Posted by GoatWorld on October 02, 2002 at 20:59:08:
In Reply to: Which boar goat association to join ABGA or IBGA????? posted by Cindy on October 01, 2002 at 19:58:21:
Hello Cindy,
Good question you have asked. There seems to be a 50/50 split on which of the two is better although I have had alot of people tell me that the IBGA is the best of the two since it encompasses the "International" community instead of just the "American" community. Since some of the Boer goats here in the US are directly related back to herd sires from places like Landcorp (New Zealand I believe) and South Africa, this might be why the International organization membership is preferred.
Now on a personal note (and this is open for discussion and debate), I have spoken with a number of people who seem to agree that NOT joining the ABGA or IBGA is better yet - some shows do not necessarily require membership in either and from what has been told, the politics involved in either organization has severely stunted the Boer goat market. I just don't know.
Also, there are a couple of "registrars" that have cropped up in the last couple of years that claim to encompass the benefits of registry with both. I'm skeptical on these third part registrars because they are really only acting as middlemen. Personally I think I would choose the IBGA over the ABGA for the reasons I stated - not to sleight the ABGA but simply because the registry database is going to cover a larger percentage of goats worldwide.
Hopefully this is helpful. Best regards,
Gary