Youth and students across North America participated in the 2023 World Dairy Expo’s Youth Fitting Contest, Youth Showmanship Contest, 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, and the National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest this weekend in Madison, Wisconsin.
Senior female tops fitting contest
Forty-three participants registered in the fitting contest, representing ten states and two Canadian provinces, ranging from 13-21 years old. The contestants were given one hour to prepare their animals to be showing ready.
After topping the Senior Female Division, Savannah Crack, Richmond, Quebec, was named the Overall Fitter. In addition to receiving a custom embroidered jacket courtesy of Images Custom Embroidery, Crack also received an Overall Fitter Award in memory of Michael Heath, which was a $500 cash award from the friends and family of Michael Heath.
Youth showmanship contest showcases 345 talented competitors
Youth from Wisconsin rose to the top in the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Divisions. Jennifer Charlton of Brantford, Ontario, Terri Packard of Boonsboro, Maryland, and Mandy Brazil-Schmidt of Petaluma, California, served as the official judges of the Junior, Intermediate, and Senior Division, respectively.
Winning the Junior Division out of 112 participants was Chesney Speich, Wisconsin. In addition to this honor, Speich received the W. Terry Howard First Place Award, a custom embroidered jacket courtesy of Images Custom Embroidery, and clippers sponsored by Andis Company.
Kennedy Zimmerman, Wisconsin, won the Intermediate Division and the Howard Voegeli First Place Award, a custom embroidered jacket from Images Custom Embroidery. Zimmerman also collected clippers from Andis Company, and there were 108 exhibitors in the Intermediate Division this year.
In the Senior Division with 125 exhibitors, Wesley Winch, Wisconsin, placed first and won the Keith King First Place Award, which was also a custom embroidered jacket from Images Custom Embroidery. Winch additionally received clippers from Andis Company.
All three of these winners also received the Annette Ostrom Showmanship First Place $1,500 Cash Award, presented by the Ostrom family. Those who placed second in their division received the Annette Ostrom Showmanship Second Place $750 Cash Award, also offered by the Ostrom family. Double S Liquid Feed Services, Inc., the Michael Hellenbrand Memorial Fund, Inc., New Holland, Progressive Dairy Solutions, St. Jacobs ABC, and Zoetis provided additional support for the Youth Showmanship Contest.
All three of these winners also received the Annette Ostrom Showmanship First Place $1,500 Cash Award, presented by the Ostrom family. Those who place second in their division received the Annette Ostrom Showmanship Second Place $750 Cash Award, also presented by the Ostrom family. Double S Liquid Feed Services Inc., the Michael Hellenbrand Memorial Fund Inc., New Holland, Progressive Dairy Solutions, St. Jacobs ABC and Zoetis provided additional support for the Youth Showmanship Contest.
University of Minnesota tops National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest
Out of 19 schools, the University of Minnesota team finished at the top of the 102nd National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest on Sunday. The team finished with a score of 2,545 and added to their achievements by also being the high team for reasons.
Minnesota’s team included Ben Styer, Isaac Rott, Kelsey Biel, and Haley Buekema and were coached by Dr. Les Hansen, Eric Houdek, and Gabriella Houdek. Ben Styer and Isaac Rott also placed first and third overall as individuals, respectively.
Finishing second and third overall were Cornell University and Virginia Tech, respectively. Other teams finishing in the top five include Iowa State University and University of Wisconsin-Platteville.
Minnesota tops National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest
Minnesota also took top honors in the 101st National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest at the expo. The Minnesota team members Calvin Benrud, Natalie Clemenson, Evelyn Scheffler, and Caryn Miklas were coached by Tony Scheffler, Maizie Scheffler, and Emily Mollenhauer.
The second-overall team, by a margin of 9 points, was the Missouri team of Molly Archer, Case Melzer, Libby Shaver, and Logan Archer, coached by Karla Deaver and Ted Probert. Oregon, Florida, and Ohio finished out of the top five teams.
The 2023 World Dairy Expo opened on Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin, with over 100 countries in attendance. The expo is known as the international meeting place for the dairy industry, with seven breed shows, an array of modern dairy equipment and technology on display, auctions, educational seminars, and more available to any dairy enthusiast in attendance.
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