30 Years and Counting

Lancaster Farming Article

Falmouth Hosts Another
Successful Day Of Goat Races

Michelle Kunjappu
Reporter

FALMOUTH, Pa. — If you have $4, a goat and a need for speed, put next year’s Falmouth goat races on your calendar.

Thirty years ago, a practical joke led to the inaugural goat race, which proved to be such a great source of small-town fun that the organizers have continued the event. Now it attracts not only more competitors but interested onlookers every year.

“We parked close to 600 cars,” said race co-founder Ken Brandt about this year’s event, “so if you average three people a car, it’s close to 1,800 people.”

This year, 36 owners anted up with the requisite $4 to enter their goat into the races, conducted in late September in Falmouth, a small town located two miles from Three Mile Island (and pronounced “foul mouth” by the locals).

Contrary to the “foul mouth” moniker, the event is family friendly.

In fact, in the spirit of a fun day for all, the age specifications for handlers and goats are rather broad (there are no age limits) while the size requirements for the goats are equally as broad (no size requirements). The goats can hail from anywhere, and competitors from both Pennsylvania and Maryland have participated in the past, according to Brandt.

“We have a number of racers that keep coming back, but we always have new ones (this year’s winner was a first-timer) and we even have racing teams,” said Brandt.

The races are double elimination, so each goat gets the chance to run the straight track at least twice.

The dirt race track is 122.5 feet long. If that number sounds a little, well, random — it is. “The reason it’s that long is that years ago, that’s all the rope we had,” said Brandt. “We wanted to figure out how long to make the track, and we got some rope out of somebody’s garage and that’s all the rope we had, so we kept the measurement when we did the first goat race, and that’s how long the measurement’s been ever since.”

A typical goat race day begins with a parade of goats, as the animals are lined up and brought into the race area. A panel of four judges decides on the recipients of awards such as “prettiest goat” (won by Devin Wagner); “best-dressed goat and handler” (won by Abbi Brown); and “smallest goat” (Merrill Wray and a goat named Cindy Lou Who). This year Dale Hiestand cleaned up with his entrant, which was awarded the “ugliest goat,” “largest goat” and “biggest horns” titles.

Opening ceremonies included music from a local high school pep band and the “Blessing of the Goats,” a prayer by a Elmer Keck, member of the Falmouth United Methodist Church.

To commemorate its 30-year mark, the civic association offered T-shirts, bandanas, die-case vans and postcards with the Falmouth logo on it. Visitors to their Web site will also find a picture of Brandt sporting a Falmouth goat races cap for sale, with the caption “model not included” underneath.

The races have given the town of Falmouth a place on the map — or at least a mascot. For several years, Falmouth residents gathered on New Year’s Eve to watch a large stuffed goat — “Bill,” to be exact — lowered from a 35-foot flagpole at the Conoy Township municipal building.

Goats are not the only racing animals of the day, however. While the goats take a break from competition, members of the Jet Set Flyball Club demonstrated their own sport. Flyball is a relay race where each dog on the team jumps over four hurdles in a row, triggers a flyball box which ejects a tennis ball, grabs the ball, and returns over the four jumps carrying the ball.

This year several children chosen from the audience relay-raced the Jet Set team and handed the dogs their only loss so far when a few of the canine competitors got distracted mid-race.

Besides stands offering crafts for sale, a pedal tractor pull competition, pony rides, a kids’ games area, and “stick goat” obstacle course (as opposed to riding a stick horse) rounded out the event’s offerings.

“It’s unique just hearing the term, ‘goat race,’” said Brandt. However, he added, “I think that what has kept it going is not only the goat race itself but the other attractions we’ve incorporated through the years.”

The day-long event, sponsored by the Falmouth Civic Association, helps to fund the association’s egg hunt, park and playground equipment. However, the major beneficiary is the Falmouth United Methodist Church youth group, which uses the money for an annual mission trip.

This year’s goat race winners were: first place, John Stalling, Millersville, Pa.; second place, Jennifer Meyer, Palmyra, Pa.; third place, Grant Fellenbaum, Mt. Joy Pa.; fourth place, Bethany Meyer, Palmyra, Pa.; fifth place, Kayley Ellis, Lancaster, Pa.; and sixth place Gayle Walsh, Elizabethtown, Pa.

The top four winners get a trophy, while the top six receive gifts from local businesses and a gift certificate from Pennfield, a major sponsor of the event.