Goats Take on Gotham

More than a thousand fans gathered to watch a heated competition at Riverside Park in Harlem. It wasn’t the NBA Finals or the FIFA World Cup, but there were goats involved. 

It was a contest on Sunday, July 19, to see which farm goats could eat the largest portion of invasive species in the park. The animals' names were Mallomar, Big Buddy, and Romeo, and they were all vying to be crowned the “Chomp-ian.” 

The goats roamed in a field of gated grass, while spectators huddled around holding handmade signs and cheering for their favorite goat.

One fan, Nancy Taubenslag, stood along the fence and held a small sign with a goat cartoon and “Mallomar!” written above it. She came down from Yonkers for a second year in a row to see the goats.

“It feels like a county fair to me. You know, the small town, the people coming and rooting for their favorite animals,” said Taubenslag. 

While the goats are a joyful spectacle, they also play a key role for the park. They are helping restore 7.5 acres of forest along Riverside Drive in West Harlem by eating invasive species in hard to reach areas. 

The project is run by the Riverside Park Conservancy, a nonprofit that works with NYC Parks to care for the green space along the Upper West Side.

Harrison Nesbitt, the organization's director of sustainability, said that the goats aid in removing the weeds in a natural way. 

“Our whole job is how can we remove those invasive plants, save human labor, and have them kind of do it in a really effective, chemical-free way so that we can develop the site with beautiful native plants that help to support birds, insects, and everything else that we love in the city,” Nesbitt said. 

The park is nestled between the Henry Hudson Parkway and the Hudson River. But for some fans, the “Great Goat Graze-Off” transported them outside of the city.

Karli Waites is originally from Georgia and made her own sign to support Romeo. 

“I grew up on a farm with like over 20 goats, so I was like, ‘It’s so close to home,’" Waites said. 

The competition was called by George Shea, who is also the announcer for the annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island. After a few minutes of the contestants chomping on the leafy greens, fans chanting for their favorites, and one goat even running off, a winner was crowned. It was the returning champion, Mallomar. 

“Mallomar! Mallomar! Mallomar!” fans cheered.

Nesbitt from the conservancy said the goats also encourage New Yorkers to be curious. 

“We have nature in New York City, and we just wanna provide an opportunity for people to see it and appreciate it and learn more about it in a way that invites community and everything else,” Nesbitt said. 

The goats now will complete a 10-week residency on 137th Street in Riverside Park, where they will work to chomp down the invasive greens.

This story ran on the What's What podcast from WFUV News on July 20, 2026.