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Show Ring Etiquette
by Sandi Wall
[Webmaster's Note: Showing Pygmy Goats
can be a fun and educational experience for the whole family.
There are few rules, but these basic guidelines can make the
experience more enjoyable for you and those around you.]
With all the shows that are upcoming in
the near future, I think all exhibitors should review the
following show ring etiquette. These are simply a few rules to
remember when you are in the show ring that will help you look
better as an exhibitor, show your animal off to its best
advantage and help the judge to better judge your goat.
REMEMBER PARENTS, if your children are showing in the ring,
PLEASE GO OVER SOME OF THESE RULES WITH THEM.
1. Always move in a clockwise circle
(unless the judge instructs you otherwise).
2. Keep at least 2 feet behind the goat in front of you. The
judge has a hard time judging your goat if it is riding
piggy-back on the goat in front of it.
3. ALWAYS KEEP YOUR GOAT BETWEEN YOU AND THE JUDGE. When
changing sides of your goats, do so in front of the animal. DO
NOT go behind the goat or climb over it. As you are changing
sides, switch the lead from one hand to the other.
4. Use a short lead. You don’t want your goat to be able to
walk 3 feet in front of you, but rather at your side. Keep the
collar up high around the goat’s neck, keeping the head held
high.
5. When setting up your goat, do so by placing his/her front
legs set squarely under him/her. Place the rear legs so that
the hocks are lined up with the tail head.
6. When you are asked to walk your goat side by side with
another goat, do just that. Do not run your goat up and back,
this is not a race to see who can get back in line first. This
is a method a judge uses to compare two goats from the front
and rear. If the goat next to you stops, then wait for him/her.
Walk up to where the judge is standing, turn the goat in
towards you and then walk back into line where you started
from.
7. When the judge asks you to line your goats up head to tail,
leave a space of at least 18 inches between your goat and the
one in front of you. There is nothing worse than having your
goat jumping around and acting up, then to discover your goat’s
tail being swallowed up by the goat behind you.
8. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE JUDGE. Your eyes should be only on two
different places, the Judge and your goat. This is not the time
to be checking out the scenery around you. If the judge asks
you to move your goat, he/she doesn’t really like to have to
repeat his/her instructions two or three times.
9. Do not call your goat by it’s name when the judge is within
hearing distance.
10. DO NOT TALK TO THE EXHIBITOR NEXT TO YOU. Save your
conversations with fellow exhibitors for outside the ring and
show a little professional courtesy to the judge.
11. Last of all, but probably most important, DO NOT BRING A
SICK ANIMAL TO THE SHOW! This also applies to goats with
scours, pink eye and sores on their mouth or other parts of the
body. Many of these conditions are contagious and will very
probably (if not, should be) disqualified from the show ring.
Excerpts from:
Hale, Lydia, and Ellen Kritzman, eds.
Pygmy Goats: Best of Memo
(1976-1981)
National Pygmy Goat Association: pp 117
This document is for
informational purposes only and is in no way intended to be a
substitute for medical consultation with a qualified veterinary
professional. The information provided through this document is
not meant to be used in the diagnosis or treatment of a health
problem or disease, nor should it be construed as such.
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