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 INBA deeply mourns the passing of longtime INBA Director and visionary breeder, Karen Senn of Kastdemur’s Nubians & LaManchas, who died suddenly at her home in Redding, CA on Sunday Dec 18, 2011. Our hearts and prayers are with her beloved family - Krista, Eric and Peyton Myer and Erica Senn and her fiance’ Trevor Benson.
A pillar in not only the Nubian Breed but throughout the world of dairy goats, Karen entered the world of Nubians in her teens, 40+ years ago. It was a love affair that's flame never dimmed.
Throughout the years, her passion for Nubians and keen desire to keep improving the Nubian breed produced a herd of animals that became known for excellence on a local and national level. Her animals consistently placed at the top of their classes at the ADGA National Show – winning Nubian National Champion in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2008 and 2009 and Reserve National Champion in 1989, 2002 and 2006 – winning many other awards as well including Premier Breeder, Premier Sire and even Premier Exhibitor in Show.
Seeing animals she had sold and animals sired by her bucks top classes at Nationals always gave her as much joy as winning with her own herd did. She had an amazing ability to listen not only with her ears but with her heart … giving tirelessly and selflessly of her time and talents to support and encourage other breeders to achieve their own breeding goals. She had a special place in her heart for helping the new breeders and youth/4H/FFA kids, taking them under her wing and guiding them to see animals correctly and present them impeccably.
 Not content to excel in breeding beautiful Nubians, Karen became a devoted and passionate La Mancha breeder, again producing outstanding and consistent animals, including 2x National Champion SGCH Kastdemur’s Evian 2*M, the highest scoring animal ever appraised at 94!
Karen had a deep love for INBA and served our Association in many different capacities over the years. She was deeply touched to receive INBA’s Breeder of Excellence Award in 1997 and believed that Nubian Breeders were among the best people in the world.
She also devoted a great deal of time to dairy goats in general, serving ADGA for many years as a Director in District 8, as an Advanced Judge, and in recent years as a Linear Appraiser. She served as Chair of many ADGA Committees, including Judges TC, Advanced Judges and as a committee member on many others, and loved shaping and developing policies and programs that would impact both small and large breeders.
In the dairy goat world, she was one of those rare and unique people who come into lives and end up leaving eternal footprints on many hearts. She loved her precious daughters Erica and Krista fiercely and passionately; was enchanted and delighted to become a grandmother to little Peyton in September; was a mentor, friend and mom or sister to so many of us in goatdom; and wherever she went, she managed to leave more than a little love.
All of us were deeply blessed to have Karen in our lives and working on behalf of our breed. She will be deeply and forever missed, but live always in our hearts. Today we have a new angel watching over us – one whose smile lights the world.
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