The Goat Who Would be Mayor

Copyright 2003 Newsday, Inc. 
Newsday (New York)

January 1, 2003 Wednesday

Attack Really Got Town's Goat

By Tina Susman. STAFF CORRESPONDENT

Lajitas, Texas - It's hard to say which subject stirs greater passions here: the mayor's election, or the mayor's castration.

Given that the mayor is a goat, you might expect the castration to be taken in stride. But given that it was performed by a lout with a paring knife, who left the beloved mayor bleating in agony after assaulting him on a cold night one year ago, it's easy to understand locals' lingering horror at the event.

What's especially galling to Lajitas residents is the sinister manner in which Clay Henry, as the mayor is affectionately known, apparently was drawn to his fate: by someone offering him a beer. For not only is Clay Henry famous for being a four-legged mayor, he is also famous for his love of beer, especially Lone Star, and is known to happily nuzzle up to any stranger wagging a bottle of the brew in front of his furry tan-and-white face.

The alleged assailant, Jim Bob Hargrove of Del Rio, Texas, went free in August after a jury deadlocked on felony animal cruelty charges. Jurors apparently were hesitant to convict someone for doing what is commonly done to goats, and they voted 8-4 in favor of acquittal.

Prosecutors say they have no immediate plans to retry Hargrove, which suits William Ivey, the man credited with producing the political dynasty that spawned Mayor Clay Henry III and his two hoofed predecessors, Mayors Clay Henry I and Clay Henry Jr. "I think the man who did the crime must have suffered considerable attorney's fees by now, and I'd certainly hope some shame and embarrassment," Ivey said. "Maybe that's enough, because it won't do the goat any good to have another trial."

Ivey traces the goat dynasty to a foggy night in the 1980s, when a rare bout of bad weather shut down the local airstrip and trapped a group of Houston businessmen in Lajitas.

"The liquid libations were flowing pretty freely. Everybody was happy and warm," said Ivey, who at the time owned Clay Henry I - then just a simple goat with no political aspirations. "They decided that since Lajitas didn't have a mayor, they'd just elect one." But their choice of a man from Houston, 670 miles from Lajitas, did not go down well with townspeople.

"I said if some jackass in Houston can be mayor, then I can run my goat for mayor," Ivey said.

Running under the slogan, "You have to give a darn," Clay Henry I was elected. What began as a bit of fun evolved into serious business for Lajitas as Clay Henry's fame spread. He was invited to appear on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, and visiting show-biz types, such as Willie Nelson, enjoyed partying with him, Ivey said. Like the current mayor, the first one also enjoyed his beer.

Clay Henry I lived to the ripe age of 23, before being killed by his own son, Clay Henry Jr., in a fight over a female goat. Clay Henry Jr. succeeded him and served until 1998 before stepping down and paving the way for the current Clay Henry's election.

Now, Clay Henry III lives in a sunny pen with his female companion and their two offspring, one of which is expected to succeed him when the town decides it's time for a new mayor. Meanwhile, he maintains a tireless work schedule and down-home style, personally greeting all visitors to his hay-strewn office, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.