INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Judges:
Anton Ward
Anton Ward was born and raised in the province of Tranvaal. (Now Limpopo Province), South Africa. He resided in NC from 1993 until 2014, when he moved to SW Missouri, where he still resides.
BS in Agriculture Animal Science from Pretoria Technicon and has been judging livestock since 1988.
He raised Boer Goats in SA before moving to US. Anton moved to USA in 1993 and raised Boer goats from then until 2020, and now raises beef cattle. Was involved in the ABGA since the very beginning. Anton has judged the ABGA National show 7 times and in 2024 was the eighth time. He has also judged many major shows in US and Canada.
Anton has dedicated a large portion of his life to enriching others through learning opportunities, even training most of the Canadian judges in the early years . He has also trained judges in the USA with different associations over the years.
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Dr. Homero Salinas
Small Ruminant Specialist.
MISSOURI EXTENSION, Jennifer Lutes
Field Specialist in Agricultural Business
College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources | MU Extension
P.O. Box 336 | Pineville MO 64856
O: 417-223-4775 | E: lutesjl@missouri.edu
Marketing and Meat Cutting Demo
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Mohan Acharya
DAIRY YOUTH GOAT CAMP: Caroline Warren
Caroline Warren has been raising and showing dairy goats since 2009 when her family purchased their first French Alpine, and they have been hooked ever since. Caroline has worked hard to promote the dairy goat to other youth, representing Missouri on a state level. She has competed at a local, state, and national level through the American Diary Goat Association with great success.
The dairy goat industry has taught her many lessons. Caroline discusses how she learned patience, hard work, and empathy. She recalls how she learned making difficult decisions is part of the process and feeling like the decisions could be wrong no matter what, but the hard choices have to be made when caring for goats. She has created unforgettable memories and lifelong friendships. Her passion over time only continues to grow.
Caroline Warren knows the youth dairy industry well and has joined our team to help other youth grow and learn more about being better at what they love. Her expertise and time is valuable to all those that look to learn more and become successful in all aspects of raising and showing dairy goats.
Caroline’s additional idea for the camp attendees, is to offer one dairy youth participant the opportunity to have their expenses paid when they attend the National show in 2025. To enter, youth must submit an essay, show and/or participate in the youth activities.
Through this camp Caroline looks forward to teaching and seeing that same spark in youth today.
MARKET YOUTH GOAT CAMP, Evie Gates
Evie Gates began her youth career in the Oklahoma Youth Meat Goat show arena. She enjoyed showing market goats, was extremely successful in showmanship, and went on to get involved in the breeding aspects of the Boer Goat. Evie was very active as a youth in the ABGA. She was the reporter on the JABGA (Junior American Boer Goat Association) Board of Directors, for four years, which was a youth leadership building experience. She also volunteered at the ABGA National Show each year, to understand the inner workings of a larger show. She has had an expansive youth show career in the breeding side with multiple awards in local, regional, state, and national level in showmanship, breeding and market shows.
Evie has worked hard and honestly, in a industry she has been passionate about since childhood. Her dedication and time are devoted to helping others as much as she can.
If you raise goats, there is a way to touch each part of the industry. Evie has spent time working with adults and children, invited to present clinics on showing and grooming, all over the USA, teaching others what she has been taught and used within the industry to be successful with high quality animals. The opportunity to teach the youth how to be good stewards in the industry is something she has done for years. Any parent that has had her work with their children, will tell you, she has an expectation and asks for it in kindness. Watch your kids excel.
Youth Goat Camp Assistants
Ruth Green
Cozy Creek Dairy Goats
Ruth Green has been showing dairy goats for almost 30 yrs and has been judging for 10 plus. She resides in Eldorado springs, Missouri, where she raises Nubians, Alpines, Sables, and recorded grades. Currently she has a herd total of 40.
Ruth is married to Shannon who also shows. They show nationally and local with great success, having many champions in their herd. She loves teaching the new generation how to become passionate in the dairy goat industry.
Chloe Marquardt
Chloe Marquardt is from Salina, Oklahoma. She has had great success raising and showing dairy goats. Chloe has been in the show/dairy industry her whole life. Currently she has 6 does in her show rotation and they are her everything.
Currently Chloe is attending NEO in Miami, Oklahoma.
She is looking forward to working with the youth in the dairy goat camp.
Hildie Portell
Hildie Portell is currently work in the biotechnology field with hopes to pursue a career as a Veterinarian Technician.
Hildie has a love and passion for the livestock industry and has accomplished some fantastic goals, one being high point champion of the Southern Missouri Jackpot series two years consecutively (2022-2023). Another being 4th overall lamb showman at the Missouri State Fair, and 4th overall goat showman at the Missouri State Fair. The livestock industry has brought incredible people, endless opportunities and unforgettable memories.
Bailee Vogel
Bailee Vogel is a junior at Sacred Heart High School in Sedalia Missouri. Asie from her love of raising and showing Boer goats, she is involved in both basketball and volleyball for Sacred Heart. She is a member NHS and secretary of her class. Bailee is a member of the Town and County 4-H club in Saline County. She has actively been showing goats for 6 years now. Bailee attended the Market Youth Goat Camp for three years an had an amazing experience, learning how to become a better showman. Bailee is returning to help teach others how to be better at what they love.
Tatem Nichols
Tatem Nichols is 15 year old and a sophomore from Columbia, MO. She has been showing goats for 6 years and is the owner of a goat farm, raising, and showing her stock. Helping others learn about some thing she loves is a passion of mine and some thing. I’m very excited about!!! The Youth Goat Camp helped her build confidence in showmanship and showing overall. She enjoys the experience and I wants to help teach other how to be a part of that!
Allyson Spurgeon
Allyson Spurgeon is16 years old and has been showing goats the majority of her life. She enjoys working with others who share the same passion. “Showmanship teaches a lot about daily life, as it demonstrates the amount of effort that show kids put into their animals and themselves.”
Allyson can be found working with her show goats, as well as being an active member in FFA. She is her chapter’s historian, and participates in public speaking. Allyson takes part in a variety of 4-H activities, such as sewing, cooking, beekeeping and has a sour dough baking business she started.
She is also a past Champion at the Youth Goat Camp.
Karly Bolser