I just have to share about this weekend and all that I've learned! A couple months ago, my friend and mentor, Tracy Stampke, shared that there would be an ADGA Judges Training Conference in Nashville (Cheatham County, specifically). Mind you, I've never shown a goat. I never wanted to spend the time or money, was concerned about biosecurity, and I generally shy away from competitions because while nobody likes to lose anything, I generally dislike winning even more!
Goat shows do have considerable value, however, for a myriad of reasons. In general, they teach breeders and exhibitors what to look and breed for, so that they can improve the breed. They're also a good way to see how your management is stacking up compared to other farms. We've had a wet year; have you kept up with your parasite prevention program as well as you should have? If not, you'll notice when another breeder whose goats have always had less body condition than yours suddenly have more. They're also a great place to find animals to improve your breeding program and to network with and learn from other breeders to improve your management practices and breeding decisions.
While I never wanted to show, I did want to learn more and become a better breeder, and thankfully ADGA has a program (Linear Appraisal) for people like me who don't want to take animals off the farm and don't care to compete but still want to learn. It also has the added benefit of having official trait scores listed in the genetic registry. I will have my 3rd linear appraisal session late next month and it's time to start getting my goats prepared - copper boluses, one of two hoof trimmings between now and then, and some shaving.
So, why does a Judges Training Conference in Nashville mean anything to me? Well, it presented an opportunity to learn, and I'm always up for that! It also presented an opportunity to meet some people that I've only ever seen online and to actually see Tracy in person (though that gracious lady has spent hours on the phone with me, to include talking me through my first ever assisted kidding on speaker phone at 11 pm!) I also got to see Juli Huffman, who I purchased a doe from once upon a time and her gorgeous baby, as well as Kris Ellis, who bred the granddam of my senior herdsire and showed me how to draw blood on a goat back in 2008 (before I was brave enough to actually do it!) My husband, who has watched me converse with John White at our linear appraisal sessions told me, "I think you have an eye for this stuff and you should do it." If that crazy man was willing to pay a crazy amount of money for me to have this learning experience, who am I to say no?! The added bonus was that I didn't have to pay for air fare, hotel, rental car, or Convention fees. My arm was sufficiently twisted!
Yesterday was the Pre-TC. We spent the first part of the day going over the material that would be on our written test this morning. To say that I was overwhelmed would be an understatement! I read through the pertinent sections of the ADGA guidebook once, a couple months ago, when I decided to do this conference. I anticipated going over it a few more times between then and now, but got busy, stuck it on the back burner, and here I am, under prepared. We spent the rest of the day judging animals - placing them and giving reasons. Having never shown and only ever watched one show before in my life (2010 ADGA Nationals - specifically, Karen Senn judging the Alpines), I didn't step up to place or give reasons but hung back to watch and learn. At the end of the day, we were dismissed and Karen Smith said she was having a study session at her house 3 hours later. I really could have used the extra study session, but I also knew that if I did that, I'd get home very late and that sleep (I'm not a teenager any more!) is also important! During the day, Cameron Jodlowski (who I'm sure I saw show back in 2010, and I know I eaves-dropped a conversation his dad was having with another breeder because I have much to learn from experienced breeders like that) e-mailed all of the TC attendees a whole lot of information to help us prepare better for this weekend. If only I had studied that information months ago! When I arrived home, I printed all of it off and got to work. My four, dear, two-legged kids were instructed to SHH! Mama's studying!
This morning, we took our written test. I forgot half of the general disqualifications, couldn't quite remember all the breed-specific disqualifications, and I was pretty fuzzy on which defects were slight, moderate, severe, very serious... I prayed that the test over that material would be easier, but it was a lot of fill-in-the-blank. Oops. I had never laid eyes on a Report of Awards before. I prayed my General Knowledge was up to snuff and that I didn't confuse reasons on the Scorecard section. All I could do was my best and then wait and see what happened.
We then sat under the instruction of Tom Considine, Betty Henning, and Anna Thompson Hadjik, both in the classroom and in the barn, judging classes and giving reasons and getting critiqued on those reasons. I learned a tremendous amount! I know I must have aggravated the other conference attendees with basic questions that I would have known the answer to if I had shown animals before. I have always believed that the only stupid question is the one you don't ask, and as much as this conference cost, I was going to take away as much information as I could cram into my brain in the amount of time. While I've learned a ton at my linear appraisal sessions in the past, I felt as though I came away from today with a better understanding of what is more desirable with regard to all the parts of a dairy goat, how those parts affect function and one another, how to place animals with regard to the scorecard, and how to explain those placings both with regard to what is most obvious and what is most important. Evaluating an animal by itself as compared to a standard (Linear Appraisal) is quite different than comparing two animals side by side (Show). They are both useful tools, but they help you see things in different ways.
In my first class, I had the instruction of Betty Henning. If there is a kinder or more knowledgeable lady when it comes to dairy goat instruction, I can't imagine what sort of angel she'd be. Betty spoke to us as if we were dear friends - gentle, informative, and incredibly helpful. She made sure we understood what it means to place goats according to the scorecard and that we cut any superfluous speech from our presentation of reasons.
In my second class, Anna Thompson Hajdik drove home the point that the most obvious difference between two does is the one you point out first, whether or not it is the most important. While you will point out the most important, if it isn't the most obvious, you'll confuse your exhibitors and spectators if you speak about it first. She also broadened my understanding of how to use scorecard terminology with regard to reasons. While that session was the most confusing for me (maybe it was because we were judging intermediate kids?) it was the session that sparked the most inquiry for me that eventually made it all make sense.
In the third class, we had the instruction of Tom Considine (who also taught our Pre-TC). Immediately upon arriving to his group I said, "I'm confused about something." He said, "Ask. Now!" I was conflicted about the importance of the scorecard and the importance of stating the obvious. He helped clarify for me what both Betty and Anna were saying in a way that made it all click. When it came my turn to place and give reasons for the class, I was quite nervous. I had watched Tom pick apart experienced judges' reasons just yesterday, and to make matters worse, I chose a different doe for first place than the people before me. When I got done with my reasons, Tom said, "That was very good. Why didn't you give reasons yesterday?" I told him that I had never shown, had only watched one show in my life, and I needed to watch to learn how it was done. His reaction was probably the most affirming part of the entire conference. After a few gestures expressing shock, he said that given my level of experience, I did unbelievably well! While he had recommendations (say less, because you have less chance of making mistakes) he said that everything I said was correct and he couldn't fault me on any of it! I did refrain from doing the happy dance, but just barely!
After that, we went back to the classroom to get our written test scores. Tom Considine shared with us that the first time he took the test, he failed. In fact, most people fail the first time. He encouraged us that if we failed, to keep at it and try again. I didn't expect to do all that well and frankly, I was more afraid of passing than failing, because passing meant that I would have to do more!
When you go to your very first TC, you can pass with an apprentice license only. You have to score 75% to get that level of license. After you've been an apprentice, you can test for your two-year and then four year license, requiring written test scores of 75% and 80%, respectively. I received an 86% on Scorecard, 87% on General Knowledge, and 84% on Report of Awards. Not bad, for someone with so little experience and preparation, I think! However, I did not pass the Evaluation of Defects portion of the test. I can't say that I was surprised, given how I felt after the test. I understand that I was one of a handful that didn't pass, and that there were several there trying for the second or third time for their apprentice license. So, if it's possible to feel good about failing, I think I feel as good as can be expected!
After the day's dismissal, I spoke with Tom Considine about it and whether or not to return to training tomorrow. He assured me that I was welcome to come and they'd love to have me. He also said that with 25 testers that it was likely they'd be testing on into the night and since I couldn't pass the conference based on the written test, I'd be at the end of the line and they may or may not get to me. He said that when he failed his first time, he didn't return for the second day and while it was up to me, if it were him, he'd enjoy the day with his family instead. He also encouraged me to return and try again another time. He was very kind and gracious and I was very thankful for the opportunity I had to learn so much under such experienced, knowledgeable, and helpful breeders and judges this weekend.
After that, I had the opportunity to speak with the lady who graded my test. She assured me that it was an excellent test for my first time, that they see far worse out of people who have tested a few times, and that it wouldn't have taken much more for me to pass all of the sections. I never had imagined wanting to show, but I have to say that there was something pretty intoxicating about standing with a doe (that wasn't even mine!) that someone else was placing first in line! I never imagined being a judge at a dairy goat show, but I enjoyed the challenge of determining the best doe in the class according to the scorecard and giving clear, accurate reasons with correct terminology. It was nerve-wracking but fun! I came home thinking, "That was great. I learned so much. It's so expensive, though, and judging shows would mean time away from my family so I'll likely not do it again."
As I shared with David about my experience, he said, "So, you want to do it again?" I said, "I don't know about that." He said, "Sure you do. You should do it again!" I'm totally undecided at this point. There are so many things on my agenda... If I never do it again, I have learned a great deal that will, without a doubt, make me a better breeder. (Don't say 'better' - it's a cheap comparative term; instead say, 'more capable breeder'... somehow, giving reasons for show placings isn't much different than teaching my children how to write well...) But if I do decide to give it another go, I will know exactly how to prepare!
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