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Sweet Pea had never been in the show ring until Memorial Day weekend 2005. And for that matter had never
been handled very much until I bought her. She was not very trusting of anyone and took months to warm up
to me. She lived in a field and was used as a brood doe. She was never milked and until I started milking her
she would not let me touch her rear legs or get behind her.
She has smoothly blended tight shoulders,a great topline, flat rump and a great front end. Her pedigree,
what I know of it, includes some well known and top Nigerian Dwarf Goats. She has straight teats and a
well attached udder. Her back legs are harder to judge, since just trying to get behind her to look at them
causes her to turn them. When she is relaxed (and does not know you are looking) her rear legs are almost
straight and naturally in the show position.
My quote from last year - "If I can get her to learn her way in the ring, she may be shown," finally
came due. I was headed to a show in NJ and needed to take her with me so I could milk her, so I figured there
wouldn't be much harm in showing her while I was there. Now you must take into account that Sweet Pea still
does not like people. I am currently on Milk Test with her and she has to be dragged into the milking room
each month since there are "new people" in the room. But I was ready for the challenge.
Her first time in the ring was just as expected, she did not like having goats or people behind her and she
finished in 6th place. The next show she was a little better even though she seemed tired of it already.
She finshed in 4th. On the Sunday shows she seemed much happier. I had tied her ringside with Nocturne just
out of reach of the people watching. It seemed to work and she settled down in the ring and took 1st place in her
class. It was a very close placing and the judge flipped 1st and 2nd back and forth a few times, but in the end
Sweet Pea stood at the head of the line.
Then in the Senior Champion class Sweet Pea shocked me and won the herd's first purple ribbon with AGS for Reserve
Grand Champion! It was a close placing and Sweet Pea nearly won, but yielded to the Grand Champion in Udder Capacity.
After the Doe show Ann Weikel, the judge unveiled the drawing of the breed standard that ADGA had commisioned her
to draw. So it was a worthy win, since Ann picked Sweet Pea and said she excelled in General Appearance to all the
other does being shown!
Shown Dry
Click Photo To Enlarge
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