Goat Convention: Top 10 Don'ts

NPGA Convention 2015

Katherine and I just got home from the 2015 National Pygmy Goat Association Convention in Red Bluff, California.  Huge kudos to the myriad of organizers and volunteers who worked their collective tukhusses off to pull off a great show.  It ran like a well-oiled machine and set a high bar for next year’s organizers.  Great fun was had by all—maybe too much fun…

Besides the three consecutive goat shows, the weekend was full of raffles, auction, socializing, purchasing opportunities (for goats as well as miscellaneous stuffity stuff), and lounging in the stifling heat.  And don’t forget the Banquet….even if you can’t actually remember what you did at the banquet (or afterwards)!

After we unloaded the goats, and parked the trailer (ugh), David, Katherine and I wolfed down some pizza and put together the following list of “Ten Things NOT to Do at Convention.” A la David Letterman, we will start at 10:

#10: Don’t Wait Until the Day of Convention to Buy Your T-Shirt.   

True to our Sierra Pacific Pygmy Goat Association (http://www.sppga.com/) tradition of “California Crazies,” we had a limited number of special edition tie-dye convention shirts.  Iconic.

#9: Don’t Expect Cellular Coverage in the Arena

Necessary evil.  The other option was to use the outdoor arena and melt into little puddles of sweat.

#8: Don’t Eat Too Many 4-H Hot Dogs.  

A great big shout out to the local 4-H Club who manned the food table to keep us all going.  And God Bless you for having a chicken Caesar salad.  So much better than a hot dog! (See previous post about the Auction Yard….)

#7: Don’t Train for a Half Marathon in Red Bluff on the First Day of Summer.

Even if it didn’t hit the projected 104 degrees, it was hotter than Hades.

#6: Don’t Leave Your Checkbook at Home.  

Cut throat bidding in the live auction.  Internet bidders and all.

Auction Paddles

#5: Don’t Eat the Vodka-Infused Gummy Bears. 

Yep. Just don’t.

Yum

#4: Don’t Piss off the Mini Donkey People.

It’s a big fairground.  But somehow the noise of the post-gummy bear revelers carried all the way up to the barns where the Western Regional Miniature Donkey Show was going on.  Can you say Popo?

Western Regional Mini Donkey Show

#3: Don’t Forget Where you Parked Your RV. 

Easy to do after downing a handful of vodka-infused gummy bears…

 #2: Don’t Spoon Your New Besties on the Lawn. 

...after eating vodka-infused gummy bears…Just sayin'.

Spooning World Record: 1,108 people

#1: Finally, Don’t Forget That it’s Just a Goat.

 Words to live by.