CONNOQUENESSING TWP — The goat event at the Butler Farm Show on Wednesday had an unusual twist: costumes for both the handlers and the animals.

The Goat Costume Contest is in its fourth year, according to Tina Bryner, the goat superintendent. It had 14 contestants in three age divisions.

Since there were no other goat events on Wednesday, the contest is a fun and stress-free event for the day, Bryner said.

“It's something different for the kids,” she said.

Owen Black, 8, of Butler said he enjoyed seeing the different costumes other contestants had.

Owen, though, took a first place with his original costume: “Bacon and Eggs.”

While Owen donned a full-body slip to look like bacon, his goat, Sunny, wore a white smock sewn with a bright yellow yolk on the side.

“We needed to think of (a costume) fast, and we had all of the materials,” he said.

But wearing a full-body bacon suit was not easy in the heat Wednesday, Owen said.

The boy said Sunny was cooperative, which is a feat with goats when they're being dressed in costumes.

“Goats typically don't wear costumes,” Bryner said. “So in some of these cases, it's a first time for them.”

Kylee Peterson's goat seemed quite tolerant of wearing his costume — at least until mid-way through his showing, she said.

Kylee, 12, of Grove City dressed her goat, Rascal, as a scarecrow, complete with a plaid shirt, blue jean shorts and a straw hat for her “Grandpa and Scarecrow” costume.

When describing the process of dressing Rascal, Kylee said, “He really didn't care.”

But come time for the showing, Rascal became a “little fussy,” Kylee said.

“(He was cooperating) for a little bit — and then he didn't,” she said.

In fact, Kylee's niece, Natalie Sheirer, 7, actually fell down from laughing when Rascal decided he was over wearing his overalls while Kylee was presenting.

“I liked when his pants fell down,” Natalie said. “It was funny.”

Another humorous aspect of Kylee's performance was the old man mask she wore with her outfit as a farmer grandfather. But just like Owen's costume, Kylee's mask did not feel good in the heat, she said.

But the sweat was worth the first place prize that Kylee won in the ages 11 to 14 division, she said.

She was happy to win and proud of Rascal's help.

“He was grand in his class, and he's the friendliest (goat) so I thought it would be easier (with him,” Kylee said on why she chose to dress up Rascal instead of her other goat.

For Ashley Frye, 18, of Prospect, the decision of which goat to enter was easy, she said.

Frye has been working with her goat, Sundae, for years, and Sundae is her go-to show goat among her seven.

“Sundae has always been my showmanship animal. She meets me halfway, and she's my other half,” Frye said. “She gives me more than what I would expect.”

Frye won first place in the ages 15 to 21 division with her costume, “Russell and Dug.”

Frye said she was inspired to dress as the animated duo from the Pixar film “Up” after she worked as a counselor at the 4-H camp. This year's camp was movie-themed, and Frye said she loves the message of the movie.

While Sundae wore a plastic cone around her head to be the dog, Dug, Frye wore a Girl Scout vest and backpack, carrying a bundle of balloons to be Russell.

“(I'm feeling) really good since I do put a lot of time and effort into this,” Frye said on winning first place. “(Sundae) worked with me on something that might look and sound a little ridiculous.”

Another goat and handler included “Corrections Officer and Inmate” by R.J. Henry of Butler.

R.J. was in a police officer's costume with the goat in an orange jumpsuit.

Samantha Bartley of Valencia thrilled the crowd with her costume, “Lion and Tamer.” She wore a circus ringleader's costume and her goat sported a fur mane.