Berrien County Youth Exhibits Grand, Junior Champions at 4-H Dairy Days; Master Showperson is From Barry County
8/13/09
Contact: Sara Long
517-432-1555, ext. 170
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Tera Koebel, Berrien County, and Levi Westendorp, Barry County, were the top winners in the 4-H Dairy Days youth show held July 21 at Michigan State University (MSU).
Koebel exhibited the grand and junior champion animals and Westendorp earned the distinction of earning the master show person award. With the wins, the pair represented the dairy industry at the first-ever Michigan Livestock Expo Sale-abration Auction also held July 21 in conjunction with Michigan Dairy Expo. Proceeds above a sales cap supported the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships and educational awards to youth involved in livestock exhibition activities.
A gallon of milk representing the grand champion dairy animal exhibited by Koebel sold for $4,000 to the Michigan Milk Producers Association. A $3,300 bid from the United Dairy Industry of Michigan purchased a block of cheese honoring Westendorp’s accomplishment for being chosen as the supreme master show person. Because Koebel had won both championships (junior and grand), Lauren Bush, Genesee County, was selected to represent the junior champion category since she had shown both the reserve supreme junior champion and reserve supreme grand champion. The gallon of ice cream symbolizing the junior champion dairy animal sold for $3,000 to the syndicate of Spartan Insurance Agency, Dairy Farmers of America and Michigan Farm Bureau. The dairy products sold at auction were displayed by Hillsdale 4-H member and the 2009 junior Michigan Dairy Ambassador, Matthew Mann.
As the youth-centered portion of the Michigan Dairy Expo, 4-H Dairy Days offers young people interested in the dairy industry opportunities to compete for premiums, ribbons and scholarships in various activities, including dairy quiz bowls, dairy management contests, dairy cattle judging competitions, and the Dairy Days youth show. Winners may go on to represent Michigan in national competitions.
Winners in the 12 showmanship divisions were: Chelsea Barnes, Ottawa Co.; Mitchell Avery, Calhoun Co.; Leah Batora, Clinton Co.; Skylar Buell, Monroe Co.; Justin Webster, Clinton Co.; Jack Luoma, Calhoun Co.; Jenny Spink, Jackson Co.; Kailey Sweers, Ingham Co.; Britney Lewis, Hillsdale Co.; Casei Hart, Jackson Co.; Westendorp; and Sara Mowry, Calhoun Co.
In the Ayshire show, Marshall Wixom from Allegan Co. showed the junior champion and reserve senior champion. Zach Gipple from Branch Co. showed the reserve junior champion and Skylar Buell from Monroe Co. showed the senior champion Ayrshire.
Kelvin Webster, Clinton Co., exhibited the junior champion Brown Swiss heifer. Courtney Heisler, Calhoun Co., showed the reserve junior champion. Timothy Frahm, Saginaw Co., and Colton VanAtta, Clinton Co., showed the senior and reserve senior champion Brown Swiss cows, respectively.
Only heifers were shown in the 4-H Guernsey breed show, and Francine Harris, Calhoun Co., and Kaitlyn Bartley-Mann, Hillsdale Co., showed the junior and reserve junior champions, respectively.
Tera Koebel, Berrien Co., showed the junior and senior champion Holstein animals. Kailey Sweers, Ingham Co., exhibited the reserve junior champion and Parker Hardy, Lenawee Co., exhibited the reserve senior champion.
Alexis Bowman, Hillsdale Co., showed the junior champion Jersey heifer; Tyler Burkhardt, Livingston Co., showed the reserve junior champion. The senior champion Jersey cow was exhibited by Skylar Buell, Monroe Co., and Koebel, showed the reserve senior champion Jersey cow.
In the Red and White Holstein show, Lauren Bush, Genesee Co., showed the junior and senior champions. Kailey Sweers, Ingham Co., exhibited the reserve junior champion, and Marcus Reed, Shiawassee Co., showed the reserve senior champion.
To download photos taken at this year’s Michigan Dairy Expo or results from any of the week’s activities, visit www.michigandairyexpo.com.
Michigan Dairy Expo is the largest annual dairy event in the state. This year’s event drew more than 400 dairy animals and more than 200 exhibitors. The mission of Michigan Dairy Expo is to encourage and promote youth involvement in dairy activities, showcase the Michigan dairy industry, and provide continuing education opportunities for the dairy industry in Michigan and neighboring states.
All Michigan Dairy Expo activities took place at the state-of-the-art MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education, which was funded by the Animal Agriculture Initiative (AAI) at MSU. Established in 1996 as part of the grass-roots-driven Revitalization of Animal Agriculture in Michigan Initiative, the AAI is a partnership between MSU, livestock producers and industry organizations, and the Michigan Department of Agriculture to address challenges facing Michigan animal-based agriculture through research and Extension projects.
For more information about the Michigan 4-H dairy youth program or Michigan Dairy Expo, contact the Michigan 4-H dairy office at 517-353-7855.
The 2010 Michigan Dairy Expo is scheduled for July 19-23 at MSU.
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