Cuzco's Glamour Shot o' the Day

[Mike]

I have only been doing the goat thing since Sept but I have learned alot.  The biggest and coolest thing I have learned is how close the goat community is.  It one of the things I like most about it, besides my goats that is!!!  

Thank you for sharing the videos and memories!!

[Nanno]

A year ago today we said our goodbyes. His physical presence may be gone, but his spirit will never be forgotten. I look out at our herd of of beautiful Alpine/Nubian goats, currently 14 strong with three more does due before summer, and I think, "Cuzco, look what you started!" 

Little did we know that this cute little "goat of many colors," purchased for $25 from a small farm in western New York state as a companion for a new colt, would be the snowball that started our avalanche into the world of working goats, dairy goats, and goat breeding. Cuzco has probably been the most prominent thread in the tapestry of me and Phil's married life. He came on the scene during a celebratory third anniversary trip and stayed with us for fifteen years, shaping many of our life choices and activities, and creating dozens of unforgettable stories. 
   

Cuzco attended my graduation from Houghton College in 2003. He was elected Homecoming King in a landslide election at that venerable institution in fall 2002, much to the dismay of the Homecoming Committee who tossed out his votes with prejudice. 
   

We moved to Lake City, CO in October 2003 and the whole family chipped in to buy Phil a goat cart for Christmas. We trained Cuzco to pull it and I drove him in the 4th of July parade in 2004 when he was a gangly 2-year-old. 
   

In 2005 a friend's dog chased Cuzco off a 30-foot cliff where he landed on the highway below and destroyed one of his horns. It was too far gone to save, so the vet amputated it. We were sad at the loss of the horn, but grateful he didn't lose his life. Little did we know at the time that the loss of that horn would set Cuzco up to be one of the most interesting and memorable goats people would ever meet. The missing horn became the topic of nearly every conversation when people first met Cuzco, and he became known wherever he went as "the one-horned goat." 

  Cuzco_surgery.jpg (Size: 37.6 KB / Downloads: 86)

In 2007 we moved to Colorado City, CO and Cuzco lived in our backyard since my horse boarding situation was not suitable for boarding a goat. After an adjustment period, Cuzco came to love his suburban life with the daily walks and regular interaction with people. The neighbors all loved him, but one local kept hounding the zoning board about our pet goat, prompting them to send us threatening letters from time to time. He was the topic of several town meetings, so a petition for Cuzco to stay was signed by everyone in our neighborhood.  
   

In 2011, Phil and I purchased 40 acres in Rye, CO and Cuzco was able to roam free with my horses again. Unfortunately, he spent too much time picking fights with them and losing, so he was not very happy about leaving his sheltered neighborhood with its safe, cozy little yard. He ended up claiming our wraparound deck as his home and would sleep on our doormats at either the front or back door, depending on whether he wanted sunshine or shade. He became our home's "guard goat" and would challenge strangers at the front steps by standing up as tall as he could with his chest puffed out, menacing them with his hackles raised and horn cocked.  
   

Cuzco was attacked by coyotes during the night in June 2012 and I spent two frantic days searching everywhere for him, even if just to find his carcass to have closure. At the end of the second day I found him hiding behind a chain link fence at a house three miles from ours. He was bruised, battered, bitten, and had sustained permanent lung damage from his frantic run. But he was very much alive, and a short time later he hiked with us to the top of Greenhorn Peak.  
   

Cuzco accompanied us to our first NAPgA Rendezvous at Whitney Reservoir, UT in 2013. He amazed everyone (including Phil and I!) by following us straight into the freezing cold water when we went swimming.  
   

In 2015, Cuzco came with us to the Rendy in Island Park, UT. He was 13 years old that year, and despite having spent the previous two days riding in a horse trailer, he carried a 35 lb. pack containing a chainsaw and gasoline on a fairly difficult hike for our work project. Not only did he keep up with everyone while carrying the pack, he spent half the hike dragging one of my yearling goats that was tied to his saddle because the youngster refused to walk willingly after our herd got scattered along the trail. 
   

Cuzco retired in 2016 and spent most of his time puttering around the yard and basking in sunny hollows in our pasture. He had a hard time keeping weight that last year and arthritis had finally caught up to him. But even though he was starting to look raggedy, he still had a strong bearing and presence, and he ruled our herd right up to the end. He continued to enjoy his daily walks, and the first day he didn't come was the indication that he was ready to say goodbye. Cuzco lived a long, full, adventuresome life and I'm thankful we had so many wonderful years with him. He's the inspiration behind all those happy young goats cavorting in my pasture now, and even though Cuzco was never a breeding goat, his spirit lives on in all of them.     
   

[IdahoNancy]

Cuzco was my bed time story goat. I would always look to see if you had written a new Cuzco story or had a new picture of him. I finally met him at the Rendy in 2015. It was a thrill to see what was to me a mythical character in the flesh. Thank you for bringing him to us the way did.

[DownUnder Gal]

What a wonderful tribute to an amazing goat! I can't believe it's a year already ...

[Saph]

So glad I had a chance to meet Cuzco (and you & Phil & Finn & Sputnik) at the 2015 Rendezvous. Meeting the legendary Cuzco was one of my highlights for sure!  Thanks for the photos & all the wonderful stories & memories you have shared with us over the years! 

[MadCatX]

wow that is an awesome tribute to an awesome Geught. He was an awesome animal just by the pics and stories..and I bet he was one of the happiest animals around because of all the love he got.

Great story - got me a little misty eyed.

[Debra]

What a beautiful friend/family member.

[Nanno]

Thank you very much. He was indeed a very special fella.

[Nanno]

Cuzco is legendary. No, Cuzco is LEGENDARY. A few weeks ago I was walking Pongo around Lake Beckwith, which was the lake where we took Cuzco walking almost every day when we lived in Colorado City. Someone stopped me and asked about the one-horned goat. I told them he died six years ago of old age. I hadn't walked Cuzco down there for over 12 years. And then just today Phil was out hiking on the Greenhorn trail when a family came up. They aren't local but they own a vacation cabin in Rye. Phil didn't have a goat with him today, but he started talking to the family and mentioned his goats. They started exclaiming about how they once met a goat on that very trail about ten years earlier. A goat with one horn. The daughter, who is now in college, said, "And his name was Cuzco!" Phil told them he was Cuzco's owner and they were so excited. They still have the photo they took of Cuzco that day. They had to take a photo because they said the people back home wouldn't believe them about a packgoat hiking in the mountains and following his owner without a lead. Good ol' Cuzco. It's amazing that people still remember him, though he's been gone all these years!

[Taffy]

Cuzco was truly legendary!