Fair season opens in Fallbrook

The fifth annual Fallbrook Show Season Opener (SSO) is happening on Saturday, April 12, hosted by Rainbow Valley Grange.

SSO Chairman Ed Komski says, “The mission of this day of competition is twofold: to introduce interested people to animal projects and continue to support people in animal agriculture by providing a comfortable, competitive and educational venue.”

This year’s competition includes American Boer Goat Association (ABGA) breed and market shows plus a symposium and a non-sanctioned dairy goat show for youth only, as well as breed and market beef shows.

An opening ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. with all shows beginning at 10 a.m. at Riders Field, 1627 South Stage Coach Lane.

This year there will be no pygmy goat shows, due to the unavailability of judges and the expenses of a sanctioned show through the National Pygmy Goat Association, and no sheep show for lack of participation.

The show is open to competitors of all ages with no geographical restrictions, except for showmanship classes, which are for 6- to 18-year-olds.

Special to this year’s show is the judge for the ABGA show, Dr. Fred C. Homeyer. Although Dr. Homeyer is a retired college professor of computer science, he has raised several thousand Boer goats, including the almost 1,500 currently at his ranch in Texas. He has presented seminars on this species all over the world and the United States.

Dr. Homeyer, the only person who has been certified as a Boer goat judge by both the ABGA and the United States Boer Goat Association, will also be presenting a symposium during the SSO.

There is no charge to come and watch the kids and their animals. A food booth will be selling breakfast, lunch and snacks. The Grange will also hold silent auction, raffle and bake sale fundraisers for youth and Junior Grange activities.

For more information on the show, call Ed Komski at (760) 310-6500.