Goats + heart = inclusion at the California Mid-State Fair. Through the Warrior Goat program this year, kids of all abilities are getting a shot in the ring.
Making youth with disabilities, like Luke Henard and Javier Perez, feel involved and included one goat at a time, that’s what the Warrior Goat program is all about.
“I always had friends who did it so, you know, now I get to be a part of it, a part of that group,” said Warrior Goat student Luke Henard.
The Warrior Goat program started in 2014 in Santa Barbara County. It pairs students with mentors of similar age to show them the ropes.
London Sutton was a part of making the program an initial success in Santa Barbara County and when asked if she wanted to continue in Paso Robles as Henard’s mentor, she couldn’t turn down the offer.
“I’ve gotten to know Luke more, and I’ve gotten to learn who Javie is, and I feel like it’s just connected me to a lot more people,” Sutton said. “It’s just like really rewarding to see how all the other students in the program and FFA [Future Farmers of America], interact with them. To see that interaction, it’s rewarding.”
Last year was the first year the Warrior Goat program made its grand entrance at the Mid-State Fair with only one student, one mentor, and of course, one single goat.
Together, the trio set a fair record for the sale of their goat.
“It didn’t feel real at first!” Henard said. “Like, it felt very like wow!”
It’s the students who put in all the hard work, though.
Henard and Perez have stayed at the Mid-State Fair with their buddies, Max and Sandy, named after a few other G.O.A.T.s — the LA Dodgers — since the fair kicked off.
Every day, they’re responsible for feeding them, bathing them, walking them, and having a little bit of something as they’re doing it…
“Definitely patience!” said Henard.
“Every time these students get onto the farm, every day they’re here up at the fair, they’re a part of this bigger team that they’re doing the same thing, and it’s just so rewarding,” Warrior Goat volunteer Dan Sutton said. “The excitement that they have about what they’re experiencing, I just… I want to do it again!”
Henard and Perez have already completed two rounds of the competition, including showmanship, but Saturday morning is the grand finale — they will finally get to auction off their goats.
