National pygmy goat show books Auburn visit

The National Pygmy Goat Association has chosen Auburn as the site of its 2007 national show and convention.Probably close to 500 pygmy goats will converge on the Gold Country Fairgrounds from June 21 to 27, said Tammi Josephson, a National Pygmy Goat Association board member.Josephson, a Cottonwood pygmy goat owner, said about 300 to 400 convention-goers are expected for the annual event. National champion pygmy goats will be judged and crowned on the Friday of the convention and there will be plenty of pygmy goats to see at the fairgrounds barns on the weekend, she said.Participants will be flying in from across the nation, with many taking part in judging certification on the last days of the conference.Some participants will be staying onsite in tents or motorhomes."Pygmy goat owners are basically down-to-earth people," Josephson said. "It's not cut-throat competition. And there's not a lot of money to be won."Instead, the conference and show will immerse the fairgrounds in a family atmosphere, she said.Auburn and Santa Rosa fairgrounds were seriously considered for the conference, Josephson said.One of the considerations was finding a location close to an airport. Another was having a convention site in a fairly central location. The bulk of the participants will be from California and surrounding states.Josephson said the beauty of the fairgrounds and somewhat cooler temperatures compared with valley locations gave Auburn the advantage when it came time to select a site.This year's conference and show was held at the Grundy County Fairgrounds in Illinois. Each of the association's eight regions get an opportunity to play host to the conference on a rotational basis.Greg Hegwer, Gold Country Fairgrounds CEO, said that the association was able to lock in a week at the popular fairgrounds location a year in advance and he's elated that another agricultural-related event chose the site."The reason for the fairgrounds is to promote agriculture," Hegwer said.Pygmy goats average 16 to 23 inches in height and weigh from 40 to 70 pounds. They were brought to the United States from Africa about 50 years ago.They're raised as pets and for show and competition - and can produce milk."They have darling personalities - they're really similar to dogs," Josephson said. "They're easy to take care of and a lot smarter than you think."The Journal's Gus Thomson can be reached at gust@goldcountrymedia.com.