[title]
New York has no shortage of competitive eaters, but this weekend, three very hungry contestants are entering the ring with four legs, hooves and a particular taste for invasive weeds.
Riverside Park’s beloved landscaping goats are returning to West Harlem this Saturday, July 18, for the seventh annual Goatham celebration—and, more importantly, the second-ever Great Goat Graze-Off, billed as the only known competitive eating contest among goats. The free event runs from 11am to 1:30pm on the lawn north of Ten Mile Playground at West 151st Street and the West Side Highway.
Naturally, this is a properly sanctioned eating competition: George Shea, the legendary announcer of Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, will once again emcee as three goats chew it out onstage in a live, timed battle to see who can devour their botanicals the fastest.
Mallomar, last year’s champion, is returning to defend his G.O.A.T. Grazer title. Romeo, now in his fifth stint at Riverside Park, is a two-time fan-voted MVP who apparently wants nothing more than hugs and a nighttime snuggle. Then there’s Big Buddy, an Alpine goat from Red Hook, New York, specially selected by volunteers at Jenny’s Garden. (He's described as so tall that he may believe he's part giraffe.)
“These goats possess the rare combination of focus, appetite and jaw strength that defines the greatest eaters in the world,” Shea said. “We are proud that competitive eating can serve as a bridge between humans and the animal kingdom, helping to bring our species together through the mutual pursuit of athletic achievement.”
Beyond the main event, New Yorkers can “meet and bleat” 15 visiting goats and enjoy live music, local vendors, food and drinks, crafts, games and other family-friendly activities. New this year is a homemade sign contest, where goat puns are highly encouraged and prizes are on the line.
Of course, these goats have actual jobs. After Goatham, three members of the herd will begin a 10-week residency on a vegetation-covered slope near West 137th Street, munching their way through poison ivy, mugwort and porcelain berry. The pesticide-free program uses goats to tackle steep terrain that's difficult for human gardeners and prepare cleared areas for new biodiverse plantings.
Come for the goat Super Bowl. Then stay for New York's hardest-working landscapers eating poison ivy for lunch.