By Carol Tannenhauser
Chalupa, the goat representing the nose-to-the-grindstone Grand Old Goat party, beat out Ms. Bo Peep, of Hill Climbers for a Better New York, and three other goats in the second (in three years) annual Riverside Park Conservancy election for G.O.A.T. — Greatest Of All Time. The ceremony was Tuesday, before a cheering crowd.
They are known as the “Fabulous Five,” the last of 24 goats that came down from Rhinebeck, N.Y. in July to rid a section of Riverside Park, between 120th and 125th Streets, of invasive weeds. While they ate, they campaigned.
It took four rounds of ranked choice voting, but with the same head-down determination he displayed devouring weeds, Chalupa outpaced, first, Buckles, then, Mallomar, then, Skittles. In the final round, he beat Ms. Bo Peep by only 65 votes out of more than 1,000.
Some would call it bovine (we know) justice. Ms. Bo Peep raised questions about Skittles’ and Chalupa’s donors in a negative campaign ad that may have backfired. Meanwhile, Massey, the 2019 G.O.A.T. winner has filed a protest, saying “All Time” is longer than two years.
Dan Garodnick, president and CEO of the Riverside Park Conservancy, was pleased with the outcome.
“It was a tight race, but New Yorkers clearly took a stand against negative campaigning, at least among goats,” he said, in a press release.
Poor Buckles.
Thank you Carol. What a joy to read this article.
Buckles must be crushed.
This is cute and everything but I wish I would have known about all of this BEFORE the event so more people could have participated.
I definitely would have gone. (yes, I know, I am very bored these days).
Isn’t that guy on the left the announcer at the Coney Island hot dog contest every 7/4?
Yes.
I just hope there’s not gonna be a recall election!
Are the goats still here in Riverside?