CUMBERLAND — Beyond the rides, food and games at the Allegany County Fair and Ag Expo this week is a barn full of chickens, cows, goats, bunnies and more that were shown by 4-H’ers, who have spent months raising and caring for the animals.
On Wednesday, students showed their competition-ready goats before a panel of judges.
Competitors aged 8 to 13-years-old wore sleek, clean white outfits and paraded goats around the dirt.
The first round featured dairy goats, with meat goats shown in the second round.
Dairy goats are scored on their utters, their size and age. Meat goats are scored on structural composition, muscle volume and size.
Throughout the week, 4-H animals were shown in the Agricultural Exposition at the fair. Many of the animals in the exposition went on to be sold to local farmers.
“We’re a 4-H family. I’ve done it forever,” Darren Wiley said. “They showed bunny rabbits, in addition to dairy goats, and we did meat goats for the first time.”
Two of Wiley’s children, Phinley and Emmie, showed both dairy and meat goats. Phinley was in the junior category and Emmie was in the intermediate.
Emmie Wiley said she enjoys showing the goats, but it can be “nerve-wracking” in front of judges and an audience.
The Wiley’s goats shown in the exposition were named Appletini, Hush Money, Fantasia and Millie. Wiley said the goats are milked twice daily and the babies are bottle-fed.
Lee Heavner was among the judges for the goat show. Heavner was recognized for 50 years of dedication to the Allegany County Agricultural Exposition.
“The students that I taught, they were decent kids who have become decent citizens now. So, thank you for what has happened this week, it really touched me,” Heavner told the audience. “My wife’s up there with my mom and dad, and her mom and dad looking, and I just hope that they’re smiling.”