The 2006 edition of World Dairy Expo has officially come to a close. Now that we have all returned home and have caught up on some much needed rest, we reflect on the busy week that just took place…

What was your favorite cow of the show? Who had the best display in the barns? Which ””Cow on Parade”” statue was your favorite? What seminars were the best? What was the ””got-to-have”” item at the Purple Cow Gift Shop? What was your favorite Grilled Cheese: American or Swiss?

Let us know your thoughts! We all like to ””reflect”” and ””relive”” the Expo week…only 362 days until the 2007 Supreme Champion is named!

America’’s newly crowned Supreme Champions are the Jersey, Huronia Centurion Veronica, and the Holstein, Kinyon Linjet Ideal.  This was an especially exciting victory for Veronica because she was the 2004 Reserve Supreme Champion!  This year was her time to shine and shine she did.  With Norm Nabholz on the halter, Veronica was a vision of beauty in the center of the ring.  An exciting addition to this year’’s Supreme Championship was the presentation of a Toyota Tundra truck!  This is a new element that Toyota hopes to continue in the years to come.  Arethusa Farm of Litchfield, CT, are Veronica’’s owners.  More information about Veronica can be seen at www.arethusafarm.com.

The Reserve Supreme Champion, Kinyon Linjet Ideal, is owned by Mark Reuth & Martin Kinyon of Oxford, WI.  A tremendously powerful cow, Ideal was the HM All-American 5-Year-Old in 2004.  She recently was visited by the classifier and has been nominated for EX-95.  Ideal makes her home at Rosedale - visit their website for more information at www.holsteinworld.com/rosedale.

Congratulations to the owners of these cows and to all of the people that have helped in their development over the years!

Hi everyone!  We hope you have enjoyed our online coverage of the Jersey, Red & White, and Black & White Holstein shows at this year’s World Dairy Expo - thanks for joining us!  I am sitting ringside right now as the Expo staff finishes their preparations for the Supreme Champion ceremony.  We’ve been told it should be a pretty exciting & surprising ceremony this year - its sure to be a first class event!

I hope you’ve had the opportunity to take a look at all the pictures Nick Sarbacker has been able to take this week - the ringside decorations are simply gourgeous.  The Dairy Central theme has been played out quite well with decor that takes you back to the turn of the century.  There are lit street lamps surrounding the ring, station houses for the Madison depot, luggage carts and our very own Expo Express train.  The shavings are a beautiful autumn orange, complimented by dried corn stalks and numerous yellow and orange mum bushes.  And this dairy event wouldn’t be complete with out the many antique milk cans that line the ring.

 Well, I better go, the ceremony is about to begin!

I just heard from Matt & Mandy Nunes of Scientific Holsteins that Debutante Rae’s Red Talent heifer calf is certified *TV - negative for CVM!  She is one of the calves that you could have the opportunity to select from if you are the lucky buyer of Lot #3 in the World Classic Sale on Friday night.  The buyer will have their selection from at least four heifers.  In addition to the red heifer, there are three black & white heifers that are all red carriers - two are *TV.  Two more pregnancies are due 10/30 and two more pregnancies that have yet to be ultrasounded.

This is Scientific’s first ever offering from Debutante Rae, the 2005 All-American 5-Year-Old!  For more information, visit their website at www.holsteinworld.com/Scientific .