LEBANON, Ind. — A sunny Saturday kicked off the third annual GoatCon Premier Education Event and Show weekend, Feb. 28-March 1, at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Lebanon, Ind. More than 300 goat enthusiasts participated.

Hosted by the Indiana Boer Goat Association (IBGA), GoatCon focused on providing a platform for education, discussion, and growth from the budding 4-Her to the seasoned producer of meat and dairy goats. Saturday’s sessions included a full day of seminars, workshops, and roundtable discussions.

Mandy Horn, IBGA president, welcomed guests and shared the goals of the weekend. Jenna Lawler, Indiana FFA state reporter, engaged youth with a workshop titled Who is Holding the Lead, where she encouraged youth to focus on what they could impact and not what they cannot.

Other topics included stress management, feeding small ruminants, the impacts and management of gastrointestinal parasites in meat goats, and showmanship training in both Boer and Dairy goats.

The afternoon sessions included a breeder roundtable, and a session on interpreting laboratory results of three diseases affecting goats (CAE, Johne’s, and CL). The day culminated with a workshop where attendees learned about semen collection in bucks as well as laparoscopic artificial insemination in does, and viewed a live demonstration of both techniques.

On Sunday, the 2026 IBGA Show Series kicked off with a commercial doe, buck, and concurrent ABGA breeding goat show. Compared to 2025, numbers nearly doubled, and more than 115 goats were exhibited by 68 youth and adults from 10 states. For a full listing of results, please visit the IBGA’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/indianaboergoatassociation.

For more information on how to become involved with the IBGA, please reach out to indianaboergoat@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page or website at www.indianaboergoatclassic.org.