It’s not every little girl who dreams of showing goats. Or who does her homework in advance to convince her parents to let her. Take that dream one step further. Turn it into a goal of winning, and with a lot of hard work and some tender loving care, that dream more than came true.
Bristol Lee is an 8-year-old from Gillham, Arkansas, who told her parents she wanted to show goats. Although she and her brother, Kix, had shown cattle and pigs, the show goat world was totally unfamiliar to them. According to Bristol’s mom, Christy, she and Bristol’s dad just blew off the notion at first. However, Bristol was persistent. She started talking to an older girl who successfully showed goats and found a mentor. Bristol watched her, asked questions, discovered she did enjoy the goats and asked her parents again if she could show goats.
“She took it upon herself to do all the research. We encouraged her to borrow one to show at the Mississippi Youth Expo to try it out. If she wanted to do it after that, we would support her,” Christy said.
“It looked so fun! I borrowed a goat to show, and I loved it,” Bristol said. That was the beginning of the dream come true.
Bristol was excited to welcome her doe and two wethers – Karen, Billy Bob and Kevin – to her show barn this spring. With hard work and dedication, she has been able to accomplish her number one goal: “winning.” But her dreams weren’t without some sweat and dedication. The trio of boer goats gets fed twice daily, gets fresh water three times a day, bathed once a day and walked both on the walker and hand-walked twice a day. That’s a lot for a girl who just started third grade, but it’s something she is totally passionate about.
“It’s been rewarding, watching her do most of it on her own. Some mornings we wake up, and Bristol’s already out there walking her goats,” her mom said.
That hard work has paid off for Bristol, who said taking care of her goats is easier than her brother’s cattle and pigs. She showed both the grand and reserve grand champion market goats at the county fair, the Arkansas State Fair with the Arkansas Youth Expo and has had much success at several jackpots along the way.
“I was so proud, I was crying happy tears,” Bristol said.
She is excited to continue showing goats and says her goal is to continue to win, something she knows is achievable when she “tries her hardest and uses her daddy’s products.” Her dad, Alan, is the Director of Domestic Business Development for BioZyme® Inc. Bristol depends on Vita Charge® Gel to help her goats’ bellies feel their best and keep them eating.
“We use the Vita Charge Gel when her goats get a little finnicky. Whoever said a goat will eat anything, wasn’t talking about a show goat,” Christy laughs. “Once they decide they don’t like something, they can pick out something as small as the oats from their feed. They get Vita Charge Gel about once a week.”
Vita Charge Gel is for all species of livestock and supports digestive health and promotes feed and water intake. It contains Amaferm®, a prebiotic that impacts intake, feed digestibility and nutrient absorption to help combat stress and support the animal’s own immune system. With the Amaferm advantage, Bristol’s goats continue to stay on feed and feel their best.
“It’s a good experience, being with animals that you love,” Bristol said.
And that is why BioZyme believes in care that comes full circle; because we know that dreams do come true.