The Indiana Holstein Association met January 28, 2012 in Indianapolis, IN. Along with presenting many exciting awards, and crowning their 2012 Holstein Princess, the association is busy planning the 2013 National Holstien Convention which is set for Indianapolis next summer!

Hailing from Adams County, Macy Jo Mudd was recently selected as the 2012 Indiana Holstein Princess at the annual Indiana Holstein Assn. meeting last Saturday in Indianapolis.

Macy, a senior at Adams Central High School, is the daughter of Stephen and Judy Mudd of Berne. Macy is active in 4-H and is currently serving as the vice president of her FFA chapter. Macy also served as the 2011 Indiana Milking Shorthorn Princess.

Macy enjoys working on her family farm, caring for their registered Holsteins and spending time with her family and friends. Not only does Macy work on her family’s farm, but she also works at Irish Acres as a vet assistant and at Belevista farms.

Macy competes at the county, state and national levels with her cattle. In the future Macy plans on having her own farm and has a desire to continue competing in the show circuit.

Macy is very excited to get to serve as the Indiana Holstein Princess and will get many opportunities throughout the next year to serve as a spokesperson for the Holstein breed and the dairy industry visiting schools, fairs and other various events.

In addition to the selection of the Holstein princess, the recipients of the Hoosier Homemaker scholarship and the Derek Blough Heart and Soul Award were also announced.

Robin Matlock of Knightstown presented Mallarie Stookey her Hoosier Homemaker’s scholarship last weekend at the annual meeting.

Mallarie Stookey, a senior at Warsaw High School, received the Hoosier Homemaker scholarship. Mallarie is the daughter of Jeff and Marla Stookey, who operate a small dairy near Milford. Mallarie will be attending Purdue University in the fall.

The 2012 Derek Blough Heart and Soul Award was given to Doug Wicker of Milroy. Doug is the son of JD and Bec Wicker. Doug is a sophomore at Purdue University studying agriculture economics.

The Derek Blough Heart and Soul award was presented to Doug Wicker. Doug received the honor for his dedication, unselfishness and positive attitude toward others and his care for his Holsteins.

This year’s Master Breeder award went to Dave Gierhart of Bryant. Dave and his wife Jo Ann have been in the dairy business for more than 40 years and have traveled to many shows competing at the county, state and national levels. Dave and Jo Ann have had the honor of 10 animals receiving All-American and Junior All-American nominations as well as exhibiting the grand champions and junior champions at the state and national levels. Dave and Jo Ann have two daughters who along with their own families continue to show and care for their Holstein cattle.

Nathan Kuehnert of Ft. Wayne stands with Master Breeder, Dave Gierhart.

Two Honorary Lifetime Members were also recognized at the annual meeting.

Dr. G.W. Snider of Goshen was one recipient of the Honorary Lifetime member award. Dr. Snider graduated from Michigan State University in 1957 when he began his veterinary practice in Elkhart County. He has continued practicing for the past 50 years. Dr. Snider has enjoyed these many years working with his client’s dairy cattle along with taking care of his own Holsteins with the help of his wife, Sherri. Although slowing down his practice, he still loves to help any farmer with any question or concern.

Dr. G.W. Snider has been known nationwide for numerous years for his many findings in the veterinarian practice and was honored as Maurie Kline of Goshen presented him with an Honorary Lifetime Member award

Bill Powell of Portland also received an Honorary Lifetime member award. Bill and his wife Shirley have been married for 57 years. They started their Holstein herd shortly after marrying and they now have four children and seven grandchildren. Bill and Shirley decided to exit the dairy industry more than fifteen years ago and now raise and exhibit Haflinger horses.

Bill Powell has loved the Holstein breed for more than 30 years and was humbled as Duane Hill of Fountain City presented him with one of the Honorary Lifetime Member awards.

Other awards that were also given at the annual meeting last Saturday were Progressive Breeder awards, Progressive Genetics Herd awards and the Five Highest BAA Average by herd size.

Progressive breeder awards went to Darrell Richard of Goshen, Dennis W. Paulus of Elkhart, Ray E. Eash of Middlebury, Mark A. Thomas of Fountain City, Lyle Weaver of Goshen and Duane Hill of Fountain City.

Progressive genetic herd awards were presented to Darrell Richard, Rauscher Farms, Inc. of Huntingburg, Nor-Bert Farms LTD. of Bremen, William and Susan Gamble of New Carlisle, Tony Bos of Fair Oaks, Brand Dairy Farm of Waterloo and Springbrook Farms of Marshall.

The top BAA Average for 10 to 25 head was presented to Richard Nisen of Leesburg; 26 to 40 head, Bruce Gingerich of Millersburg; 41 to 55 head, Paul Engleking of Greenfield and 56 head and over, Springbrook Farms of Marshall.

In addition to the numerous awards that were presented at the annual Indiana Holstein meeting another very hot topic was discussed. Indiana will host the 2013 National Holstein Convention in Indianapolis on July 7-11. The convention will have many different events for attendees.

Other important events for Indiana Holstein members are the Indiana State Holstein show in Richmond, June 18-21 and the Indiana State Fair.

Thanks to Courtney Lipply for sharing this great report!

Hanna Richman of New Jersey gave a speech during the National Holstein Convention in Richmond, VA, on the long-lasting impact of Regancrest Elton Durham. HolsteinWorld helped Hanna with some research and in return, we received a copy of her speech that follows. Attached was a note from Hanna, “Thank you for helping me get information for my speech on Durham. The magazine helped me get background information. I was lucky enough to be able to compete at the National Holstein Convention. I don’t know what place I got, but I feel I did well, and I learned a lot too. The National Convention was a great experience that I will remember for a long time.”

GRANDFATHER OF GREATNESS
There are many great bulls, but only a few have the honor of being one of the best in history. There is one bull that I call the “Grandfather of Greatness.” Can you guess what bull I am talking about? Here are some facts.

I call him the “Grandfather of Greatness” for several reasons. In the top 3 placings at the 11 National Shows in 2010, this bull ranked #1 maternal grandsire in heifers, cows and overall placings. Also, he was listed first in sire stack, topping the cow, heifer and overall lists. His final classification score is 90 points and he is a Gold Medal Sire. Plus, he has sired a whopping 30,281 classified daughters and has over 65,000 milking daughters. He was Premier Sire at the World Dairy Expo 5 times. I have found it interesting that he and his mother have the same white triangle marking on their heads. His date of birth is March 13, 1994. Have you guessed what bull I am talking about? He is Regancrest Elton Durham-ET.

I spoke to many people involved with Durham. First, I talked to Frank Regan, the owner of Regancrest, the farm that owned Durham’s mother, Snow-N Denises Dellia. He says Dellia’s best quality was her udder and her worst was her disposition. Dellia’s personality was unique. She did not like to be handled but strangely liked attention. She took care of herself and left herself to eat feed and make milk with ease. She won Global Cow of the Year and was named Queen of the Breed runner-up to Roxy. He said as a calf, Durham was like any other bull; nothing particularly stands out. He was very youthful! He says his favorite Durham daughter is Regancrest-PR Barbie-ET, classified Excellent 92. He actually owned Barbie.

I also spoke to Charlie Will, who works for Select Sires. He was the man who suggested the breeding of Elton and Dellia. I asked him why he suggested this. He answered, “Dellia was a beautiful Chief Mark daughter. However Chief Mark daughters tended to need better feet and legs because their thurls were too far back. At the time Elton was a high ranking sire with high production and he sired ideal feet and legs and correct thurl position, a logical mating to create a complete young sire.” He also said, “Durham was born 17 years ago and today is still the standard from which all other high type sires of today are compared.” He said his daughters’ best traits were their udders and thought the worst quality was they were a little spirited to handle. He also said that Durham was the first Premier Sire that actually sires traits that both commercial and registered breeders want in their herds and Durham daughters tend to improve with age.

I also talked to Elmer Watkins, the herd manager for the bull barn at Select Sires. He was the man that fed him, took care of him, cleaned his pen, clipped and shampooed him for pictures, classification and tours, and collected semen. He took care of Durham for six years. In the winter Durham had heat and in the summer he had air conditioning. He also told us his favorite memory about Durham is when his daughters won World Dairy Expo five times in a row. Next, he told us that Durham had various moods. One day he would be happy and the next day he would be very mean, but he was always curious. Overall he said the Durham had a good personality. He told us he remembers people talking about how good he was and he thought that Durham was pretty. Mr. Watkins also said that Durham’s best quality was producing semen and his worst was his attitude. He remembers when Durham started feeling sick and they took him to Ohio State University Vet School. He had a heart problem and needed a heart transplant, but this had never been done before. They did not want Durham to suffer, so they euthanized him. He said it was a sad day.

I would like to thank Frank Regan, Charlie Will, Elmer Watkins, Daphne Lang and Karen Knutsen for helping me get my information. I learned a lot researching Durham and one of these things is, it will be hard to ever match him. So next time you see the name Durham on your cow’s pedigree, you know it is coming from greatness.

The last stop of my trip to the Oregon State Show was in Corvalis, OR at the Oregon State University Dairy Center. Our tour guide for the day was Melissa Cook. Coincidentally, Melissa was highlighted in a youth feature article in The World a couple years ago entitled “From the Cul-De-Sac to the Straw Pack”. Melissa has just finished her freshman year at OSU and is living at the dairy center, taking summer classes, and working on the dairy.

OSU continues to be cutting edge in the technology they utilize on the dairy. Recently installed was the Afimilk system. This system conducts real-time milk tests for fat, protein, and conductivity, allowing the milkers to have better mastitis detection. The parlor is a double-7 herringbone with an extra wide pit, allowing ample room for teaching. RFID readers are located in the parlor that scan each cow as she enters. These readers are also located at the watering troughs and other locations around the dairy. The cattle and their daily activities can be tracked and monitored, helping to detect illnesses and heats.

OSU milks approximately 130 head, both Jerseys and Holsteins with a partially registered herd. Here you can see some quite content Jerseys, eating and lounging about in the mild evening temperatures.

Calf pens

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The view of the heifer field from the front of the dairy.

The Tillamook Air Museum simply can’t be missed when you’re in the Tillamook area. It can be seen from both Rocha Jerseys and Royalty Ridge, and you drive right by it on the way to Jo-Dee Brown Swiss. The structure is absolutely massive, and is the world’s largest wooden structure.

In 1942, the U.S. Navy began construction of 17 wooden hangars to house the K-class blimps being used for anti-submarine coastal patrol and convoy escort. Two of these hangars were built at the Naval Air Station Tilllamook, commissioned in December 1942 to serve the Oregon and Washington coasts.

Construction of the two hangars was rushed to completion. Hangar “B” was the first one built and was completed in August of 1943. Hangar “A” which was destroyed in a 1992 fire (thousands of bales of hay stored inside combusted), was completed in only 27 days. Amazingly, there were no serious injuries or deaths on the whole project.

Stationed at NAS Tillamook was Squadron ZP-33 with a complement of eight K-ships. The K-ships were 252 feet long and filled with 425,000 cu. ft. of helium. With a range of 2,000 miles and an ability to stay aloft for three days, they were well suited for coastal patrol and convoy escort. Naval Air Station Tillamook was decommissioned in 1948.

Since 1994 the remaining hangar has been home to one of the top five privately owned aircraft collections in the nation. In addition to aircraft, there is a comprehensive collection of WWII uniforms and other memorabilia, including medals, awards, photos, navigation and communication equipment, and Nazi and Japanese materials.

The Building. 1,072′ long, 192′ tall (over 15 stories), and 296′ wide covering 7 acres – enough room to play six football games simultaneously. The doors are 120′ high and composed of six sections, each weighing 30 tons and rolling on railroad tracks. The doors are 220′ wide when opened.

Martin AM Mauler. A shipboard attack aircraft of the United States Navy. During World War II the Mauler earned the nickname “Able Mable” because of its remarkable load carrying ability.

Messerschmitt Bf 109. A German WWII fighter plane. It was the backbone of the Luftwaffe’s fighter force.The Bf 109 was flown by the three top-scoring German fighter aces of World War II, who claimed 928 victories between them while flying with Jagdgeschwader 52, mainly on the Eastern Front, as well as by the highest scoring German ace in the North African Campaign.

Just home from a fantastic day at the All-Oregon Holstein Show, Jodi and Cathy Coppini took time to show us around the farm, and highlight the other half of the herd… the Brown Swiss.

Coppinis are transplants to Tillamook via California. They have made themselves at home on their 400+ cow dairy, tucked up against the hills along the Tillamook Valley. Don’t confuse this for a typical “commercial” dairy though, everywhere you look are correct cows (black and white, and brown) with beautiful udders and dairy quality. In 2010 Jodi bred 4 All-Americans or Reserve All-Americans.

Jo-Dee Prelude Nancy EX-91. Nancy is a Prelude daughter out of the great Valligrove Jetway Nora 2E-93 who was grand champion at the 2007 Central National Brown Swiss Show. Nancy herself was 2nd Jr. 3-Year-Old and BU at the 2008 Central National Brown Swiss Show.

Terra Rose Rhythm Sadie-ET 2E-93. Sadie is a Rhythm daughter out of Kulp-Gen Starbuck Shania 3E-94. She was the 2nd place 5-year-Old at the 2009 Central National Show, and was Reserve All American that year as well. She has a beautifully uddered Power Surge daughter in the milking string, as well as a Victor daughter.

3 Kaluwa

Jo-Dee Prestige Kaluwa EX-91. Kaluwa is a Prestige daughter out of Cal-Ticino Collection Kari EX-90. Kaluwa was the 2nd place 5-Year-Old at last year’s Central National Show, and was reserve grand in 2009. She is a two-time All-American and two-time Reserve All-American.

Three Starbuck daughters out of Jetway Nora, that will show as fall yearlings in milk

Heifers along the driveway leading to the farm are mostly all Nora babies.

Meet Gonzo. Gonzo is perhaps the biggest… no, scratch that, she IS the biggest bovine I have ever seen in my life. I’d seen pictures of this behemoth before, dwarfing Dodge pickups no less. But I will attest, even with all the photographic evidence, there is no way to fully comprehend the massiveness of Gonzo until you’ve stood at the gate and felt her rumble by. My travel buddy Kristi Tracy was kind (and brave) enough to stand next to Gonzo as a scale model. Now mind you, Kristi is 5′ 5″, and that’s Cathy in the background. Note the relationship of her head to the pins on Ms. Gonzo. Jodi said the last time they taped her, Gonzo was 75″ at the withers, and they’re pretty sure she’s still growing at 6 years old. Gonzo can’t be bred, but like Jodi said, “even if we could get her bred, where would we milk her!?”. For such a massive creature, Gonzo is actually quite friendly and easy to handle. …just don’t get between her and her grain bucket!

That’s a size 10 boot next to that hoof. I’ve seen draft horses with smaller feet than Gonzo’s!

World staffer Ann Marie Magnochi continues her journey through the great northwest!

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The second stop of my tour was Royalty Ridge Jerseys. Having just settled at their new farm, Ryan and Freynie Lancaster were gracious enough to show us around a bit. Lancasters have relocated their Family Hill Jerseys herd from Ferndale, WA to Tillamook on the farm that previously belonged to Freynie’s aunt, and have begun a new legacy in Royalty Ridge Jerseys.

Cresting the hill behind the barn, we walked out to a field full of some true brown beauties. Again, longevity and type are important, but Freynie stressed that they strive for balance in their breeding program. “They can’t just be pretty”, she said. “They need to milk and pay the bills too.” The ladies of Royalty Ridge may be paying their way, but they surely look the part while doing it!

Family Hill Sultan Foxy EX 91 (max score). 3rd Jr. 2 year old, 2008 All American, 5th 4 year old, 2010 All American. Foxy is a maternal sister to Family Hill Avery Feather EX 94, the 2005 National Junior Champion and 2004 All American Winter Calf.

Family Hill Action Funny. Funny is unscored, but will be out this show season as Lancasters’ senior 2-year-old. Her grandmother is Pleasant Nook Beretta Felice – EX 95.

Family Hill Kaptain Farrah EX 91. Farrah was the 3rd place Milking Yearling at the 2006 All American and is backed by 5 EX dams

Pleasant Nook Berretta Felice EX 95. Felice was the 4th place 5-year-old and Nasco Type & Production Award Winner at the 2003 All American. She has 5 EX & 3 VG daughters to her credit and is part of the only trio of sisters scored EX 95. She’s currently 13 years old.

Family Hill Socrates Flan is a junior 2-year-old for this year. Her dam is Beretta Felice.

What would a trip to Royalty Ridge be without saying hello to the great one? Pleasant Nook F Prize Circus is loving the land of cheese, trees, and ocean breeze. This 97 pt First Prize daughter has a list of accomplishments as long as your arm, but of course we all know her best for being named the National Grand Champion in both 2003 and 2006.

One of the beautiful views of the valley from the main barn.

The ladies of Royalty Ridge headed up to the barn.

On her way to cover the All-Oregon Holstein Show and Sale last week, HolsteinWorld staffer Ann Marie Magnochi had the opportunity to stop by many places and show us the sights and scenes of the great Northwest! We hope you enjoy this on-going series!
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July is of course National Ice Cream Month, and what would a trip to Tillamook, OR be without a visit to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Not only does Tillamook craft a fine cheddar cheese, but they produce some of the best ice cream on the west coast! (I highly recommend the German Chocolate Cake flavor!)

The Tillamook County Creamery is a farmer owned cooperative that began in 1909. In 2010, Tillamook was voted the World’s Best Medium Cheddar Cheese in the 2010 World Cheese Contest.

In 1885 Tillamook residents built Oregon’s first official ship, the Morning Star. Butter from the Tillamook Valley was transported for trade on some of its earliest voyages. As a symbol of Tillamook’s heritage, the ship still sets sail on the company’s labels, and a replica ship is permanently docked outside the cheese plant.

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Cris and Doris Rocha and family have built an excellent herd or Registered Jerseys and Ayrshires, based on longevity, type and production. Tucked neatly off the highway just south of Tillamook, the Rochas’ farm roughly 50 acres and milk 85 cows. As we walked out behind the barns and down to the pasture where the girls were lazily grazing and lounging in the mid-morning sun, the concept of longevity was easily seen. Several “good ol’ girls” were scattered about the pasture, not giving us a second glance.

Amber Journalist Chardonnay is a VG-88 Yellow Briar Journalist x Amber Brendan Chadly. This 5 year old has calved four times, with three sets of twins, ALL HEIFERS. That’s right, she’s had four lactations, seven calves, and all have been heifers. We should all be so lucky!

Premium Farms ADV Adonis – EX-92. The 2009 All-Oregon Futurity winner. Adonis is an Advent x Marks Ally Rubens Alanis – EX-90 who is a maternal sister to Marks Ally Durham Africa – EX-94 who was recently Grand Champion at the Wisconsin District 6 Show for Mark & Stephanie Miranda, previously of Tillamook, now of Juda, WI.

Rocha Limvig Whitney – EX-92. Whitney is a Limvig x Medallion American Whistle – EX-92. She’s coming with her 8th calf and due to go dry next month.

A 91pt Rocket x Letterman Windy – EX-91

A 2-year-old Rocha Primetime Anytime x EX Hallmark x Limvig Whitney

A personal favorite cow of mine… Sunflower Ren Francesca – EX-94. I had the opportunity to work with Franchesca right out of college when I was working for John Tenneson at Elysian Meadows Jerseys. Cris and Doris bought several individuals from John, when he sold the herd. As Cris and I came out the back door of the barn a massively framed cow out in the dry cow field caught my eye, and I thought she looked familiar. But to me, a lot of the Canadian-style Jerseys look “familiar”, and I assumed most of those great old cows from John were long gone by now. “You remember her don’t you!?” asked Cris. “She looks really familiar, but I can’t place her.” “That’s Francesca!” he said. It was a nice little reunion with a good old friend. Francesca has over 150,000 lifetime, even with not being on test her first three lactations.

Stay tuned for more as we head to Lancaster’s next!

Chelsea’s host experience:
The host family experience was one of the most enjoyable experiences of the Europe trip for me. I stayed with the Arnaud Bossler family from Noertrange, Luxembourg. This was a small village with a population of only 300 people. Arnaud was a Veterinarian who worked with both small and large animals. He went to vet school in Austria, and has been practicing medicine for nearly 25 years. One of the most interesting facts I learned was that all Belgian Blue females must have a cesarian section to remove their calves because of the heavy selection toward the double muscling gene. Also while visiting I performed my first solo neuter of a cat! Arnaud’s wife Marion was a part time teacher, mainly teaching adults German, French, and Luxembourgese. They also had a 19 year old daughter who will be starting college in the fall in Berlin, and a 15 year old son. The whole family spoke very good English, as well as German, French, and Luxemborgese.When not at the National show in Ettlebruck, we spent time touring the countryside. We visited a 700 head milking goat operation, a 120 Holstein cow herd, and a Belgian Blue farm. The goat farm had a 48 stall rotary parlor, and the dairy farm had a double 8 herringbone parlor. It was very common for small herds to have parlors or even robotic milkers. The rumor around the area was that they would soon be eliminating their quota system, so many farms were planning for increased herd size in the future when building new operations. The new freestall operations were all built with pressure treated wood versus aluminum siding like we see in the US. The family was extremely generous and welcoming. I would definetely go back and do something like this again in the future, and highly recommend other youth to step outside of their comfort zone and stay with a host family if given the opportunity.

Kelly’s host experience:
Near the end of our trip we visited Luxembourg and attended their National Holstein Show along with helping out at the Second Luxembourg Classic Holstein Sale. We also stayed with host families in Luxembourg. I stayed with Michele Crochet (23) and her family which consisted of her mother and father, who spoke no English, and her two younger sisters who were very good translators. They milk 55 Holsteins, most of which are Red and White. They also raise about 30 Limousine beef cattle. The beef bulls were surprisingly docile and enjoyed being scratched on the head. Most of the Holstein bulls they use are European bulls, but they also had Mac, Bolton and Super daughters in their herd. The host family was extremely generous and welcoming. While staying with them, we toured a few farms in the area of similar size and set up. We also saw Luxembourg City and much of the countryside as well as ate our first home cooked meal on the trip. It was much needed and enjoyed! We could also see Belgium from the family’s house and learned that you can get just about anywhere in Luxembourg in 30 minutes. I really enjoyed staying with my host family and learning how they farm and feel about the future of farming, which will definitely be changing in Luxembourg by 2015 with the quota system. It was also very interesting to see what we consider small farms in Wisconsin, would commonly have a milking parlor in Luxembourg. I would definitely recommend making Luxembourg a stop if you’re anywhere near Germany, Belgium or France. It’s a small country but full of so much culture and beautiful countryside.
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And from the coach…
Kelly, Ben, Chelsea and I are back on U.S. soil after an incredible two-week tour of Europe that took us to Scotland, Great Britain, France, Luxembourg and Germany, while Brian remains behind for an internship experience in Ireland. My students are happy to be back, and all agree that the tour gave them a broader perspective of the world that we live in and what it means to be an American.

If you have been following the blog, you know that the team learned a lot about European agriculture during the trip, visiting a pasture-based dairy operation in Scotland, competing at both the Royal Highland and Luxembourg National youth dairy cattle judging contests, taking scenic coach tours through the open agricultural landscape of Great Britain and France, living with rural host families for three days in Luxembourg, observing how robotic milking systems work and gaining exposure in Germany to the art of fine wine making.

In each country we visited, we saw numerous sites of historical significance including castles and cathedrals, some dating back as far as 900 years, buildings that mark human engineering success such as the Eiffel Tower, and monuments to those who sacrificed in the two World Wars fought on the continent.

The tour also served as a social science laboratory, as they learned to adapt to cultural differences such as food, currency, public transportation and customs. One of the important things I believe my students learned from their experience is that people around the world are different and that’s okay, and the challenge is to try to understand why. Governments may have policies that we don’t always agree with, but as people they are very much like us, inherently generous and well intentioned.

A particularly moving experience for my students occurred at Luxembourg American and Memorial Cemetery where nearly 5,076 of our war dead are buried. Rows of white crosses and Stars of David mark the final resting place for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in World War II’s Battle of the Bulge. It was here that Allied Forces led by George S. Patton’s U.S. Third Army stemmed the enemy’s desperate Ardennes Offensive, one of the critical battles of World War II. Each grave faces U.S. soil except for one, that of Patton, who is buried facing the troops he commanded in battle. There is a solemn remembrance and resolve that each of us surely felt looking out over the cemetery. For the young people on the tour, there was also the reality of what service to your country can entail and a better sense of the risks that today’s soldiers take when they volunteer. A spontaneous singing of the Star Spangled Banner on the bus after we resumed our travels sent chills of pride through me and great confidence in this current generation of young Americans.

All of the parents and sponsors of the tour participants should be proud of how these young people represented themselves and our country. During their two weeks of travel we couldn’t have asked for better ambassadors. And besides the goodwill and learning that took place, it’s clear that the students had plenty of fun as well. Almost immediately, students from the different teams and schools interacted with each other, in some cases forming friendships that will surely last well beyond the conclusion of the tour.

I can’t begin to express my gratitude to the generous sponsors who helped give our students this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Your thoughtful donations truly enriched the educational experience of my students. Be assured your investment in these young people was a good one that will be rewarded many times over as they pursue their life goals.

Again, thank you and On Wisconsin!
TJH

A listing UW-Madison’s sponsors follows: UW-Madison Department of Dairy Science, UW-Madison CALS International Programs, East Central/Select Sires, Wuethrich Foundation, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Badger Dairy Club, Mystic Valley Dairy, Badgerland Financial, Al Schultz, Heatherstone Enterprises, Nick and Jessica Sarbacker, Accelerated Genetics, Paul Manley and Sheila McGuirk, Tom Morris, Bob Hagenow, Foremost Farms USA, City Slickers Farm, ANIMART, Dane County Holstein Breeders, Casey and Kayla Jentz, Brian Kelroy, Scott Schugel, Anne Stanton, MilkSource Genetics, Tom and Vicki Sarbacker, Rosy-Lane Holsteins, Holstein World, Bob Behnke, Stoughton FFA Alumni, Eric and Angie Olstad, Bob Traynor, Association of Women in Agriculture, UltraScan, Swiss Valley Farms, Lynn Harbaugh, Filament Marketing, Mark and Beth Heinze, Partee Holsteins and Jerseys, Voegeli Farm, International Protein Sires, Sauk County Holstein Breeders, Peter and Lisa Coyne, Crave Brothers Cheese, Udder Tech, Mary Heinze, Nasco, Cycle Farms and Bruce and Kim Sime.

For more information on the University of Wisconsin’s Dairy Science Department and programs, please visit http://dysci.wisc.edu/.

Ben Sarbacker reporting

June 28th
We spent the day sight seeing in London. Sights included Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Tower of London, and Westminster Abbey. Our
day also included a boat tour on Thames River.

Stops for the rest of the tour include the Reims Cathedral (where the King of France was crowned) in Paris and a trip to Luxembourg where the team will meet up with their host families organized by the Young Farmers organization. Team members will stay with their families on Friday, July 1 and have the opportunity to assist with farm chores or see other neighboring farming operations. Judging a class or two at “Holstein Day” at the National Show will finish out the day.

Saturday, July 2 is the Luxembourg National Show, along with a BBQ with the Young Farmers group.

The team then travels to Germany before coming home on July 5th.

Kelly Sime, reporting

June 25
The Royal Highland Contest was on Saturday, June 25. The contest consisted of four classes – Ayrshire cows, Holstein young cows, Holstein mature cows and Jersey cows. We gave two sets of reasons and had four minutes for each class. As you can imagine, it’s difficult to judge an entire class in four minutes, let alone take enough notes for reasons as well. The contest was very different than any contests in the U.S. in that you were allowed and almost encouraged to use notes during reasons, and the contestants were allowed to communicate with their team members before giving reasons. The contest began at 9:30am and we finished giving reasons at 1:30pm.

The awards banquet was held that evening on the grounds and the U.S. teams were awarded separately from the Scottish teams. The team consisting of Ben Sarbacker and Kelly Sime took first place honors in the senior division at the contest with Michigan State in second.

The Highland Show featured sheep, beef, dairy and horses. Beef took up the majority of the cattle barn, with only about 100 dairy cattle exhibited. Some of the beef breeds featured were: Charolais, British Charolais, Limousine, Angus and Scottish Highlander. At the show, they even exhibit the mature bulls, some of which had to be over 2,000 pounds. Champion Holstein and Supreme Champion of the Dairy Show went to a third lactation Goldwyn.

Sunday, June 26th we boarded the bus to venture to England through the countryside. Next we will be heading to London and then Paris midweek.

June 26
Today we left Scotland and traveled toward our next destination – Coventry, England. Our first pit stop was in the village of Moffat at a rest stop – The Edinburgh Woolen Mills. Here, we had a chance to do a little shopping and tour the gorgeous city. Our next stop was at a dairy farm in Elford, Staffordshire at a Holstein dairy owned by Rick Jones and son Haselour Grange. This operation milked about 120 cows and farmed nearly 300 acres. The farm was originally established in 1906 and is still utilizing the same brick buildings. They milk in a double-12 herringbone parlor. The most interesting aspect of their farm to us was that they used potatoes in their TMR ration. Mr. Jones said that the cows love them it dramatically increases milk production. After the farm tour we headed to the Leedham family barn just a few miles down the road for a BBQ. We had a chance to socialize with the livestock teams that are traveling with us as well as local neighbors. Our day has ended here in Coventry. In the morning we will head to Warwick Castle and then be off to London!

Kelly Sime and Ben Sarbacker after their first place finish at the judging contest.

The team at Warwick Castle

Ben and Kelly at Westminster Abbey

Stay tuned for more!

It’s Day 2 in the life and adventures of the UW-Madison Dairy Judging team! Today, the group toured Edinburgh and went to the Royal Highland Show for a walk around. Judging starts tomorrow with four classes and four minutes to judge each class (two of which are reasons classes). And then it’s off to England! Stay tuned for more from Kelly Sime and the team!

Outside Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh

With Edinburgh in the background!

Edinburgh Castle

Some of the Scottish Highlanders at the Royal Highland Show!