MSU Students are Top Ayrshire, Jersey Dairy Judges at All-American Dairy Cattle Judging Competition
10/29/09
Contact: Sara Long
517-432-1555, ext. 170
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State University (MSU) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources students Rosemary Rice, animal science senior from Filion, and Emily Butcher, agriculture and natural resources communications junior from Owosso, were named high individual in the Ayrshire and Jersey breed, respectively, at the 41st annual Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held during the 46th annual All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pa., in late September.
MSU team members were Butcher; Rice; Melissa Brower, animal science junior from Jamestown; and Amanda Sollman, agriscience senior from Brown City. Sollman was the fourth place high individual in the Holstein breed and the 10th highest individual in oral reasons and 16th overall.
Team MSU also placed second as a team in the Ayrshire breed.
“The professional and social skills learned during this process will be useful in these young people’s future, regardless of the professions they choose,” says Joe Domecq, specialist in the MSU Department of Animal Science and the collegiate dairy judging coach. “It takes many hours of practice and a major time commitment to learn how to judge dairy cattle and then orally defend your placing in front of an expert. These are not easy skills to master, so it’s a real testament to these students’ hard work ethic.”
Fifteen teams representing four-year universities from across the country competed in this year’s All-American dairy cattle judging contest.
The collegiate dairy judging team was accompanied to Harrisburg by Domecq, the Michigan 4-H dairy judging team and Renee McCauley, 4-H dairy youth assistant specialist. Members of the 4-H team were Lauren Bush, an MSU animal science freshman from Swartz Creek (Genesee County); Amber Mulder, Hudsonville (Ottawa County); Katie Thelen, St. Johns (Clinton County); and Cristine VanLieu, Reading (Branch County).
The All-American Dairy Show, the world’s largest dairy show, features 23 shows in six days, contests, banquets, the nation’s only all-dairy antiques show, more than 2,700 head of dairy animals, participants from 25 states and the highest premiums offered at any national dairy show.
The U.S. Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein and Jersey breed associations awarded sponsorships, and Genex Cooperative and the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association sponsored the contest and the banquet, respectively.
Sponsors for the MSU and Michigan 4-H dairy judging programs are ABS Global, Inc.; NorthStar Cooperative; the Michigan Holstein Association; the Michigan District 1 and District 6 Holstein Associations; the Michigan Jersey Cattle Club; the United Dairy Industry of Michigan; the Michigan Milk Producers Association and the Michigan Dairy Memorial Foundation.
For more information about the MSU and Michigan 4-H dairy judging programs, contact Domecq at domecqjo@msu.edu or call 517-353-7855.
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