cow sounds, talking to other men about their animals. He could have stayed there all day. I did not get it.
Now I do.
My relationship with my Dad has always been complicated (though admittedly less so now), but he was the one I have wanted to share this experience with the most because he gets it. He has been excited for our livestock journey every step of the way and it has been nice.
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