Half way through 2005, we decided to move the family half a kilometre down the road, to "Nan's house" so that we were closer to the dairy and so that the children could be closer to their wonderful Grandparents, who live in the house next door. Andrew (god love him) rushed around madly for the first few months organising goat pens for me. During this time, our very first (potential) purebred animal was born, Patona Park Firstnforemost, which was very very exciting for us!

We have had many opportunities over the years, to produce "purebred" stock, but to be truthful the animals that were usable simply were not of the quality that we wanted and getting to Purebred with mongrel goats, simply was not an option for us. So we spent quite a few years trying to perfect our B Grade animals so that we would have some very impressive A Grade stock to use.
Our effort paid off, we could not have asked for a better pairing to produce Australia's FIRST (potential) PUREBRED!
Our aim is to produce purebreds measuring in under 21” in height. (Bucks included). We all know that when using 23” bucks through so many generations, all our high grade and purebred does will be 21”, but I think it would be a real challenge to try to get the bucks down to that height too.
We have several grades to do it in and we are lucky enough to have Bandit and a couple of his tiny sons to help us. We will still use some of our taller "typey" animals for several years to come as we do not want to lose the type we have taken so long to “fix” and we dont want to reduce our gene pool too much either.
We are concentrating on conformation and type and have bred some of our higher grade (not so typey) does to our lower grade “typey” bucks. Our aim is not only to produce purebreds but to produce the “BEST” purebreds. I do not want to get to purebred with a handful of “mongrels” and would rather skip a year to wait for the "right mate" to pair to.
We have produced several “potential A and potential purebreds” this season, most of which have been retained by our stud. Patona Park Bandit (bred by R. Druery), Patona Park Elvis (bred by A. Alcock), Patona Park Deago, Ekan & Fatti have been the bucks responsible for our little bundles of joy.

We have a couple of new little "Potential" Purebred babies (2006/2007), we will introduce them in the near future.....

Adult Update for Patona Park Firstnforemost

It was really lovely to be able to share my excitement with the wonderful friends
that I have made during my "mini goat" breeding venture.
These are the messages that we shared 31st August 2005......

Aaaarrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WWWooooohhhhhooooooooo!!!!!!!!

Faith Kidded this evening, we have our
FIRST (potential) PUREBRED!!!!!!!!!

WWWWWooooooooohhhhhooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

Take a look at this cutey, Its a BOY!!!!!
and we think he's GORGEOUS!!!!!!!

born 6:15pm, 30th August 2005,
Im off to have a ciggar & champagne with DEAGO (dad)

From: Yattarna Sent: 31/08/2005 11:17 PM
Arhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, woopeeeeeeeeeeeee, can't believe it!!!!!!!!
Cripes has it FINALLY HAPPENED????????????

Totally speechless, he, heeeeee 1st for me!! Words cannot express the total excitement and thrill we are all feeling at Yattarna Stud. We are all partying with you, champagne corks popping, all goats totally drunk and dancing to "Abba", "Dancing Queen", my choice, not theirs!!! Your Bandit is out there puffing on a cigar, proud grandad, freely giving advise to all the young bucks!!
Congratulations , plus, plus!! All your years of hard work and careful breeding have paid off!
Ah, guess you'll be wethering him and selling him off, just before you put the green band on, hey, I may just be interested!!
When you come down to earth, we want all the gory details.
Congratulations again
From all creatures great & small at Yattarna Stud

Sent: 31/08/2005 11:27 PM
Hi Mum.

(Hick), oops, sorry just a wee bit too much bubbly! Can't believe I'm grandad to the first potential purebred! hick (oops, the bubbly is getting to me) Can you let Deago know how proud I am of him. (Hick) sorry, way to much bubbly! Would have EMailed him direct, but he doesn't have his own EMail address. (Hick), think I should lay off the bubbly!!

Have to go, there playing Abba again, (wink, wink) girls are in the partying mood!!

Love Bandit

From: Margaret Sent: 31/08/2005 11:32 PM
CONGRATULATIONS

We can only imagine what you must be feeling now, after all the years of up and downs, hard work, blood sweat and tears along the way.

FANTASTIC NEWS, Purebred is a REALITY

No sleep for you tonight, party on

I bet Diego and Faith will get a little something extra in their brekky tomorrow!! What a gorgeous boy, you must be over the moon! So....what's his name ????

Kind Regards,
Steve and Margaret
Serendipity

From: Bouncinghooves Sent: 31/08/2005 11:35 PM
CONGRATULATIONS PATONA PARK!!!!!!!!!!!
For everyone else this was what sue was doing when I arrived a few minutes after the birth.

Heeheeheee

Between us there was lotsa jumping up and down and about 5,05333444 "OH MY GOD'S" along with a far bit of squealing and arhhhhhrrrrring with admiration of a miracle.
I think we might have blinded the poor little fella though with the flashes going off in his face every few seconds for the first hour of his life.

Congratulations again Sue.

Simone
BouncingHooves

Patona Park Sent: 1/09/2005 12:02 AM

Hi Guys, THANK for the Congratulation's
HHeheheheheeeheeheeee

Im going to have the sorest cheeks tomorrow, I cant stop smiling!!!!!

between Simone & I , I'm sure we have over 100 photos, but because I cant see what's in the camera screen (in the dark), most of my shots are shocking. All this smiling has put a permanent squint in my eyes, that doesn't help much either......heheheheheeeee,
I'm Soooooooooooo happy!!!!!!!!!!

Has anyone got any ideas for a name?????

Its an "F" year, and NO Sue J, I think yours may be a bit "Loud" for lack of better words....heheheheheee, although that may have been what came out when I first saw him, well in between the yelling, screaming and jumping around, heheheheheeee

Kind Regards
SueL

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Hi Guys, me again, cant sleep.....heheheheheheeeeee
woooooohhooooooo!!!!!!
Hey guess how big he is?????

He is 29.5cm (11.6"), what a Whopper!!!!!
Heheheheheeeeeee

Kind Regards
SueL

From: christalisgoats Sent: 1/09/2005 9:24 AM
Dear Faith (and Deago as this is one of only two times that Dad's get mentioned in dispatches ...)

You poor bugger. My heart goes out to you. Must have been worse than having all the 1st year medical students gathering around and peering into your bits at the maternity ward. All those bright lights ... it's a wonder the poor not-so-little thing didn't try to turn around and go back.

And all that screaming ... you must be heeee heeee (expletive) heee heee'd to near death ... and deaf! Some of my Victorian relatives reported hearing similar noises accompanied by lots of popping and slurping sounds. Perhaps they live near Sue J?

Anyway dear ... you just relax and try and get your milk together. Celebrity status is here to stay ... congratulations darling and don't you let those deliriously happy (and perhaps now quite tipsy) women take it away from you. Never forget it was YOU who did all the pushing!

We'll give you a few days to settle down and maybe send over a casserole or 2 of yummies to help out.

Lots of Love

Chris and Ali (and all the girls and boys cheering for you up the paddock)

From: elfinmini Sent: 1/09/2005 6:59 PM
Hi Sue,

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Good on you!!

Warm wishes from Ian and Glynnis Murray
Elfin

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From: Hideaway Sent: 1/09/2005 7:36 PM
Hi Sue
BIG CONGRATULATIONS

He is absolutely gorgeous!
I'm hoping I can catch you at home drooling over him on the weekend so I can come see the darling for myself, that is if the cue is not to long.
They are always cuter in the flesh.

Patricia
Hideaway

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From: goatgully Sent: 2/09/2005 9:50 PM
Hi Sue,
We have been having a little discussion about your new arrival!! Has he a name as yet? My daughter Georgia has suggested FRANKLIN and my husband likes FERGUS!!
What do you think?!!!!!!!!!!!!
seya Robyn

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From: Patona Park Sent: 5/09/2005 5:06 PM

Hi again everyone,

Thanks for all the emails and phone calls, I have been so busy on phone calls that I havent been able to get online until now! The little fella is bouncing around giving mum a hard time, (as they do), he has now been named. Thanks to everyone who gave us suggestions, both online and by phone.
I liked FIRST-ONE & FIRSTEDITION, but Andrew has Christened him with,
FIRST'N'FOREMOST,
not bad for a dairyfarmer who named his last three cows,
daisy, maisy and jingle bells....
hehehheheeeeeee
Thanks everyone for your great suggestions!!!

I'm now running around trying to organise "Maternity Pens", we have a fox family floating around that has taken some of Simone's Chickens and one of Dads turkeys the other night. I still haven't had time to build my yards and pens and am madly making up makeshift portable pens with ARC fence panels so mums and bubs are safe.
Anyway, I will be on tonight, 8pm in the Breeders chat room, so will see you there,

Kind Regards
SueL

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From: BuddingCHRISSY Sent: 6/09/2005 1:43 AM
Hi Sue
My brother is excited and in awe of your photos, he thinks you should call him FRODO. I'm sure if you've seen the Lord of the Rings, you will know where it came from. It is a name of one of the Hobbits.
Chris Falconer. Perth W.A.