Latte is one of my favorite Recorded Grades. She is also my first owned and bred Recorded Grade permanent champion. Come to think of it Latte was part of a long list of first times for me.

I really didn't notice Latte as a kid or in her younger years. Most of my excellent does start out this way and surprise me when they freshen and begin showing in the show string.

Latte is an ideal animal in all parts of the score card. Beginning with general appearance, she is elegant, sleek and clean. Latte also naturally stands uphill with prominent withers that blend smoothly into a strong front end. With her upstandingness, Latte exhibits a very level and wide back, particularly in the rump area. Not only is the rump level from hips to pins, it is also just as level from thurl to thurl. I do love the rump on this doe. Latte also excels in dairy character from head to toe. She has an extremely lean, clean neck that blends into a very smooth body. I particularly like the wedgy shape of this doe, which is largely made up by this doe's ribs being widely set and correctly angled to her flank. Finally, Latte is nearly ideal in the mammary system, in shape, attachments, and capacity. Her udder is highly supported, being well above the hocks, mostly due to a strong medial suspensory ligament and a highly attached rear udder. These attachments also help Latte possess proper teat placement- plumb, delineated, and correctly placed on the floor of the udder.

In udder capacity, Latte is a veteran. She is the highest producing animal in the herd...Lamanchas included. Her production has been noticed nationwide, as she has been the recipient of some high awards that have highlighted her production capabilities and butterfat content. In 2010, Latte was the recipient of the High Individual Butterfat Award at the National Show in the Recorded Grade breed. She then repeated that prestigious award in 2011, only to be beat out of the Lifetime Butterfat Award by her maternal sister, Dark Blend.

Latte's highest award was given at the 2009 National Show. We were honored to receive Reserve Best Udder under some very stiff competition. It was the first large rosette I have ever gotten at a National Show. I was also proud to be the owner and breeder of such a great goat.

Latte is faulted by her hind leg set. I am insure of what happened as she matured, but her pasterns turn inward causing her pasterns to look weak. As she has aged, this weakness has been showing and causing her to fall farther down the line. However, Latte consistently receives high honors for her mammary system, sometimes making up for her short falls in rear leg set.

To see Purple Thistle Iced Latte's extended pedigree, click on the ADGA Genetics link: http://adgagenetics.org/GoatDetail.aspx?RegNumber=E001386100