ROSE Strong of the Sherralee goat stud at Cooranbong said her family was in a “state of shock” this week having scored its best ever result at a Sydney Royal Easter Show.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The stud’s entrant Prunella was named champion Saanen doe kid, and reserve champion for all breeds.
Ms Strong said it was an outstanding result for Prunella who was competing at her first Royal Easter Show.
“She quite surprised us to win champion Saanen kid, and then we were in a kind of state of shock when she went on to win reserve champion all breeds kid,” Ms Strong said.
“It’s probably the highest prize we’ve ever won at the Sydney Royal.”
The Shirrallee goat stud was started about 40 years ago by Rose’s mum, Pat, whose expertise has been passed on to her daughter.
The family has been exhibiting goats at the Sydney Show since 2000.
Ms Strong’s first foray into competition was as a three-year-old when she won best child goat handler at the Morisset Show. It was an award she would dominate for 13 years.
“I think I lost only twice up to age 16,” Ms Strong recalled.
Today, Sherralee is home to about 60 goats.
The stud is also a licensed goat dairy which sells fresh, unpasteurised goat’s milk on site.
“A lot of people come here with intolerances to dairy milk, or with babies who aren’t doing well on formula,” Ms Strong said.
Goat’s milk was highly rated by customers for its taste and health benefits, she said.
But running the operation is hard yakka.
“The work’s never finished. There are always jobs to be done with fencing or fixing up the sheds, and that’s on top of the day-to-day feeding and milking,” Ms Strong said.
It means that the family is looking to downsize the operation.
“We want to be able to scale back things so that it’s easier for Mum, and a little easier for me,” she said.
“We want to make it easier for the girls [the goats] as well.”
Ms Strong said she loved that each goat had a different personality.
“And the young kids are just so joyful. They jump and twirl and are fun to watch.”