Fiber goats are judged on the quality of their fiber and their conformation. Preparing goats for show simply requires keeping their fleece and body in good condition. It is helpful for your goat to have some experience on a leash so they can demonstrate a natural walk.

Brushing is not typically recommended for a Pygora goat. The structure of the lock helps keep the fleece in good condition and brushing can loosen the lock structure.

You can use a brush to very lightly brush the fleece, teasing the dirt out. Don’t comb the fleece like your hair. Use short, quick strokes with a dog slicker or a hairbrush with balls on the tips of the bristles. It is very important that you don’t brush the locks out. If you do, spritz the fleece with water and let the goat dry for a day or two bedded on clean straw. This should revive the locks.

It is important for your goat’s fleece to be in its “natural state.” That said, a clean fleece tends to show well. To strike a balance, it is often helpful to wash the goat three to six weeks prior to the show date and allow the fleece to return to its natural state.

The goat can be washed with natural unscented soaps or simply with water. It is important to use a show blower or electric leaf blower to dry the goat completely after washing.

Like with a goat show, consider washing the goat 3-6 weeks prior to harvesting a fleece for show. This is not required, but you should definitely use a blower to remove as much dirt and debris as possible before harvesting.

• Harvest the fleece by shearing, combing or plucking. It’s up to you and the fleece type you want to show. The way you harvest can affect your score. For example, with a combed fleece, a judge cannot see lock formation. It may help the judge if you clip some of the fleece to preserve some locks. Take your time harvesting so you can preserve as much of the look of the fleece as possible. If you shear, avoid second cuts. These really can hurt your score.

• Package your fleece for display. Pygora fleeces are shown in a cardboard banker’s box (readily available at office supply stores). You want to present the best picture possible. Laying the locks out in a box is a very popular way to display PygoraTM. This means more time has to be taken while shearing, but the presentation is well worth it. Skirt the fleece to remove matted or stained parts of the fleece and second cuts.

• Record the harvest date - or dates if plucked over a period of time - as well as the fleece weight to include on the entry form.

• Send/deliver the fleece to the show coordinator. For out-of-town shows, the entry form should list the return postage to have your fleece sent back to you. If you are interested in selling your fleece at the show, ask the show coordinator what the rules are for selling.

Buck Fleece Shows

Because bucks like to add their ‘perfume’ to their fleece, a buck’s fleece is shown very differently. To enter a buck’s fleece you need:

• a 1-ounce sample of fleece harvested from the buck’s barrel in a ziplock bag with the harvest date written on the bag.

• a color, side-view photo of the buck in full fleece.

• a copy of the buck’s registration papers.