Goat Fest 2017 was in the next building over from the market so it seemed like a good day trip to visit both. It worked well, rather than the usual process of leaving market to catch bus and then having an hour an half to kill in town & trying to find lunch, I spent a leisurely hour wandering about market, went over and looked around goats, strolled off across the Inveresk precinct in general direction of city, realised next bus along main road was due soon, caught that into town, went to the supermarket to get milk and fruit, then wandered up to the bus stop to go home just as that bus was pulling in. All nicely timed.

However, I FORGOT TO TAKE CAMERA. Never occured to me to take it, so all you get it is phone camera photos.

There is some consideratin to be given to whether this was as big as Campbell Town in 2013. First thought was less goats and more stalls. But then at Campbell Town I seem to recall not many dairy goats except Anglo Nubians. It was more Boers and Angoras.

There were lots of Angoras again, although more spread out (on both sides of shed).

And they weren’t as friendly.

Prize-winning mohair.

Also lots of Boers again.

I put a video of these two on Facebook

Goat soap.

There was maybe a wider range of breed represented. These are Australian Melaanens.

A new breed that is (you won’t guess this) black! Developed from what I remember, from a Saanen buck carrying black genes and outcrossed to… Alpines? to develop a type of goat that is apparently a good dairy breed, suited to local conditions.

These are Saanens if you’re forgotten what they look like.

Goat soap competition.

Miniature goats are apparently hard to photograph.

This is Karina. She’s 11 months old and this was her first big outing. Talisa behind is 3 years ago.

Goat cheese tasting, from Robur Farm. They have a “hard” cheese now.

Anglo Nubians. There weren’t as many as these as in 2013. In terms of numbers of goats.

In overall weight it might be the same. Much goat.

Overall, I think it was about the same size, but the “closed” arrangement, with exhibits in wooden-sided pens rather than open pens, made it more fragmentary and smaller. 2013 had better photos though! Also (this one: best photo from last time!)