Back to All Ambassadors 2013 Dr. Frank Pinkerton Marvin Shurley The Kearney Family Dr. Frank Craddock

Back to All Ambassadors 2022 Don Smith

The American Boer Goat Association honors and appreciates individuals who contribute to promoting the American Boer Goat Breed. 2024 Ambassador of the Breed Nominations 2024 Ambassador of the Breed Nominations The American Boer Goat Association honors and appreciates individuals who contribute to promoting the American Boer Goat Breed. Nominations for Ambassador of The Breed are now closed. Thank you for voting! The American Boer Goat Association honors and appreciates individuals who contribute to promoting the American Boer Goat Breed. Every year, our members nominate candidates for the ABGA's Ambassador of the Breed, who are then recognized at the ABGA & JABGA National Show. For more information or questions, contact Rodney Wilson, National Show Chair, region.10@abga.org

Back to All Ambassadors 2019 Coni Ross Fred Homeyer Joe Tipton Coni Ross, Fred Homeyer (right), Joe Tipton (not pictured)

Back to All Ambassadors 2020 No nominees due to COVID19

​Goat meat has grown in popularity in the US thanks to ethnic markets which center their goat consumption around religious holidays. Holiday Goat Meat Marketing Calendar Goat meat has grown in popularity in the US thanks to ethnic markets which center their goat consumption around religious holidays. Holiday Religion 2025 2026 2027 Chinese New Year Jan 29 Feb 17 Feb 6 Eid ul-Adha - Festival of the Sacrifice Muslim June 6 - 7 May 27 - 30 May 16 - 19 Muharramm/Hajra - Islamic New Year Muslim June 26 - 27 June 16 June 5 Mawlid al-Nabi - Prophet's Birthday Muslim Sept 4 - 5 Aug 25 Aug 14 Ramadan - Month of Fasting Muslim Feb 28 - Mar 29 Feb 17 - Mar 18 Feb 7 - Mar 8 Eid ul-Fitr - Festival of Fast Breaking Muslim Mar 30 - 31 March 19 - 20 March 9 - 10 Pesch (Passover) Jewish April 12 - 20 April 1 - 9 April 21 - 29 Rosh Hashanah Jewish Sept 22 - 24 Sep 11 - 13 Oct 1 - 3 Chanukkah Jewish Dec 14 - 22 Dec 4 - 12 Dec 24 - Jan1 Western (Roman) Easter Christian April 4 April 5 March 28 Easter Orthodox (Greek) Easter Christian April 20 April 12 May 2 Christmas (Western) Christian Dec 25 Dec 25 Dec 25 Epiphany, Feast of the Nativity Christian Jan 6 Jan 6 Jan 6 Many goat producers have succeeded in targeting various ethnic markets by planning their production and breeding schedules around specific religious holidays. The traditions of these holidays vary widely between different religious belief systems and can affect the preferred size, weight, sex, and harvesting method of the animals usually consumed. The holiday calendar below is a great resource for producers to plan the breeding and sale of specific animal groups for slaughter at auction or directly to the consumer. Dependent on the number of days within each religious year, the actual timing of these holidays may shift from year to year. Here’s a guide to the preferred size, weight, sexes, and animals preferred at each holiday (courtesy of Ohio State University and Cornell University ). Christian Holidays Western/Roman Easter: Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 20-40 lbs Acceptable: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 40-50 lbs Less Acceptable: Milk-fed kids weighing less than 20 lbs Eastern/Greek (Orthodox) Easter: Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 25-50 lbs Christmas: Preferred: Milk-fed goat kids weighing 50 lbs and under Islamic Holidays Eid ul Adha – The Festival of Sacrifice: Preferred: Unblemished yearling goat kids weighing 60-80 lbs Acceptable: Unblemished yearling goat kids weighing 60-100 lbs Muharram – Islamic New Year: Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs Acceptable: unblemished older animals No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids Ramadan: Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs Acceptable: unblemished older animals No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids Eid al Fitr – The Breaking of the Ramadan Fast: Preferred: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 60 lbs Acceptable: Goat kids with milk teeth weighing 40-120 lbs Acceptable: unblemished older animals No preference is given to intact or castrated male kids Jewish Holidays Chanukah: Preferred: Young milk-fed goat kids Strategic Goat Production: Aligning Breeding with Ethnic Market Demands and Religious Holidays Optimize goat production for ethnic markets by aligning breeding with religious holidays for better sales and consumer targeting. Meat and Marketing Related Posts & Updates Oct 4, 2025 USDA Quarterly Grass Fed Lamb and Goat Report View the USDA National Quarterly Grass Fed Lamb and Goat Report. Read More Sep 2, 2022 Goat From Farm to Table With the growing popularity of Caribbean and Indian cuisine in America, goat meat is finding its way into many more recipes. Read More May 13, 2022 Nutrition of Meat Goats Nutrition of Meat Goats. A study by Dr. David Fernandez and Dr. Chelsey Ann Ahrens of University of Arkansas. Read More

Back to All Ambassadors 2017 The Ryals Family

Back to All Ambassadors 2025 Roger McSwain I am deeply humbled to be selected as the 2025 Ambassador of the Breed. This award is truly the highest honor anyone in this industry could receive. Like those who have achieved this before me, I am very grateful to my peers for bestowing this prestigious distinction upon me. My wife Jennifer and I own and operate RM Ranch in Cherryville, North Carolina. I have been raising Boer goats and operating this ranch for the last 30 years. My family has been farming the surrounding area since the late 1800's. My father raised Limousin cattle on this very farm and taught me quite a lot as a child about breeding and genetics. In the late 1980s and early 90s I competed in training and showing horses until moving to a species that my two children, Chris and Amber, could participate with. I purchased the first set of Boer goats after my children were old enough to start showing livestock in 1995 from Jack Mauldin I was fortunate to meet Anton Ward in 1998 at the first show I attended, the North Carolina State fair in Raleigh. Anton was instrumental in my earliest understanding of the various aspects of breeding and raising Boer goats. He also introduced me to the various techniques involved in advanced reproduction. Since then, I have been actively participating in advanced reproductive technologies. I was fortunate enough to perform many of these with great pioneers in embryo transfer in the Boer goat’s breed like John and Jackie Edwards. In an effort to further my formal education in the breed, I decided to attempt to pass as a certified judge. I was extremely fortunate to be 1 of 38 people who trained and tested, to become certified judges, under the South African Judges. When I say fortunate, I mean I was one of only three people, from that group of 38, who graduated with a judging license in 2001. Since then, I was lucky to judge shows all over the country including majors such as the Fort Worth Stock show in 2015. In 2012 I traveled internationally to judge goats in Quebec Canada. In 2006 I traveled to South Africa and attended their national show. I also visited various farms where I saw the birthplace of the modern-day Boer goat. It was on these farm tours that I was able to visit Lukas Burger’s farm and see the animals used to create the last imports of frozen embryos sent to the United States. Many of the offspring from those were sent to the Powell-Holman Farm in Texas in 2007. I would later be fortunate enough to acquire some of those foundation genetics for my own herd. One of the most rewarding parts of my Boer goat journey has been the opportunity to learn from many great breeders. Some of which are true ambassadors of the Boer goat breed. Beyond that, the chance to give back, to teach and mentor new breeders has been extremely satisfying to me. Whether their goals are in the show ring, breeding, or understanding breed standards and judging conformation it is truly rewarding to help others succeed in their own Boer goat journey. “Success is shaped by those you surround yourself with. Everything we’ve achieved—whether in production, the show ring, or the sale ring—has been made possible by the support and guidance of others. Many individuals have helped forge our path, and for that, we’re truly grateful.”

You play a crucial role in ensuring that the highest standards are met when it comes to evaluating and awarding exhibitors. Thank You, Judges! Thank You, Judges! You play a crucial role in ensuring that the highest standards are met when it comes to evaluating and awarding exhibitors. Thank you to our esteemed National Show Judges. You play a crucial role in ensuring that the highest standards are met when it comes to evaluating and awarding exhibitors. We appreciate your expertise. ABGA NATIONAL OPEN SHOW Sammy Lerena, MaKayla Richardson Burns, and Anton Ward. JABGA NATIONAL SHOW Terry Burks, Nick Hammett, and Josh Stephans JABGA Bred and Owned National Show and Breeding Showmanship Tom and Jackie Redden JABGA National Market Show, Commercial Doe Show, and Market Showmanship Ryan Rash Meat Goat Evaluation Live Class: JD Harmon Carcass Class: Donnie Brewer For more information or questions, contact Rodney Wilson, National Show Chair, region.10@abga.org

Boer Goat Nation, hosted by Drew Williams and Jason Brashear, is a podcast designed to promote the Boer goat breed, the industry, and the hard-working people that make the industry great. Boer Goat Nation is broadcast via Facebook Live every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM CST. Boer Goat Nation, hosted by Drew Williams, is a podcast designed to promote the Boer goat breed, the industry, and the hard-working people that make the industry great. Boer Goat Nation is broadcast via Facebook Live every Tuesday night at 7:00 PM CST. You can find them on Facebook HERE. In an effort to improve communication and open engagement with nearly 10,000 ABGA members and industry partners, the ABGA Board of Directors is excited to be partnering with Boer Goat Nation. The Board of Directors has committed to participating in the podcast once a month to share updates and progress within ABGA and JABGA and share highlights from our published minutes from the monthly meetings of the Board of Directors. You can watch the monthly updates below. Jan 27, 2026 ABGA Board of Directors Applications Now Open Watch the Podcast Dec 6, 2023 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - Winter Face-to-Face Recap Watch the Podcast Jul 25, 2023 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - July 25, 2023 Watch the Podcast Jul 17, 2023 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - Summer Face-to-Face Recap Watch the Podcast Jul 11, 2023 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - July 11, 2023 Watch the Podcast May 30, 2023 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - May 30, 2023 Watch the Podcast Mar 28, 2023 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - March 28 Watch the Podcast Feb 28, 2023 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - Feb. 28th Watch the Podcast Dec 21, 2022 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - Dec. 20 Watch the Podcast Dec 14, 2022 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - Dec. 13 Watch the Podcast Nov 16, 2022 ABGA on Boer Goat Nation - Nov. 15 Watch the Podcast

Meet Lizzie Hefner, a 17-year-old Boer goat enthusiast from Indiana, dedicated to youth leadership and community involvement. Lizzie Hefner Hi, I’m Lizzie Hefner, and I’m 17 years old from Lebanon, Indiana, where I live with my dad, Brian (who has probably stopped you at one point), and my younger sister, Addy. I’ve been showing Boer goats for six years and have been a member of the Indiana Boer Goat Association (IBGA) for five years. As an IBGA Ambassador, I love promoting the Boer goat industry and being involved in the community that has given me so much. I’m especially passionate about helping and serving the next generation of youth in the industry, sharing my knowledge and experiences to encourage their success. I’m also very active in leadership roles. I serve as the President of my 4-H club in Boone County, where I'm entering my ninth year as a member, and I’m the Lebanon FFA Chapter Reporter. Additionally, I’m a member of the National Honor Society (NHS) and am involved in both student and class council at Lebanon High School. When I’m not working on my academics or extracurriculars, you can usually find me in the barn, where my passion for the livestock industry truly shines.

Meet National Show Barn Superintendent, Elizabeth Westfall Elizabeth Westfall Elizabeth Westfall Meet National Show Barn Superintendent, Elizabeth Westfall My name is Elizabeth Westfall, and I reside in Vincennes, IN, with my husband, Zach, and son, Colton. I have worked in public safety and government for the last 20 years. I currently work for the Indiana State Department of Health as a financial analyst, Good Samaritan Hospital as a grant coordinator, and Vincennes University as a professor of Homeland Security. As you can tell from that last statement, I enjoy staying busy and am dedicated to helping others. Our farm has been raising Boer goats for the last five years, and we have grown from a 4-H project of 2 goats to over 35 goats. One of my passions is helping youth and providing education. This year, I was fortunate enough to assist with the inaugural Goat Con event in Indiana, which provided education and training to over 200 participants through the Indiana Boer Goat Association. I am currently volunteering as a co-youth coordinator for the organization. In 2023, I assisted with the ABGA/JABGA National Show, where I contributed to organizing vendors, the invitational sale, and working with facility management. This year, I will be enhancing my contribution to the event as the Barn Superintendent, a role I am honored to serve in for 2024. I'm excited about the upcoming ABGA/JABGA National Show in Louisville, KY. I want to make this an excellent experience for all exhibitors and their families. Nationals is a great time for all of us to come together as an industry and celebrate our accomplishments. I encourage everyone to reflect on what it took to get here and make it an excellent event for everyone involved. For more information or questions, contact Rodney Wilson, National Show Chair, region.10@abga.org