Lawyers with The Animal Law Center announce that the Weinroth family of Sedalia, Colorado continues to pursue actions to clear the names of their children Ben and Maggie. Goats shown by both children at last year’s Colorado State Fair were disqualified after a growth stimulant was allegedly detected in the animals.

Maggie’s goat Theodore won Grand Champion during the 2011 Colorado State Fair and was sold during the junior livestock sale for $5500, while her brother Ben’s goat won Champion Lightweight Goat and sold for $1300. The Colorado State Fair Board later forced the siblings to forfeit their money, withdrew their winning titles and banned them from future state fair competition after ractopamine, a muscle growth stimulant, was allegedly found in the animals during testing. However, the board did not conduct a thorough investigation of the incident and destroyed the animals, which are evidence in the case.

The Weinroth’s say that during the fair they discovered their animals had ingested feed from an unknown source, which had occurred overnight while the goats were in the care, custody and control of fair staff. Later that day, the Weinroth’s received treatment from the fair vet for the illness the goats seemed to have from the foreign food.

While the fair board revoked the sibling’s winnings and titles and banned Ben from future competition, it never found that the children had administered the growth stimulant to their goats.

The Weinroth family has requested an administrative hearing before The Office of Administrative Courts, which is the entity responsible for reviewing appeals to decisions made by The Colorado State Fair. They have also notified the state that they are reserving the right to file suit for damages.

“The reputation of the Weinroth children has been damaged as a result of the board’s actions,” said Jennifer Edwards, founder and attorney with The Animal Law Center. “The family is only interested in restoring their good name.”

Members of the Colorado Legislature have also taken an interest in this case. Colorado State Representative Wes McKinley said, “What does the state fair have against Colorado's future in agriculture by repeated attempts to discourage our youthful members? The state fair has gone far enough in their unfair and unjust treatment of Colorado youth exhibitor.”