We have big news! Our 2023 ABGA & JABGA National Shows will be held in Louisville, Ky. at the Kentucky Exposition Center. More details will be available soon! #2023NationalShow 2023 ABGA & JABGA National Show Venue Announced Our 2023 and 2024 ABGA & JABGA National Shows will be held in Louisville, Ky. at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Zeb James, who hails from East Tennessee, purchased his initial herd of commercial Boer goats in 2002 with a former high school peer. He became a member of the American Boer Goat Association in 2009, along with one of his students who was interested in the goat industry. Zeb's interest in agriculture began when he was young, participating in various 4-H events such as speaking contests, horse and livestock judging, and horticulture competitions. Despite losing access to livestock when his family moved to the city, Zeb remained determined to carry on the tradition of animal agriculture that his grandfather instilled in him. This led him to start his own farm, Russell Sons Farm, which was named after his grandfather who was a renowned figure in the dairy industry. In 2007, Zeb began working as an agricultural teacher and FFA advisor at Creek Wood High School in Middle Tennessee. He loves to help his students with different animal projects including the Broiler Chicken Project; a project where students raise meat chickens for a period of 6-7 weeks before exhibiting them at the end of the grow-out phase. He also helps his students raise and show hogs, chickens and cattle for 4-H and FFA competitions. Zeb also has a passion for goats and has been involved with the ABGA National Show for three years. He says that goats are a great animal for kids and families because they are friendly and easy to handle. He likes that the National Show offers many opportunities for the JABGA members to learn and grow, not just in showing goats but also in other skills like public speaking, judging and sales talk. He says that these skills will help them in their future careers and goat operations. Zeb also enjoys meeting other ABGA members from different states and making new friends. 2023 National Show Superintendent Zeb James (Center). “The friendships formed from the National Show, and even other ABGA shows, are like family members. They are always there to give advice, assistance, and advocate for you and your operation; sometimes they even challenge you on things that later become huge blessings." #2023NationalShow #news Meet 2023 National Show Superintendent Zeb James Zeb's Passion for Agriculture Rooted in 4-H Participation

Area 5 JABGA Regional Show: Spring in the Ring Check out these contest results and pics from the Area 5 Regional Show, Spring in the Ring, held in Abilene, Texas. Check out these photos from the Area 5 JABGA Regional Show: Spring in the Ring! You can see the show results here . See the contest results below. #ABGAShows #JABGA #news

Maintaining Breed Integrity The Reasons Behind the Breed Standards by Jada Young 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

ABGA Broadens Horizons with Wether Incentive Program Ahead of National Show SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – The American Boer Goat Association is pleased to announce an added incentive program to the wether show by... SAN ANGELO, TEXAS – The American Boer Goat Association is pleased to announce an added incentive program to the wether show by introducing the Boer Goat Advantage (BGA). The Boer Goat Advantage (BGA) wether incentive program will give wether goat breeders the opportunity to register their animals in ABGA’s herd books while donating a portion of their registration fees toward the incentive fund. The Registration fee per wether is $15.00. Five dollars from that fee will be issued toward the incentive fund, which will be utilized to offer cash and other prizes for the ABGA wether class at the ABGA and JABGA National Show and regional shows. The BGA incentive program comes after many years of unprecedented growth in the Wether Show sector across the United States. ABGA hopes the new program will appeal to youth livestock exhibitors and current Junior American Boer Goat Association (JABGA) members, who make up a greater part of wether goat exhibitors. Along with many other breed registry programs, the BGA wether incentive program comes with added marketing opportunities both in and out of the show ring. To qualify for the BGA wether incentive program, animals cannot be older than 12 months of age and cannot possess adult teeth. Animals must be tattooed or microchipped. Animal ID will be checked and verified at events. #2023NationalShow #jabga #news

JABGA Regional Show Rules The Regional Show Program is designed to encourage the exhibition, marketing and promotion of ABGA percentage, purebred, and full blood Boer goats.

JABGA Area 5 Regional Show Update A change has been made to both the location and date of the Area 5 Regional Show. 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

ANIMAL INSPECTION Animal Inspection is an integral part of the ABGA Ennoblement process. Animals must pass two inspections in order for earned points to be awarded toward ennoblement as outlined in Rule 1000.E.i. In order to pass inspection, an animal must conform to the breed standards. Animals must be ABGA registered and a minimum of 10 months of age at the time of inspection. Uninspected animals, including deceased animals are not required to pass inspection for earned points to be awarded toward ennoblement as outlined in Rule 1000.E.ii. Uninspected animals seeking ennoblement are required to amass a higher number of total points than inspected animals seeking ennoblement. Show Points Charts Performance Testing Ennoblements Sire of Merit Doe of Excellence

The ABGA takes great pride in providing exceptional learning opportunities that offer real-world applications. The ABGA hopes that our intern’s knowledge and experience gathered during their time at the National Show continues to be applied to the outside world and to their future endeavors. This Is an unpaid Internship role. Hotel and food costs will be covered daily. Position: National Show internship Location: Louisville, Kentucky- Kentucky Exposition Center Dates: June 9-18, 2023 Program Purpose: The purpose of the ABGA and JABGA National Show Internship program is to provide a learning experience for recent high school graduates (18+) and/or those interested in the American Boer Goat Association. Also, to provide The American Boer Goat Association with assistance in planning and managing show coverage. Eligibility/ Requirements: Applicants must be a 2022 high school graduate (18+) or older. Applicants cannot be exhibitors or competitors at the 2023 ABGA and JABGA National Show. A candidate with prior show experience is a plus. Must be able to provide own means of transportation to the National Show at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Applicants should possess excellent communication skills with a strong work ethic. Self-motivation and the ability to work on a task with minimal supervision is ideal. A positive attitude and organization are beneficial. Applicants must be available to work the entire length of the National Show. Internship Program: The intern will assist the JABGA board and the ABGA office staff with specified tasks during the weeklong internship. Interns must provide their own way to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky on June 9th, 2023 , and will work through the duration of the event to June 18, 2023. Specific job roles will be discussed upon acceptance. How to Apply: Click the button below to complete your application and submit your resume! Apply Now! If you have any question please contact: Editor@abga.org , or nationalshow2023@abga.org #2023NationalShow 2023 National Show Internship The ABGA takes great pride in providing exceptional learning opportunities that offer real-world applications. The ABGA hopes that our...

JABGA Meat Goat Evaluation Winners Drum roll, please. The overall placing winner of ABGA’s first-ever JABGA National Show Meat Goat Evaluation is Sophie Sturges. She... Drum roll, please. The overall placing winner of ABGA’s first-ever JABGA National Show Meat Goat Evaluation is Sophie Sturges. She received $3,650. JABGA Meat Goat Evaluation Winner Sophie Sturgis Here’s a look at how exhibitors placed: Light Weight Class 1st place: Wyatt Stevens 2nd place: Colton Westfall 3rd place: Dacota Higgins 4th place: Aris Barrientez 5th place: Baylee Lamb Medium Weight Class 1st place: Casey Jo Stevens 2nd place: Maddie Boyd 3rd place: Austin Hendrickson 4th place: Kaden Brown Heavy Weight Class 1st place: Sophie Sturges 2nd place: Lawson Brown 3rd place: Nathan Brown 4th place: Cannon Wilhoit Carcass Evaluation Class 1st place: Sophie Sturges 2nd place: Nathan Brown 3rd place: Lawson Brown 4th place: Kaden Brown 5th place: Casey Jo Stevens Record Book 1st place: Casey Jo Stevens 2nd place: Lawson Brown 3rd place: Sophie Sturges 4th place: Wyatt Stevens 5th place: Austin Hendrickson 6th place: Dacota Higgins 7th place: Maddie Boyd 8th place: Baylee Lamb 9th place: Aris Barrientez 10th place: Kaden Brown 11th place: Cannon Wilhoit 12th place: Nathan Brown 13th place: Colton Westfall Total Sophie Sturges: $3,650 Casey Jo Stevens: $2,550 Lawson Brown: $1,050 Wyatt Stevens: $850 Austin Hendrickson: $700 Dacota Higgins: $650 Maddie Boyd: $650 Nathan Brown: $550 Kaden Brown: $500 Aris Barrientez: $450 Baylee Lamb: $450 Colton Westfall: $350 Cannon Wilhoit: $350 We would like to thank all exhibitors who participated in our inaugural JABGA National Show Meat Goat

The 2023 ABGA & JABGA National Show is just around the corner. Be sure to have your goats registered and entered on time! ABGA & JABGA Animal Eligibility Competition is open to goats registered in the Herd Books of ABGA. No entries will be accepted until the animal is first registered in an ABGA Herd Book. Work orders must be submitted to the ABGA office by May 15, 2023 11:59 PM (CST). Entry Information Your entries and payment must be submitted by May 22, 2023 (11:59 PM CST) to avoid late fees. All entries received between May 23 - June 1, 2023 will be charged a $20 late fee per entry. No entries will be received after June 1, 2023. Click here to read the National Show Rules for more details. #2023NationalShow National Show Eligibility & Entry Dates The 2023 ABGA & JABGA National Show is just around the corner. Be sure to have your goats registered and entered on time!

Logan Hollen Logan Hollen's introduction to Boer goats came when Hollen’s older sister began showing the breed, and Hollen was determined to follow in her footsteps with help from her parents. Hollen has previously served one term as Vice President and as treasurer of JABGA. Logan Hollen currently serves as the Vice President of the Junior American Boer Goat Association. Hollen is a born-and-bred Kentuckian who first showed Quarter Horses. Her introduction to Boer goats came when Hollen’s older sister began showing the breed, and Hollen was determined to follow in her footsteps with help from her parents. Hollen has previously served one term as Vice President and as treasurer of JABGA. During high school, Hollen served as President of her local FFA chapter and maintained membership in the National Honor Society. She was also active in her local church youth program. When not in the goat barn, Hollen enjoys kayaking and hiking. She also enjoys self-expression through writing. Hollen is currently Junior at Northern Kentucky University, and will be graduating in the December of 2025. She aims to pursue a career in media and public relations, where she can then promote and educate the public about the agriculture industry. As President, Hollen hopes to provide mentoring and guidance to other JABGA members and improve the organization experience for others to ensure the same great experience she has had.