An open Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 at 7:00 PM CST. All ABGA members are welcome to attend. Click the link to attend the meeting on Microsoft Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YmQwMzQ4ZTEtNTVmZC00N2M5LTlhNWMtYjk3Mjk2MWMyZTZk%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22fed4f284-15a6-44a6-8445-aa897c45f9e1%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22432da0b6-39cf-4380-9336-05d3b757eb52%22%7d You can also find board meeting dates and meeting links on our Events Calendar on our homepage . At the Annual Summer Board of Directors Face-to-Face meeting, the ABGA Board of Directors approved a motion to allow members to view monthly Board meetings for a trial period of 6 months.

Many times, in my show career I have asked myself questions. A substantial amount when I was younger was ‘why some things about our breed are the way they are, and what makes those things so important?’ A few examples of that would be the depth of body on an animal, or the precise hooks and pin set on a doe, or even the breed’s characteristic roman nose?   Many of these answers can be dated back to before the Boer Goat was brought over to the United States from South Africa in 1993. When looking for these answers we need to take a step back from the show ring and look at the breed from a production standpoint. Our animals were not always made for the show life. They were used to produce meat for slaughter purposes. The main factor in that production was kidding out does to have more potential babies, or slaughter opportunities. This is where the deep body cavity and hooks to pin set come into play. The deeper flanked a doe is, the more desirable she will be because she has more maternal capabilities. This means she will have more room to carry the babies comfortably to full term. The hooks and pin set also play a vital role in the birth of baby goats. If you have a doe that is too narrow in her rear end, there is a higher chance of babies getting stuck, which is a possibility of lost life. When looking at herd production, you want to continue growing, instead of losing vital members of your herd.   The next stage of life for a young kid is to grow to their full potential. When a kid was born many years ago back in South Africa, many farmers looked at their body characteristics to determine how much natural muscling the animals will carry when they are older. The roman nose is believed to signify a strong, broad head which is associated with good meat production. This is how farmers would cull their herds to only keep what they believed would be good meat producers.   Next time when you are wondering why some of our breed characteristics are in place, ask a fellow member in hopes of learning some of the history behind our association. It is very important to know why our breed characteristics were instilled in the Boer goat all those years ago in South Africa. Jada Young Junior Board of Directors Area 4

Members of the American Boer Goat Association. A message from the President. Please welcome and support our newest Regional Directors. Region 5 (CA, NV, HI, AZ) Patrick Aliff Region 6 (MO, AR) Kyle Tate Region 12 (WV, VA, MD, DE) Rodney Wilson Each one of them are here to support the Association and our members. I appreciate them for stepping-up and volunteering their time. Rosalinda Vizina ABGA President Region 1

Dear JABGA members, parents and supporters: After careful consideration, a change has been made to both the location and date of the Area 5 Regional Show. Please see the updated show details below. Dates: November 22-23 Location: Sweetwater, TX Judges: Commercial Does & Market – Justin Burns | Breeding – TBD Show Secretaries: Kelly Murray Kellymurray678@yahoo.com  and April Bridget - arb.btl@gmail.com Registration will be open on showman.app by the end of the week.  All regional show information can be found at the following link: abga.org/jabga/regional-shows Please reach out if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you in Texas in November! Thanks,  Caleb Boardman Executive Director  American Boer Goat Association

Members of the American Boer Goat Association, As I step into my new role as your President for our Association, I am humbled to have this opportunity to say a few words. We are in unprecedent times, and I can reassure you I will do my best moving this association forward. I would like to start with working with the rest of the Board of Directors on finding the right person to fill the Regions that are currently not represented. I do ask for grace as I navigate my new role. Please be patient with me and the rest of the Board as we become a better team for you. Thank you for this opportunity! Rosalinda Vizina ABGA President Region 1

An open Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 7:00 PM CST. All ABGA members are welcome to attend. Click the link to attend the meeting on Microsoft Teams: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MzNhMDBkZDEtZTgzNC00OGEzLWI3N2MtZjc4ZGM5YjQwNjUx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22fed4f284-15a6-44a6-8445-aa897c45f9e1%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22432da0b6-39cf-4380-9336-05d3b757eb52%22%7d You can also find board meeting dates and meeting links on our Events Calendar on our homepage . At the Annual Summer Board of Directors Face-to-Face meeting, the ABGA Board of Directors approved a motion to allow members to view monthly Board meetings for a trial period of 6 months.

With the new year quickly approaching, it's time to renew your ABGA membership. Renew before January 1 to be a member in good standing. Members in good standing will have voting rights for new board members, can run for a Board of Directors seat, and actively participate in changes to the Bylaws. You have until December 31 to renew your membership and be a member in good standing. You may still renew any time after December 31, but you will not have the same privileges as a member in good standing. *If you are missing JABGA accounts under your main account, please contact the ABGA office before renewing your account. Check out step-by-step instructions for renewing your ABGA membership. Login to your iCompete account. From your dashboard you will see a prompt to renew your membership. Click the Renew Membership button. You should now see your membership, the year you are renewing for, and Adult Membership listed as the Membership Type. If you have affiliated members, or Junior members you would like to renew, you will see them listed under Additional Memberships. Toggle Yes to select and renew additional memberships. * If you do not see a Junior account listed, please contact the office before you renew your Adult Membership. Agree to the terms and click continue. Confirm your renewal and payment details. *You will need to pay any outstanding balance in or to renew your membership. If you have an outstanding balance, you will see it listed here. Click Proceed to Payment to enter your credit card details. Enter your credit card details and click Pay Now to complete your membership renewal. Prefer to mail in your renewal? Download the fillable PDF renewal form by clicking the link below:

Practice! Practice! Practice! Set goals for yourself. Have someone video you practicing, so you can watch yourself and see how you may need to make some changes. Everyone shows a little differently but watching more experienced showmen is beneficial.

I first got into the goat world and stepped into the ring for the first time when I was around two years old. I had no clue what I was doing, but I held on to the end of the show lead and helped my gammo show that doe the best I could. Since that moment I have never looked back, and I took off and ran with goats. All the kids I went to school with growing up were interested and passionate about sports, but my heart and passion lay with the goats and the show ring. Every chance I got I was at the ranch with my grandparents doing whatever needed to be done around the barn.   The older I got the more passionate I became about the Boer goat industry. I wanted to go to every show I could in order to work on my showmanship skills and to continue to better my herd and show string. By doing this I met so many amazing people and built a goat community across multiple states. Looking back when I was younger, I was just as passionate to help the youngers kids and watch them succeed as I am now. As I grew older, that passion just kept burning brighter and brighter, and I wanted to become more involved within the industry.     The show community we have in California is a very tight knit group, and I have grown up showing with the kids within that community. I am one of the oldest junior members, and I have always wanted to set a good example for the younger members. This is where I really started to want to be more involved in JABGA so I could help more junior members. I have always been a helping hand, and people know that they can trust me to help with their kids or animals.    In 2022 I applied to be on the Board of Directors for the JABGA, which was another way for me to become more involved and fulfill my passion for this association. Luckily, I was able to become a director and representative for JABGA Area 1. My first year on the Board of Directors I ran for an officer position to really show my passion and commitment to the association and its members. My second year on the board I was elected Vice President.  Fast forward to the present in 2024 I reapplied to be on the Board of Directors, and luckily, I got reelected to be a director. I also was nominated and elected to be the President of JABGA. Looking back now my younger self would be so proud of how far I have come in this industry and the experiences and opportunities I have had all thanks to Boer goats and I wouldn’t have it any other way!    Learn more about Madison Reis.

Are you an experienced livestock judge, or have what it takes to be an ABGA Certified Judge? Sign up today! Location:  Lakeville, Indiana Dates:  November 1 - 3, 2024 Your trainer judges are: Josh Taylor Jesse Kimmel Randall White Catherine Riley Bailey Bergherm (Alternate) Overview Effective January 1, 2009 all ABGA certified Judges must be an active ABGA member to judge ABGA Sanctioned shows or perform inspections. Applicant must be at least 21 years of age to participate. A $50 non-refundable fee is due at submission. If selected, an additional $350 will be due at least 30 days prior to the Judges Certification Program. ABGA will send an invoice for the additional $350 fee.  No refunds will be issued. The ABGA Judges Certification Program can only accommodate 40 judge candidates. This is not a training program. Applicants should have prior knowledge of the ABGA Breed Standards, livestock evaluation, and reasons. Selected candidates will be contacted prior to the program. Applications are due before October 1, 2024, 11:59 PM CST. We will post more information as it becomes available.

To our valued members and participants,   We would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the unexpected change in venue for the upcoming ABGA National Show. Due to unforeseen financial circumstances, we find it necessary to move our event back to the familiar grounds of Louisville, KY, for May 30 - June 7 th , 2025. We understand that this change may cause inconvenience, and we humbly request your understanding of why this change was necessary.   Our commitment to providing an exceptional experience for our members remains unwavering, and we look forward to welcoming you to Louisville.   Sincerely,    ABGA Board of Directors

Dear ABGA members, It is with great excitement that I write this letter to you as the newly named Executive Director for the Association. I am humbled to have been selected by the board of directors to help lead the organization forward in the future and look forward to the growth and opportunities that are in front of us. As you may have read in my bio, I have spent my entire life in Agriculture and this industry is truly my passion. As executive director, it is my duty to lead the organization forward by implementing the strategic plan developed by the board and have a vision for growth and progress that will lead us into the future. My goal will be that each and every decision that is made by myself and the board of directors will be done so with the greater good of the association in mind and find the solutions that best benefits the breed and association members as a whole. First and foremost, my duty will be to serve you as members and ensure that your needs are being met – and this rightfully is the first pillar of the strategic plan. This includes ensuring we have a strong office staff that has the resources necessary to provide members with needed services in an efficient manner. While each of you have a regional representative on the board of directors that I encourage you to communicate with and build a relationship with, know that I am available to discuss issues and opportunities with every member of the association. My goal will be to meet as many of you as possible and understand how the association can help your individual operation. Whether your goal is the showring, raising seedstock, a commercial focus or another niche, your operation and goals will be valued. The second pillar of the association’s strategic plan is youth development. Under the direction of Hannah Jenkins, the JABGA is on a great trajectory, and I will work alongside her to continue to grow and develop opportunities for our youth. Without a strong set of young leaders and motivated JABGA members, our association will not see growth in the coming years. Our young people are literally our future, and we must do our part to motivate, encourage and involve them in the association. I also have a strong vision for developing new and progressive opportunities for the breed and this association. This will include helping to grow the use of DNA, continuing research and develop partnerships with academia and industry stakeholders, writing and securing grant funding for projects that will directly benefit members, and developing marketing strategies that will increase consumer awareness and develop brand recognition for the American Boer Goat. I am a firm believer that complacency is the death of good organizations, and if we aren’t moving forward, then we are falling behind. I am optimistic that the association is in a great position to build on its great history and strong membership base by focusing on growth and capitalizing on opportunities and new technologies that will set ourselves up for success in the coming years.   I look forward to serving you and this membership. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments or concerns at any point in time. Sincerely, Caleb Boardman   Executive Director  307-250-2298  View Caleb Boardman's Bio