News Release

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Record Set in 2017 WDE Youth Showmanship Contest

MADISON, WIS. – A record-breaking 424 youth exhibitors competed in the 2017 World Dairy Expo^® Youth Showmanship Contest on Thursday, October 5. Youth showmen from around the globe competed for top honors in Junior, Intermediate and Senior Showmanship Divisions. Winning the Junior Division, the W. Terry Howard Award and clippers from Andis Company was Brianna Meyer of Chilton, Wis.; the Intermediate Division, the Howard Voegeli Award and clippers from Andis Company were won by Taylor Vander Meulen of Brighton, Ont.; and Mikayla Endres of Lodi, Wis. clenched the Senior Division, the Keith King Award and a semen tank courtesy of MVE Cooperative. The top 15 winners of each division received neck ribbons and medallions from E-Zee Milking Equipment, LLC, and the top ten winners received a cash prize. Other awards given were custom-embroidered jackets, sponsored by FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative to the first place finishers and clippers courtesy of Andis Company to the second place finisher in the Senior Division.

Laura Phoenix, Marketing Assistant at KFB Financial Services and co-owner of Far-Row Holsteins, Woodville, Ont., Norm McNaughton, owner of Comrie Farms in London, Ont. and David Crack, Dairy Solutions Director at CIAQ and owner of Crackholm Holsteins, Richmond, Qué, Canada, placed the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Divisions, respectively.

Top 15 youth winners of each division are as follows:

Juniors (Ages 9-12):
1. Brianna Meyer, Chilton, Wis.
2. Kolton Crack, Richmond, Qué.
3. Ava Booth, Plymouth, Wis.
4. Mason Ziemba, Durhamville, N.Y.
5. Garrett Ulness, Valders, Wis.
6. Amelia Stone, New Palestine, Ind.
7. Sara Dorshorst, Marshfield, Wis.
8. Lilian Finke, London, Ohio
9. Brianne Vandoske, Cleveland, Wis.
10. Abigail Ard, Pulaski, Wis.
11. Ava Hebgen, Deforest, Wis.
12. Morgan Stone, New Palestine, Ind.
13. Wyatt Dorshorst, Marshfield, Wis.
14. Landree Fraley, Muncy, Pa.
15. Emma Paulson, Columbus, Wis. 

Intermediate (Ages 13-16):
1. Taylor Vander Meulen, Brighton, Ont.
2. Savannah Crack, Richmond, Qué.
3. Adele Biasini, Morrisville, Vt.
4. Connor Erbsen, Lanark, Ill.
5. Julien-Charles Rousseau, Québec, Qué.
6. Zachary Paul, Worden, Ill.
7. Hailey Raymond, New Glarus, Wis.
8. Ashley Smith, Woodstock, Ont.
9. Brilee Tucker, Edmonton, Ky.
10. Cally Finley, Woodville, Ont.
11. Joseph Real, Georgia, Vt.
12. Kylie Nickels, Watertown, Wis.
13. Jared Abraham, Plymouth, Wis.
14. Sierra Omlin, Modesto, Calif.
15. Grace Howe, Waukon, Iowa 

Senior (Ages 17-20):
1. Mikayla Endres, Lodi, Wis.
2. Ashley Harvey, Stayner, Ont.
3. Rebecca Doble, Cannington, Ont.
4. Mike Podschadly, Armstrong, B.C.
5. Bruce De Ruysscher, Fredrick, Md.
6. Katie Anderson, Victoria, Australia
7. Kristen Broege, Janesville, Wis.
8. Emily Mikel, Stafford, N.Y.
9. Summer Henschel, Chilton, Wis.
10. Caitlin Small, Huntington, Mass.
11. Alli Walker, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
12. Elizabeth Acel, Glen Rock, Pa.
13. T.J. Wingert, Kent, Ill.
14. Sandra Krone, Fountainville, Pa.
15. Lydia Williams, Waterville, N.Y. 

This year’s Expo Youth Showmanship Contest sponsors included: Aesculap AG Germany, Andis Company, Budjon Farms, Double S Liquid Feed Services, Inc., E-Zee Milking Equipment, LLC, FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, Kelly Reynolds, the Klossner Family, LOWE Equipment Attachments, Masters Choice Hybrids, MIOX Corporation, MVE Chart, Paule View Transport, LLC, Y-Tex Corporation and Wahl Clipper & Lister Shearing.

For over five decades, the global dairy industry has been meeting in Madison, Wis. for World Dairy Expo. Crowds of nearly 75,000 people from more than 100 countries attended the annual event in 2016. WDE will return Oct. 3-7, 2017 as attendees and exhibitors are encouraged to “Discover New Dairy Worlds.” Visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@WDExpo or #WDE2017) for more information. 

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Note to Editors: High-resolution photos are available upon request from kschmitt@wdexpo.com.