# State Fair - good, but scary!



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

We got home from our state fair ABGA show yesterday evening. We had a great time for the most part. We arrived at 5:30pm on Friday. They moved us into a different building this year - next to the arena where we're used to being. We shared a HUGE building with chickens/rabbits at the opposite end, show ring in the middle. We were on the main aisle and it was high traffic, so it was a bit stressful whereas not a lot of people ventured into the arena. So it was kind of a shock for us all, but eventually the goats got used to it. 
There was an issue with people being super loud until 2am, so we did not sleep well at all! We were up, had breakfast and washing goats by about 8am. 
My friend and her kids brought 14! We brought 8.

The show went very well, and it was the biggest crowd I'd ever seen watch the show, so that was a big positive! The ring stewards, and others said they were asked more questions than ever, so that was cool.

Our adult does didn't place very well in their classes, but we knew they wouldn't as we don't have the fancy show doe style they want, but we're proud of our girls!
My daughter's 5mo doe finished a very competitive 4th in a large class of 3-6 month old does, so that was exciting! Her 8mo doe did okay in her 6-9mo class.
Her 5mo paint buck twin to the doe above finished a very competitive 3rd in a large class of bucks, and her 11mo buck finished 2nd (to his twin brother) in 9-12mo.
My son's does didn't place well, I honestly am not sure what their placings were, I think I took pics so I'd know if I forgot (lol).
His buck did win his 9-12mo class, and had everyone in the makeup ring pulling for him for Overall or Reserve buck. Sadly he didn't get it, but everyone said his buck should have won, so that made us feel good. The bad part though was knowing a buck that beat him was DQ'd at the National show and at the last show for a breed standard, but this judge did not even check (ear). So that gives me mixed opinions on these ABGA standards unfortunately.

After the show, we walked over through the cattle barn to get ice cream, came back, and then ate a late dinner. We'd just finished up were sitting there debating on going to bed. We were all exhausted, my daughter went in the tent to sleep. It was just after 10pm. Security was having problems getting the overhead door to close so they could lock up the building for the night, so they left to find someone to fix it. 
No sooner had they left, someone in security came running through the overhead door in the middle of the building (from cattle barn) yelling to get out there was an active shooter!
We were like... what? They were in a panic and yelling again telling everyone to get out!

My friends teenage son had gone to the bathroom. She ran to find him. My son ran in the tent and picked up my daughter and carried her out the doors next to our tent. We ran and hid between vehicles watching for my friend. Another person's son was with us at this point. My son ran back into the building, I tried to stop him, but he said no, he had to find his friend! A few minutes later to our relief they all ran out including the father of the boy who was with us - turns out he was an off duty police officer. Super nice family penned across the aisleway from us. He had escorted my friend around to help her find her son. ironically, the bathroom was closed for cleaning so he'd gone into the next building to use the bathroom.
We piled in my truck and drove around the long, one way road that goes around the facility trying to find out what was going on. We made one lap and came back, and were told it was a false alarm, there was no shooter.
To say we were terrified was an understatement. But thankfully doors were locked, and things settled down and we had a good night after that. 
Unfortunately the poultry/rabbit families who were still there - a lot did camp like we did, they were rushed into hallway closets and kids were really upset and traumatized.

Turns out, outside at the opposite end of our building/cattle barn, there was apparently a single gunshot fired into the air, and teenagers started setting firecrackers off randomly yelling shooter and sending people into a panic! 
There were altercations, and just pure chaos between teens, police, etc. Thankfully we were inside and saw none of that.

Here are a few random pics leading up to the show of the kids getting a few of the goats ready. I walked back and forth from the wash rack and helped get them washed.



















Scat (1st place in his class, his twin finished 2nd)
































































Harmony









Chester 




































A rare time that the main aisle wasn't packed!









Yesterday morning, quick very random pic of our location while eating breakfast lol The bucks were really hyper and one of the does was possibly coming in heat, so we ended up moving them across the aisle. Brats! My daughter got them out and ran them up and down the aisle by the empty pens and they settled down and took a nap after that lol


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Videos from the news are starting to pop up about the incident Saturday night. Again, it was so scary  Thank goodness it happened after our building was closed to visitors. I can't imagine the chaos or stampede if there had been a lot of people in there, or worse when the show was going on.

https://www.wave3.com/2019/08/19/ca...dia-following-shot-fired-kentucky-state-fair/


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## mariarose (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm so glad you and yours are all OK, Candace. I'm so appalled.

Congrats on all the wins!!!


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Your goats look great to me. Congratulations. Glad all was ok but it was too bad some teens had to be idiots. Hopefully they were arrested for causing a panic.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Thanks Everyone! We'll be talking about this for a while. It will take time to get over for sure. 
I believe the police arrested 17 people, and state police didn't release how many they arrested. Originally it was reported they arrested 2 adults and 7 people. I don't know how many were involved in this specific incident, but those people were all there to cause trouble.
They need to have metal detectors, and anyone under 18 shouldn't be allowed in without a parent to escort them!
I wonder how many of them are from the neighborhood near there? It's a rough area, I never feel safe when I go near the neighborhood. The horse race track, Churchill Downs is just down the road surrounded by this neighborhood (where the Kentucky Derby is held), and I go there usually each spring for the derby. My friend lives behind the racetrack, so I park in her back yard and walk across the road to the barns. One year we walked from the front side of the track to her house, and it was just so scary! The next day (derby day) that year we hired a guy on a golf cart to take us over, and called him when we were ready to leave that night. Now I just park in the media lot. She tells me about all the crazy stuff and shootings, I hear about it from my other horse racing friend who lives in the neighborhood too, her husband is a minister, and tries to bring in the youth and get them involved with church and off the streets.

For the ear - it wasn't the tattoo that was an issue, but actually the goat has a twisted ear at the top which is a DQ. I haven't personally seen it, but my friend did when it was DQ'd at the last show we went to, and said it was a very bad twist, especially when you lift the ear to see underneath.
What bothers me about it the most is the fact that judges should be checking the same things at every show correct? So if it's a breed fault, why aren't the judges checking? It shouldn't be pick and choose what a judge decides to check, it should be mandatory that judges check the same things otherwise it just seems a bit unfair.


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## Goats Rock (Jun 20, 2011)

Congratulations on the good placings! Your goats are beautiful. (Do you ever have kids for sale?). 

So glad they got all the nonsense under control, how scary!


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

How terrifying, this world can be a scary place.

Glad everything went well, the goats look really good.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Morning Star Farm said:


> Ohhh!! That explains a lot of things! I've noticed how close the fairgrounds are to the track and hoping it wasn't visited by the people from the CD neighborhood. Those NBC cameramen sure know how to get a good angle. Of course they do the same with Pimlico, but I have no desire to go there. At least Churchill Downs is well maintained. The first time I went to Churchill, I was shocked. I remember thinking, what a slum this place is in! Gas stations with bars on the windows, run down homes, etc.. it's really creepy and not a neighborhood you want to spend a lot of time in, except within the track grounds. It's like an island in the middle of an eyesore.
> 
> That is very unfair! Did anybody protest it? Dairy goats are good about that too, breed characteristics are one of the first things looked at when they walk into the ring, Nigerians are measured and not allowed in the ring if overheight. Goats with ears, noses or colors not meeting standards are either bumped back or DQ'd. There are a bunch of things dairy goats in general can be disqualified for, mostly abnormalities like double teats, but I've always seen them enforced. There are a lot of inconsistencies in judging because they all have their own preferences, and there are some judges I'll never show under again, but they're always good about DQ's.


Yep they definitely make it look larger than life on tv! The track actually has been slowly buying up land around the front side to expand, and are trying to get one road permanently closed. I've stayed in Louisville a few times at hotels. Other times for 2 day racing events I usually just drive an hour home then come back. It's nice when the website owner puts us up in a hotel though as I refuse to stay in that neighborhood with my friend again, sadly.

It's very frustrating isn't it when judges miss something that they should be checking for isn't it? I just had this big assumption that ABGA would be precise on the standards they say they enforce. I'd think any judge should have a routine on what to check.



Goats Rock said:


> Congratulations on the good placings! Your goats are beautiful. (Do you ever have kids for sale?).
> 
> So glad they got all the nonsense under control, how scary!


Thanks I appreciate it! We do sell kids here and there. We are actually getting ready to sell a nice doe kid (only fault is she doesn't hold her tail up so she may never have full pigment for showing ABGA). I'm sad we have to sell, but we decided to downsize, so we can buy a couple of different style/bigger framed does. A lot of our does go back to old style genetics.
We'll most likely be selling one of the bucks later, but I've had a lot of people asking me to let them know if we sell.



toth boer goats said:


> How terrifying, this world can be a scary place.
> 
> Glad everything went well, the goats look really good.


I agree, this world is a scary place for sure. Thanks for the kind comments. Maybe if you come this way you'll get to come to the state fair sometime (without the drama). We had fun  The superintendent who runs the show tries to keep everyone happy and is great with youth - he judges county fairs and I appreciate how good he is with kids. We had an exhibitor meeting yesterday morning to give input on how we liked or disliked the changes with moving from the arena to the Pavilion. Praying we can get a 2nd show and JABGA show added, that would be great. I mean... if we're going to be there Fri afternoon thru Sun afternoon we should have more than 1 show. Some who weren't there told me if they have a 2nd show they would come.


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## IHEARTGOATS (Jun 14, 2016)

Sorry about the scare but congratulations on the good showing.
Some dairy goat breeders ( Nubians and Toggenburgs) we know here in NC were at the Indiana State Fair. We were following them on Facebook. They did really well.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Morning Star Farm said:


> That's good! The front side is the worst in my opinion. I've never been to the backstretch, so I don't know about that, but I'll always remember standing in the main driveway with the twin spires on one side and those shacks on the other. Two extremes that don't mix very well. Is Keeneland the track you mainly go to? That one looks truly beautiful, driven by many times, but never had time to stop.
> 
> It is really frustrating and it could just have been that judge. I've seen some judges give Grand Champion to does I wouldn't even consider looking at. That's why I rarely go by show scores when I buy goats. I always learn something new at shows and have a great time, but it is so subjective, that judge, on that day, against that competition, etc. and it could be totally different the next week. I learned that the hard way, but I still love showing and it's a really good feeling when you come out on top at one!


How long ago was your last trip to Churchill Downs? They've been remodeling and branching out and trying to improve the quality around it as much as possible. Of course I wish they would improve a whole lot more than expansion (how they treat people, etc.!!!). I do NOT like to deal with people there especially security when I need to get in. I don't shoot there very often outside of Derby or Breeders' Cup because I don't like dealing with security so that I can pick my media credential up at Will Call. I even had my Keeneland credentials hanging in my car one time, and they made me get out, get my camera bag out of the trunk to prove I was media! OMG! Ugh. 
Yes, Keeneland is my home track and you would love it! It's smaller, more beautiful, peaceful and fun IMO! Although it does get packed, even on some week days and you have to contend with a lot of drunk college students. It's one of the only tracks in the US that you can walk the barn area! My friends and I usually get together on Saturday mornings on big race days, watch morning works, walk the barn areas, go have breakfast at the track kitchen (a must), walk barn areas more as we head back to the track media center to get ready for the day. 
I am a super lazy editor these days though, I edit for the website and sometimes I get around to editing and uploading on my Flickr page or Facebook.
Here's what I did manage to upload from the spring meet:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hoosiershadow/albums/72157704575731292/with/46695625015/

Not my best work, but again, I'm lazy getting the stuff up lol. I really need to upgrade equipment and service my lenses, but my kids want to get new goats - it's tough lol.



IHEARTGOATS said:


> Sorry about the scare but congratulations on the good showing.
> Some dairy goat breeders ( Nubians and Toggenburgs) we know here in NC were at the Indiana State Fair. We were following them on Facebook. They did really well.


Thanks! I'm glad your friends did well at the Indiana state fair! I heard there were over 1,000 Dairy goats there in total! That is awesome! Sadly, there was a huge decline apparently at the KY state fair  I did walk through there briefly on Sat morning when we were on our way to go see my daughters photos in 4-H 'Cloverville.' it looked so empty! Hopefully they can figure out how to get numbers up again.
If they add a 2nd show to the ABGA show I know more people will come. But they are not going to come Fri-Sun just for 1 show when they can go elsewhere and get 2 shows in the same day or more. Praying we can get a JABGA show at least in with 1 show (they would show/place simultaneously). The only youth classes we have are market/commercial. The person over youth shows in KY for 4-H/FFA is trying to get rid of the breeding goats. We're down to '1' breeding show and they already took the buck classes away this year. So if we can get more JABGA shows, then that is definitely the way to go.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Morning Star Farm said:


> I've been there a couple times and I want to say the last was 2012 or 13, maybe both. I remember one time they were doing construction and the tulips or some other flower were blooming early. They were supposed to open for the derby which wasn't for another month. I've been to the museum and on the daily tour, but there's only so many times you can do that.
> I would love that! I've heard Keeneland is very beautiful. It has to be much more peaceful than Churchill since it's really in horse country right next to Calumet. I did not know you could see the barns. That would be so much fun!
> Your pictures are breathtaking!:inlove: I wish I could take pictures like that, but I buy too many new animals too! I have a professional camera downloaded onto my phone that gives me better than average phone pictures so that's as close as I get. I saw live racing at Belmont for the first time last year and it was wonderful. I knew they were fast, but the drone on tv follows them around and it doesn't give you a true idea of how fast they really go. It was so much fun to actually see them in person! They weren't even important races, mostly claiming and allowance.


You wouldn't recognize it now, they have done major changes on the front side in the last 5 years. They keep expanding. 
Keeneland is definitely beautiful. It's scenic, they have Saturday morning activities/breakfast at the works during the race meet, and it's more laid back than Churchill. But... as I think I mentioned crowds can be big even during the week day - a lot of college students/alcohol - the alcohol being the downfall, especially if your bringing small children on a busy day.
Yep the barn area is open, just have to be respectful to not go inside the barns unless invited inside. Some trainers put tape next to the stall doors with the horses names, or just hang their halters with their names up. It can be a lot of fun walking around looking for favorites that are stabled there  
Thanks for the comments on the pictures, it's fun to take them, and I used to be quick at uploading, and always sharing, and now I am just so lazy... In fact I just sort of went through and edited some state fair pics! I have thousands and thousands of pics from Breeders' Cup last fall, I really need to go through and upload some!


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

Finally worked on some pics. Wish I could have used my long lens as the lighting was dark, the green is brutal, but needed a shorter/lighter lens as I was taking turns holding goats, or running back and forth to the pen area to let the kids know how close they were to their next classes.

Aspen - 3-6mo Fullblood doe - finished a competitive 4th in a tough class! Very exciting!




























My daughter was so tired!




























Willow - 6-9mo Fullblood finished 7th, which we're okay with since the class was loaded with goats from major/competitive breeders!



















Chester - 3rd place 3-6mo Buck (Aspen's twin brother) - very proud of this guy he has always been very competitive and is a solid, thick boy! The 2 goats that finished ahead of him were the Grand and Reserve bucks.



















Jazzy - she didn't finish well, but she sure is a pretty girl and we love her! She definitely knows where 'mom' is at and watches me with this expression lol










My son with Scat (1st place) and daughter with Superior (2nd place) 9-12mo bucks. These guys are twins. Currently, they are driving me crazy as they are in with their first girlfriends since yesterday... I may need therapy (never used more than 1 buck at a time lol).


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

All look very nice. 

Good work.


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