Rent a Goat or Bring Yours
So there I was, in the restroom stall at my local brewery – Leatherback Brewing Company, – reading a poster on the back of the door advertising a goat race. “Rent a goat or bring yours.” Being of sound mind and judgement at the time, I immediately signed up to rent a goat and enter the race, which was to be held a few weeks later.
Giggling as I sat back on my bar stool, my friends and I started asking Kristen (bartender) ridiculous yet valid questions about the race. Are we basically sponsoring a goat in the race? Will it just run for food or understand it’s a race? Do we need to dress it? With each question the laughter grew louder. Answers: We were to lead the goat on a leash in the race; dressing it is optional. Ok, so this is going to be more work than originally thought. Furthermore, we were to name our goat and the winner would have a beer named after it. The stakes were officially raised.
The next week, conversation continued where it had left off: Can we pick out our goat in advance and get to know it? Can we practice with it? The answers were no. What kind of beer will be named after the goat? Spoiler alert: A double IPA with soursop.
During the week leading up to the goat race, hilarity on Facebook ensued as we slowly remembered we had signed up to rent a goat. Apparently, not all asked the questions my friends and I had to understand what was going on.
The day of the event was in the mid-80’s and sunny. Upon arrival at the brewery we found a racing area fenced off, food trucks, a bounce house, live music, and commemorative shirts. All of this was listed on the event poster but overlooked due to the phrase, “Rent a goat or bring yours.” We signed in, were given our wristband and shirt, picked out our goat, and named it. They were numbered. Some of us went over to the fence and chose based on spunkiness and attitude; others just picked a number.
I went to the fence and surveyed my options. One perked up. I yelled out, “Sea Biscuit,” and she responded. This is when I knew Number 9 was my girl. Our goats were distributed, and by distributed, I mean wrangled from the pen one at a time and forced go with its renter. Please note: The rules strictly prohibited harming or injuring the goats; no goats were mistreated during this event. Also note – these goats were not used to being around people. In total, 25 goats entered the race.
The pre-race goat parade was full of amusement as we attempted to get our goats to the start line then guide it down the track. These goats didn’t come with a manual; some sat down while others took off running in circles. About half finished the parade and made it back to the starting line for the heats to begin. Each of the 5 heats consisted of 5 goats. The heat winners moved to the final race of the day.
Heat 1 was long; 2 goats crossed the finish line, but the others dawdled around the track’s midpoint. In heat 2, one of the goats refused to stand, so the renter carried her goat to the start line, then down the track to the finish line. This was perfectly legal. Sea Biscuit was in heat 3. People were cheering her on, telling me she was slow and steady, and would therefore win. I looked at them laughing and said, “I hope not! I’m ready to get in the shade and drink beer.” She did me proud and finished second. Note: Contestants had been in the sun for about 2 hours at this point. Heat 4 was uneventful; and heat 5 had a run-away winner.
By the time the finals came, heat losers were happy to return the goats to the pen with smiles and fond memories. Upon returning Sea Biscuit, I made sure to give her a pat on the head and thank her for her time. In the final race, one goat was the stand-alone winner: Totes McGoats. Overall, it was a super-fantastic, fun day.
The point: Goats are extremely stubborn; deciding to race a goat while drinking alcoholic beverages can lead to a hilarious afternoon with friends. The real point: Don’t be afraid to do things you haven’t done before, or that are outside of your comfort zone. They can lead to new experiences, fun times, and great memories.
Comentarios