Chat
09-04-2017, 10:24 PM
I just got back today from three days of Colorado State Fair fun-ness. For us, the fair kicked off with the most important classes of the weekend. We started off with the timed Obstacle Course run. Phil and I were the only people who brought packgoats to the event, so we decided to do it up right and have our goats compete with crossbuck saddles. It turned out that no one knew who was in charge of setting up the obstacle course, so there was a last-minute scramble to try to round up enough oddball junk laying around the barn to create some makeshift obstacles. We ended up with a pretty good little course, but I was disappointed that there was no kiddie paddle pool. Phil and I had worked with our goats over the summer so they would be experts at this daunting water challenge, but there was no water on this course. The closest we got to water was having to cross a coiled up garden hose.
The first obstacle was the most difficult for us. We had to lead our goats under a table, and while most dairy girls can walk under and barely duck their heads, our boys were substantially taller than the table even without the crossbuck saddles. Several people asked us how we were going to do it and I figured that was a pretty good question. Sputnik showed everyone how it should be done. I crawled under the table so he would know where I wanted him to go, then I said "Repent, Sputnik!" He obediently dropped to his knees, and when I gave the command to "Grovel" he crawled forward in the kneeling position. Hooray for trick training!! His tall rump bumped the table as it passed under and for a second he lifted the whole thing up and I thought it would tump over backwards, but he dipped his hindquarters just a little and squeezed under. The rest was easy. We jumped a broomstick lying across two chairs, walked over a wooden plank thing with steps in it (improvised from a strange old table that was lying upside-down near the arena), crossed the garden hose, jumped onto two metal stanchions in a row, then from a wooden stanchion onto a tarp, and through some alfalfa bales.
Finn went next, and he had more trouble with the table. He didn't want to crawl under it and he looked as though he might leap onto it instead (very easy for Finn but it would have been disastrous for the table!). After a bit of balking, one of the other competitors ran out and lifted one end of the table so Finn could run under without ducking, much to the amusement of the audience. He completed the rest of the course in record time.
Most of the goats besides Finn and Sputnik had trouble with the broomstick jump. It was no higher than your average stanchion, but most of the girls stopped and stared at it like, "What them heck am I supposed to do with this?" Almost every one of them had to have their front legs lifted over before they would jump with the back. My second entry, Jezebel, was the rare exception among the milking does. She stood straight up on her hind legs and leaped over like a jackrabbit. She cleared it by about a foot, which drew many cheers from the audience. Speaking of the audience, we had many spectators at this obstacle event. Some of them dared their friends to try leading a goat through the course, so then there were gleeful goat owners rushing back to their pens to retrieve goats for these people to compete with. It was hilarious and great fun was had by all.
Here I am with my two winning entries. Because of the ease with which she navigated the table obstacle, Jezebel came in with a faster time than Sputnik.
Phil took Finn and Tincup through the course. Tincup has formed a strong attachment to Phil and follows him everywhere. Finn follows Phil everywhere too except under tables apparently.
The first obstacle was the most difficult for us. We had to lead our goats under a table, and while most dairy girls can walk under and barely duck their heads, our boys were substantially taller than the table even without the crossbuck saddles. Several people asked us how we were going to do it and I figured that was a pretty good question. Sputnik showed everyone how it should be done. I crawled under the table so he would know where I wanted him to go, then I said "Repent, Sputnik!" He obediently dropped to his knees, and when I gave the command to "Grovel" he crawled forward in the kneeling position. Hooray for trick training!! His tall rump bumped the table as it passed under and for a second he lifted the whole thing up and I thought it would tump over backwards, but he dipped his hindquarters just a little and squeezed under. The rest was easy. We jumped a broomstick lying across two chairs, walked over a wooden plank thing with steps in it (improvised from a strange old table that was lying upside-down near the arena), crossed the garden hose, jumped onto two metal stanchions in a row, then from a wooden stanchion onto a tarp, and through some alfalfa bales.
Finn went next, and he had more trouble with the table. He didn't want to crawl under it and he looked as though he might leap onto it instead (very easy for Finn but it would have been disastrous for the table!). After a bit of balking, one of the other competitors ran out and lifted one end of the table so Finn could run under without ducking, much to the amusement of the audience. He completed the rest of the course in record time.
Most of the goats besides Finn and Sputnik had trouble with the broomstick jump. It was no higher than your average stanchion, but most of the girls stopped and stared at it like, "What them heck am I supposed to do with this?" Almost every one of them had to have their front legs lifted over before they would jump with the back. My second entry, Jezebel, was the rare exception among the milking does. She stood straight up on her hind legs and leaped over like a jackrabbit. She cleared it by about a foot, which drew many cheers from the audience. Speaking of the audience, we had many spectators at this obstacle event. Some of them dared their friends to try leading a goat through the course, so then there were gleeful goat owners rushing back to their pens to retrieve goats for these people to compete with. It was hilarious and great fun was had by all.
Here I am with my two winning entries. Because of the ease with which she navigated the table obstacle, Jezebel came in with a faster time than Sputnik.
Phil took Finn and Tincup through the course. Tincup has formed a strong attachment to Phil and follows him everywhere. Finn follows Phil everywhere too except under tables apparently.