Niles brothers square off in goat show

BERRIEN SPRINGS — It did not look like it when they were standing side by side in the show arena, but Niles brothers Reese and Ben McKee were thinking about how they could one up each other.

“Since we are brothers it makes it so we even want to win a lot more,” said Reese, 13. “If you are in a class together — like we are today — you want to win really bad.”

Reese and his 11-year-old sibling competed in Monday’s Goat Show at the Berrien County Youth Fair in Berrien Springs.

They each entered an animal in the Boer Goat Market class.

Reese finished fourth in his class, while Ben took fifth. The two were placed next to one another in the show arena as the judge lined up the winners by order of finish.

While Reese got the upper hand this time, his brother said that is not always the case.

“It goes back and forth between who does better,” said Ben, who claims the only first place finish among the two. He said he had the Grand Champion Cart Goat last year.

“I feel like I need to go for all the glory or go home,” Ben said.

This year, the brothers will be showing goats and chickens. They both have been showing animals since they were 5 years old.

“We help each other get the animals ready, but once it comes to getting in the ring it is all about the competition,” Reese said.

Reese was also runner-up in the junior class of the Goat Showmanship competition Monday.

The Berrien County Youth Fair continues today through Saturday at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds.

Today is kids day at the fair, meaning all children through high school get in the gates for free.