Holstein reigns Supreme, Snickerdoodle is Reserve

Harvue Roy Frosty, exhibited by Mike and Julie Duckett, Jim and Nancy Junemann and Scott Armbrust of Wisconsin took home Supreme Champion of World Dairy Expo 2009. Old Mill-E Snickerdoodle exhibited by Allen Bassler of Upperville, Vir. was Reserve Supreme for the second consecutive year. We captured the moment on video, watch it here:

Jersey, Ayrshire are Supreme and Reserve of Junior Show

Ben Sauder of Tremont, Ill., and his Jersey Xanadu Champion Kandy Kiss took home top honors in this year's junior show at World Dairy Expo. Coming in Reserve Supreme was the Ayrshire Blind Buck Vall Tri Redpepper exhibited by Sarah Pulver of Fort Edwards, New York.
We captured the moment on video...watch it here:

Snapshots of Expo: Supreme Show

Snapshots of Expo: Saturday Edition

Faces in the barn

We caught up with junior exhibitor Brittany Albrecht from Stewart, Minn. right after her cow was shown in the open show. Brittany came down with her one cow and has been taking care of her all week. Watch it here on Youtube.

Next year's theme....unveiled!

Here's the first artwork we've seen for next year's World Dairy Expo. Crowning achivements and golden opportunities looks to be the theme. What do you think? Comment below.

Gibson and Brothers Three win futurity

Brothers Three Wisp owned by Brothers Three Brown Swiss and Katie Gibson took home top honors in the Kingsmill Farm II futurity on Saturday. Coming in second was the Holstein: Arethusa Gold Valencia-ET, owned by Arethusa Farm in Litchfield, Conn.

Wisconsin's Kyle Natzke wins the 2009 Merle Howard Award

Kyle Natzke’s passion for showing and dairy cattle, demonstrated through his junior project work has earned him the 2009 Merle Howard Award. The son of Tim and Barb Natzke of Fond du Lac, Wis., Kyle is the sixth person to receive this award.

The Merle Howard Award is presented to youth who demonstrates exemplary skills in fitting, showmanship, and overall passion for the dairy industry.

This 18-year-old is active in 4-H and the Junior Holstein Association. Through these groups, Natzke has competed in local, state, and national dairy quiz bowl and dairy jeopardy competitions. Just this past year, his dairy bowl team won the state contest and represented his Wisconsin at the National Holstein Convention in Sacramento, California.

Not afraid of work, this outstanding junior has worked numerous shows and sales in both Canada and the United States and has garnered the respect of those working with him for not only his solid work ethic, but his expertise in handling and caring for quality cattle. This year, Natzke captured fifth place honors at the state dairy cattle judging contest as his Dodge County judging team won the event and earned the right to represent Wisconsin at this year’s National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo earlier this week.

Showing is his passion. In 2007, Natzke was named top showman within his breed at the Wisconsin State Fair. The very next year, he capped that off by being named Supreme Champion Dairy Showman at State Fair. That same year, he was named Champion Senior Fitter at the National Holstein Convention Fitting Competition. And earlier this week, Natzke earned the top honors in the Senior Showmanship Division at World Dairy Expo’s Showmanship Contest which featured 72 contestants from across the country.

Previous award winners of the Merle Howard Award include: 2004, Robert Teixeira, Turlock, Calif., 2005, Matthew Mitchell, Lafollette, Tenn., 2006, Greta Koebel, Three Oaks, Mich., 2007 Brandon Ferry, Pickett, Wis., 2008 Kelly Lee, Johnson Creek, Wis. Merle Howard was a respected dairy industry pioneer. Winner of the 1954 Klussendorf Award, Howard was a herd manager, Holstein classifier and later a sales and export business man. Serving on the first National Dairy Shrine Board, he became one of only seven people to receive the 4-E Award for outstanding service.

It takes many steps to cover the Expo

Today is the final day of World Dairy Expo and there is still time to see all the great commercial exhibits and the world class Holstein show.

The Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Team has been pleased to bring you coverage of the show on this blog. Shown above is the editorial team which includes (from left to right): Corey Geiger, Dennis Halladay, Steve Larson, Lana Olson and Ryan Ebert.

Attendance has been quite strong. On Tuesday, 12,535 attended the show; Wednesday, 11,270; Thursday, 12,591; and Friday 15,326. There were 2,402 animals entered in the seven breed shows. Totals are: Ayrshire, 235; Brown Swiss, 382; Guernsey, 199; Holstein, 555; Jersey, 482; Milking Shorthorn, 213; and Red and White, 336.

Even though the World Dairy Expo didn't start until Tuesday, the Hoard's Dairyman Editorial Team was busy with tours on the Sunday and Monday prior to the show. One of our editorial team members wore a pedometer for the show to track just how many steps our team makes during the event . . . Here are the results in steps:

Sunday - 30,056
Monday - 15,325
Tuesday - 14,348
Wednesday - 8,437
Thursday - 21,840
Friday - 17,738
Saturday - 7,324 as of 10:30 a.m.

That is a total of 115,068 steps . . . when translated into miles, it equates 57.5 miles and counting since there are seven hours before the show closes.

Green takes home Red and White Champion

A Deleware cow owned by Richard Green of Middletown, Del., took home top honors Thursday at the Grand International Red and White show. She was a five-year-old: Ky-Blue Rueben Marla- Red-ET. Coming in at Reserve Champion went to a four-year-old, Elmbridge FM Loveable-Red, exhibited by Lookout, Peter Tuytel, Jr. and Canton De Hately, Quebec, Canada.

Four Winds wins National Guernsey Show

Grand Champion honors of the National Guernsey Show went to Four Winds Mentor Highlite, owned by Clark & Joy Vilter of Hartland, Wisconsin. Reserve Grand Champion honors went to Mar Kat Jake Elsie, owned by Tyler, Paige, and Justin Chupp, and Dakota Zarlac of Inola, OK. Congratulations! The Holstein cows are currently on the colored shavings which will be followed by the Supreme Grand Champion Show.