HUNTLEY — Unlike many of their Huntley neighbors, Jeremy, Taylor, and the their three Hauge kids, were not born to the animal-handling lifestyle.
“We didn’t grow up doing 4-H. This is kind of a learning-as-you-go thing," said Jeremy.
Despite being only three years into ownership of their Nigerian dwarf goats at the time of publishing, out of about 100 other competitors each year, Reid Hauge, 12, has walked away twice as a grand champion in dairy goat competition at MontanaFair in Billings.
“I kept telling him, y’know, ‘It’s your first year. You’re not gonna be the winner,’ and then he came out a winner," said Taylor. "The second year we had to go in and say, ‘Alright, well, just because you won last year doesn’t mean you’re gonna win this year,’ and he turned around and did it again.”
Both parents said all of the tricks the goats are able to do is because the kids have taught them. Much of what the family says they have learned about their goats has come from other kids in competition.
“There’s a lot of older kids that, if you ask for help, they’re super willing to come out and help you," said Taylor.
Reid and Cale, his 10-year-old brother, said their favorite parts of participating in MontanaFair is being able to see their friends.
“They all work together. Even their friends help with cleaning each other’s pens," said Jeremy.
