Meet ABGA Certified Judge: Josh Stephans by Karla Blackstock
Many breeders and exhibitors step into the ring weekend after weekend looking for a judge’s decision. Where will your animal be in the lineup? This reoccurring feature will highlight the individuals who answer that question week after week in ABGA shows. Josh Stephans has been raising goats since 1999 on his family ranch in Missouri where he admits his family stumbled into the goat business. “We raised commercial cattle and did some brush hogging for a neighbor. She paid us with 4 Nubian wethers,” Stephans said. “We put them in a pen in the brush and within a few days, they had the entire pen cleared.” These goats proved that they had a place on the ranch. Stephans knew from an early age that he wanted to be a certified ABGA judge, but it wasn’t in the cards until 2014. After working for a couple of Boer goat breeders, he found the right opportunity when the ABGA judge’s certification school was held in Columbia, Mo. That location made it possible for him to take the time off to attend the week-long seminar. As a markets reporter for the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Stephans finds time to fit animals for shows and production sales. But, he said, he enjoys spending his time narrating the production sales and working the ring. “By narrating production sales, I have a great opportunity to see the larger scope,” Stephans said. “It keeps me up-to-date on the market and in tune with what producers are looking for.” Sometimes we see a difference in the style of goats selected in the commercial world and the show ring, but Stephans said all producers should be looking to the breed standards when selecting animals. “There is a reason behind every breed standard. It’s not all about pounds,” he said. “For example, we all want bone on the animals. Some argue that you can’t eat bone. Well, you don’t eat teeth, but there is a good reason for having good sound teeth.” Stephans went on to say that having enough bone and
8 - The Boer Goat
