The Goat Olympics

We weren't there to see it in person but check out the great article about the Lake County (Ohio) Fair's Goat Olympics. That's Mom being interviewed in the video. Didn't she do a great job? Go Mom!!

4-H members bring farm friends to olympic event to blow off a little steam

Published: Monday, August 23, 2010
For all the time they spend with one another, Lake County 4-H students and their goats know when the other is need of some fun.

After months of feeding, caring and project producing, the students and their goats typically turn to the Lake County Fair for a release.

Each year, it comes in the form of the Goat Olympics, where 4-H members maintain security of their goats while doing odd tasks like balancing eggs while kneeling. In turn, the goats show allegiance to the youngsters by returning to their caretakers after being set loose. Considering the presence of 15 other goats and several fair visitors, that's no easy task.

"It's the end of the fair, the grand finale," said Mary Ann Zoldak, Lucky Charms Goat 4-H Club organizer. "We let off all our steam, we have a good time, we have a pizza party afterwards, and then we are ready to go home and do it again next year."

The steam relief first involved a half dozen goats with names like Paul Jr. and Pinky Pie participating in a best-dressed contest.

The eventual top two tandems dressed as a pair of dice and softball players.

Next, came the egg and spoon contest, in which the children had to maintain a spoon handle in their mouths while its bowl carried an egg.

The tricky part is walking forward and backward, as well as kneeling, without dropping the spoon and egg, and walking a goat. Contest winner Allison Misich and her 7-year-old Pygmy goat, Tot, relied on past experience to pull out the win.

"I've done it in past years," said the recent Madison High School graduate and six-year 4-H veteran, "but my jaw starts to hurt."

Misich then joined the other competitors in the obstacle course, in which the students each led their goats through a cone maze, under a pole, over a few haystacks and under a table. It wasn't exactly a sprint for any of the participants, as the generally lackadaisical animals often lumbered along and resisted the exercise.

Last came the best friend portion, where goats where held at one end of the livestock arena, while their owners stood at the opposite end. Goats aren't known for chaos, but this Olympic segment got pretty close. Instead of finding their owner to become a winner, most goats either stood still in confusion or headbutted others and created pileups while the students pleaded for them to return.

In the end, all 4-H students received trophies or gift bags in front of a nice-sized crowd. Attendance wasn't necessarily reflective of a change in attitude toward the goat, but a show of the same support Fair attendees have shown the Olympics for nearly 25 years.

"People are not interested in goats," Zoldak said, "but they're interested in the Goat Olympics. It's a fun thing to watch." By Brandon C. Baker
See the full article and photos here!