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GOAT SKILLATHON
at Western Maryland Goat Field Day & Sale |
The first Goat Skillathon was held October 3, 2009, at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center in Boonsboro, Maryland. The skillathon was held in conjunction with the annual Western Maryland Goat Field Day & Sale. Twenty-eight youth participated in the inaugural event.
In the junior division (8-10), Kameron Dorsey from Frederick County won first place. Maggie Goodmuth (Howard County) and Cameron Lafevre (Berkeley County) won second and third place, respectively. Tara Burner from Berkeley County was the first place intermediate (11-13). Jared Hoffman, also from Berkeley County, won second place. The third place winner was Ryan Hevner from Carroll County. In the senior division (14-18), Ashely Butler (Berkeley County) won first place. Hannah Goodmuth from Howard County was second place and T.J. Morgan from Berkeley County was third. The goat skillathon consisted of six stations: feed and forage ID; breed ID; equipment ID; health and management; anything goes (potluck); and a written test.
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Junior winners |
Intermediate winners |
Senior winners |
Thanks to Shannon Uzelac, Mary Beth Bennett, Chris Anderson, and Sheryl Bennett for helping with the goat skillathon. Next year's goat skillathon will be held at the same place. The exact date has not been detemined.
The skillathon is open to any youth between the ages of 8 and 18. Individuals from any county or state may compete. Youth compete according to their 4-H ages (as of January 1); juniors, 8-10; intermediates, 11-13; and seniors, 14-18.
A skkillathon provides youth with the opportunity
to blend the knowledge and skills acquired in livestock judging, demonstrations,
and care and exhibition of animals into a single activity. A skillathon competition
consists of a series of stations where youth are tested on their knowledge
and abilities related to livestock. The goat skillathon covers all aspects of the goat production (meat, dairy, and fiber).
The 2009 skillathon consisted of the following stations.