2026 ADGA National Show

You didn’t come this far to stop!

This year we made the decision to attend our first national show. The American Dairy Goat Association's annual national show was held at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, MA. Although we felt our herd may not be as competitive as we are striving for, we could not miss the opportunity to participate in a national show right in our backyard!

So, we spent years preparing. That's right, YEARS. It took some serious planning to try and put our best foot (or hooves) forward.

Willow spent many years researching performance records, show wins, and pedigrees on some of the best herds in the northeast. She then stepped out of her comfort zone and took to the road exhibiting in some very large and competitive ADGA sanctioned shows.

There she paid very close attention to the goats that placed well. She took the time to introduce herself and network with some of the best breeders in our neck of the woods. She asked to be put on waitlists for kids and then waited for kids to be available.

In the meantime, she saved her money so that she could bring those genetics into her herd. If anyone has ever read, Where The Red Fern Grows, her efforts were reminiscent of young Billy Coleman who saved his pennies in a coffee can to purchase his beloved coonhounds. [wipes tear from eye]

Except in my version of the story we didn't walk miles carrying goat kids in a sack but we did put some miles on the truck hauling goats from all over the eastern seaboard. She got her kids home and then waited another couple of years incorporating those genetics into her herd by selective breeding.

Now if you haven't worked out the timeline here, I can tell you that the resulting offspring of those breedings were not old enough to make the 2026 national show. They are not old enough to breed, freshen, and have a real shot at placing in a such a competitive ring. Every single one of our goats "got the gate" but she was in the ring. The same ring as some of the country's BEST goats. There she did the same thing that she always does, pays attention.

We may not have come home with national show champions but we came home with a plan. There will be another opportunity in another ring, under another judge, with other goats. One of these days she will bring home that award she has been striving for.