These Tri-Cities kids are the GOAT – check out this unusual tradition
There you are, at the starting gate. Before you is a challenge - an obstacle course with just three parts. This is easy, you tell yourself. You can do this.
Then you look down at the goat at your side and pray for luck.
One unusual Tri-Cities obstacle course
When I made plans to go to the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo last week, I had a few criteria. It had to be an easy day to leave the office behind; it had to be a day that wouldn't be too crowded; and it had to have at least one event I couldn't miss. So when I saw "Goat Obstacle Course" on the Thursday list of events, I knew how my day would start.
"You have to go and take pictures," a co-worker insisted. She's a country girl, but she'd never heard of anything like that. How was it going to test the goats - and in a humane way? How would you even train a goat for that?
It turns out that the obstacle course wasn't for the goats - the goats were part of the obstacle course. One might even argue they were the obstacle.
A 4-H tradition in Tri-Cities
The Goat Obstacle Course is an annual event held by 4-H at the Benton Franklin Fair. Unlike other animal raising showcases where animals are posed and inspected, the goat obstacle course is a fun race against time where the kids (human) take their kids (goat) through a three-part obstacle course.
As you can imagine, the goats aren't always so eager to do this, especially when they're not being bribed with food. The ensuing competition is full of laughs and is every bit as silly as it sounds. Here, I'll show you.
Goat Obstacle Course at Benton Franklin Fair 2024
- Hopscotch: Competitor must hop in every square. Missed squares add a second to the score.
- Pool Noodle Weave: Must weave between the center (red) pool noodles. "Plowing" through and ignoring the noodles costs adds a second to the score.
- Hay Bale: Competitor must hop up and run across the hay bale before hopping down to run to the gate. If the goat joins them on the bale, a second is subtracted from the score.
- No Dragging: A second is deducted every time the competitor is seen "dragging" their goat. A second person can come in to help 'encourage' the goat with a light touch from behind.
Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton
The Fair is a great way to support 4-H kids
4-H is a program that helps kids develop skills, learning through doing. Its foundation is in agriculture, and so at the Fair, a lot of the 4-H you'll see is livestock raising and plant growing. All of these projects also include science and presentation aspects - and the kids are really proud of what they accomplish. Getting recognized by people outside of 4-H is a big win for them, which is a huge reason why it's worth going to the fair every year.
It's not just flora and fauna though. Check out more from this year's Fair - and I hope to see you at the next one!
Benton Franklin Fair 2024 - 4-H and FFA Showcase (Agriculture)
Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton
Benton Franklin Fair 2024 - Fine Arts
Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton
Food and Fun at Benton Franklin Fair 2024
Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton
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