Whether perfectly poised or jumping around and bleating at the top of their lungs, 4-H and FFA youth competitors all agree their goats are pretty cute.

But just being cute doesn’t cut it — judge Karly Hanson said she’s looking for knowledgeable competitors with confidence when watching youth in the showmanship ring. Dairy goats and meat goats have different criteria for judging, and competitors need to know how to properly show off each animal.

“For dairy goats, you want something that has good udder, good teat placement, really refined in their bone work and has a maternal body shape,” Hanson said. “For meat goats, you want something that stands really square, has some depth of body, has some muscle shape to them and just a balanced and proportional look from the side.”

At the Northwes

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