GET REGISTRIES OUT OF THE 'GOAT SHOW' BUSINESS

The recent turmoil within one of the goat registries illustrates the need for removing goat shows from the goat registry organizations.

Why can't a registry be just that . . . a registry? No more than six percent (6%) of goat owners show their goats. That means the 94% of those people who register their goats but do not show them are subsidizing those producers who do show their animals. Do you think this is fair?

Most of us just want our goats registered with the appropriate breed registry. We don't care about nor do we want to be involved in the politics that surrounds showing. And because the shows are so political, the registries themselves become havens for political intrigue.

Face it, folks. People use the sanctioned shows to market their animals as breeding stock. Given human nature, a small group of "select" individuals always wind up the most active in the sanctioned shows, and they use their "wins" to sell their goats for big dollars as breeding stock. Novice goat raisers have not realized that show winners are not necessarily sound breeding animals. Big, heavy goats cannot support themselves under pasture conditions. And their offspring will not turn out like the show winners unless they are fed and managed like show goats.

A second benefit of removing shows from registries would be to significantly lower the costs of registering our animals. Elegant certificates suitable for framing could be furnished once again. Remember the first ABGA certificates? They were knock-outs. People were proud to show them off. Producers felt like they got something for their money when they received these beautiful certificates. The Governor of Texas, George W. Bush, proudly displays the framed certificate on my first Boer buck, OCR GEORGE W. BUSH, in his Capitol offices.

The organizational documents (bylaws, charter) of most registries do not allow them to engage in promotional activities except on a very limited basis. So the registry activists usually say that the shows are promoting the breed. Not really! The shows promote the animals of those people actively participating in them. Those of us who would like to see these organizations promote goat meat, help with marketing programs, lobby with local and national governmental entities on our behalf, and do those things which "promote the goat" as an excellent, healthful source of red-meat protein for millions of people are left out in the cold.

To be more than just a registry invites political intrigue, despite the efforts of honest people to avoid it. The huge amount of money that flows into these registries is too tempting a target for some folks. Whether the registry is organized for profit or is "non-profit" is irrelevant. The persons in control of these funds can use them to sanction and run goat shows, or for many other purposes, some of which may be questionable. Remove this source of funds, let the people interested in participating in goat shows set up their own show organizations, . . . and let them fund their activities themselves.

Let the registries be registries only. In this manner, they will serve everyone equally.

The author, Suzanne Gasparotto, hereby grants to local goat publications and club newsletters, permission to reprint articles published on the Onion Creek Ranch website under these conditions: THE ARTICLE MUST BE REPRODUCED IN ITS ENTIRETY AND THE AUTHOR'S NAME, ADDRESS, AND CONTACT INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REPRINT. We would appreciate notification from any clubs or publications when the articles are used. (A copy of the newsletter or publication would also be a welcome addition to our growing library of goat related information!)

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