REIGNING RUMINANTS Cherokee County Junior Livestock Show ends with goat show

The final day of the 2023 Cherokee County Junior Livestock Show featured local teens and children getting their goats on display at the Cherokee County Community Center.

Rex Jordan, goat superintendent, and Gary Cooper, assistant goat superintendent, weighed and recorded the goats' stats prior to the competition. Each animal was led up to the scale and herded inside by handlers.

Frankie Neighbors, a competitor in the grades 3-6 division, waited in line with her goat and her father, Josh Neighbors.

"Frankie [began] working with goats when she started in Woodall's 4-H program," said Neighbors. "She was a little too small to do heifers [at that time], but now she's doing heifers. That's where her heart's at, the Brahma heifers."

Frankie won Reserve Breed Champion Heifer and Grand Champion Heifer in the cattle show the day before. After the goat show, Neighbors said Frankie had enjoyed competing with her friends so much that she had decided to keep working with the goats, as well as the heifers.

"The goats have to be fed morning and night, and she is always the first one up in the morning to feed and take care of them," said Neighbors.

After the weigh-in, attendees broke for a lunch of barbecued bologna, side dishes, and desserts provided by Exciting Southeast Baptist Church in Tahlequah, which hosted a religious service before the beginning of the competition.

Other food was available from the concession, attended to by Cherokee County 4-H and FFA Booster Club. Latosha Steeley, heading up the effort in the kitchen, said funds from the sale of food would benefit the Muskogee Regional Junior Livestock Show. A chili supper was served prior to the premium auction and awards program on Monday, Feb. 20.

Heather Winn, Cherokee County Oklahoma State University Extension educator, was a nine-year member of 4-H in Muskogee and served as a state 4-H vice president in 1990-'91. Winn was the emcee at this year's show, assisted by Jodie Parolini, OSU Extension Office agriculture educator.

Winn said that after goats were recognized by the industry as a real player in the field, the animal was added to the livestock show. The money students receive from the auction is added to their agriculture funds to cover the expenses of raising the animals.

"Most of these kids will go to Muskogee Regional next week to show, and some will go to the Oklahoma Expo in Oklahoma City. Then at that point, the animals will either go home with the child to continue as breeding stock, or go off in the big trucks for slaughter," said Winn.

Behind the barn, contestants combed and sprayed the animals, preparing them for showing.

Carl Wallace, with FFA at Tahlequah High School, and Blaine Silka, were helping students with the eight goats they brought to the show.

"We are fixing the goats up to show. We're working their hair and getting them ready to rock 'n' roll," said Wallace.

Animals are judged on many factors - first, for overall build, specifically bones and hoof size, shape, and muscle. Flexibility, hips, stoutness, turn of the knees down to the front legs, and front end construction are other considerations that come into play when determining place in class. Does are raised for breeding and wethers are for meat.

Scott Clawson, judge for the goat show, took time to talk to the competitors after each class winners were announced, to share the aspects of the animal he took into consideration in the judging.

"They don't all look the same but that's all right. They still all have good qualities," said Clawson when discussng the kids showing their goats.

Goat/breeding doe division winners

Overall does: Nathan Rowan, Grand Champion doe and Bronze Medallion; Ryan Bailey, Reserve Grand Champion doe.

Overall wethers: Nathan Rowan, Grand Champion wether; Kynni Steeley, Reserve Grand Champion wether; and Bella Young, Bronze Medallion.

Showmanship: Ryan Bailey, Junior division; Faith Young, Intermediate division; and Nathan Rowan, Senior division.

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