Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Students, Goats Head West To National Show
FARMINGTON — It’s not everyday you see students walking around town with goats in tow on harnesses and chained leashes.
The students, members of Farmington High FFA, were preparing to leave Sunday afternoon for the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colo. Exercising their animals and getting them accustomed to walking on a chained leash was an important part in making sure the animals would show well.
Senior Turner Mills does not expect any of Farmington’s Boer goats to take first place but to him, that’s not the point. This is his first national show and he is looking forward to a unique experience and meeting people from across the country. Mills will attend another national show later this year.
The national show in Denver is the largest and oldest cattle show in the world, according to FFA sponsor and agriculture teacher Clayton Sallee.
“This is one of the elite of the elite shows,” Sallee said.
The National Western Stock Show runs for three weeks. During that time, 3,000 head of cattle will be shown. Another 500- 600 head of goats, 700 head of hogs and 500 head of market lambs also will participate. It is open to children 9 years old through 12th grade. Cattle to show and sell also will be shown by many farms, Sallee said.
Farmington participated in the Denver show two years ago and Sallee said it allows his students to see competition from across the country.
“There are a lot of really good animals. It’s an experience to get out and meet people and to see how a national show operates,” he added.
Mills lives on a farm and plans a career in some type of agricultural field. Being a part of FFA has helped him in working on the family farm.
Conlee Meadors, a junior at Farmington High, lives in a residential subdivision but said he’s wanted to live on a farm and has always been interested in animals. As soon as he was old enough to join FFA in 9th grade, “I jumped on it,” he said, adding “This led me to my showing career.” Showing animals is his favorite part of FFA.
Autumn Gregg, another FFA member going to Denver, has been busy showing her animals most of the school year. She spent a week at the Washington County Fair, a week at the District Fair in Fort Smith and two weeks at the Arkansas State Fair in Little Rock. Like Meadors and Mills, Gregg also plans a career in some type of agricultural area.
Sallee said goat judges look at the muscles of an animal, its fat and its skeleton.
“They are looking at how the parts and pieces are all put together,” Sallee said.
For an animal, some of this is genetics, he said. However, students play a part by exercising their animals to build up muscle and providing a concentrated feed with nutrients.
Last week, despite cold, frigid temperatures, the students walked to restaurants with the goats, retail stores and local gas stations along Main Street in Farmington and through a few nearby neighborhoods. (They did not go into any stores) The agriculture department has an animal barn near Folsom Elementary and the goats also exercised on a treadmill.
Meadors said it was fun walking the animals around town and enjoying all the “weird looks” they received. Some people wanted to take their pictures and others were even interested in purchasing one of the goats.
The students will not return home with their animals. The Denver show is called a “terminal show” which means the animals will be sold.
While in Colorado, the students hope to do a little sightseeing. One possibility, depending on the weather, is to see Pike’s Peak.