Mason Dixon Fair 2014: Monday 7/7/14

We do not do a lot of shows.  With both of us working and Colleen being relatively young it just doesn't work out well.  However, the Mason Dixon Fair is close to home and one that we usually participate in.  It is also the first show of the season.  My daughter shows a few goats and I usually enter some items in the home goods. 

Monday was a busy day, as we were getting all of our tack, feed, and of course the goats ready to travel.  Even though the show is less than 15 miles from our house, it is still a big endeavor.  I cannot imagine what it would be like to be traveling several states away!  At least for this show, if we forget something, we can make a short trip back home to get it.

Charcoal, Little Buddy, and Squeaker settle into their new home for a few days.

Colleen only had one show on Monday: Breeding goats, with Squeaker.  As her mother, I had encouraged her to work with the goats that we knew she would be showing, so that they would walk on the lead around the show ring for her.  This wasn't her first show, and although she's young, she knew better what to expect this year. As her mother, I of course have no idea what I am talking about.  So she chose not to work with her goats until a few days before the show (this is not what is recommended by the way).  Which definitely showed in the ring. 

Colleen doing final touch-ups to Squeaker before taking her into the ring.

I am not, and will not, be the kind of parent who does their child's homework for them.  This is not to say that  I will not help her.  Chad and I both helped her clip the goats (which she is not able to do herself) and wash them in preparation for the show.  However, I believe that she should be responsible for age-appropriate tasks (such as feeding, water, and teaching them to walk on a lead).

Colleen and Squeaker walking around the ring for the judge.

The judges were all very nice about it (there were other kids who were in the same predicament).  They did not come out and tell the kids that they needed to work with their animals more.  They all said something along the lines of, "These kids had very uncooperative animals to work with and made the best of it."  But it also means that Colleen came in last in showmanship (this is where Colleen is being judged on her ability to show an animal).  Colleen didn't seem to mind coming in last, as she came in first/second/other places for other shows, but I minded.  I guess I felt that she didn't do the best that I knew she could have and I wanted her to.  I guess I will have to work on letting that go.  She had fun, and that's definitely important too.  Although I have asked some of the older 4H girls to give her some tips and encouragement for the next show (4H Fair).  That way she has some ideas on what specifically to work on, and it's not coming from me.


Colleen and Chad chillin'.