Page 18 - BCHNews-WCDN1224-Web

18 WC DAIRY NEWS  CHRISTMAS 2024
Grand Champion B&W: (L-R) Champion - JEFFREY-WAY HARD ROCK
TWIGS (Doeberiener, Bowen & Conroy, OH); Reserve - OAKFIELD
SOLOM FOOTLOOSE (Showbox Sires & Vierra Dairy, WI); Honourable
Mention - ERBACRES SNAPPLE SHAKIRA (Jacobs, Ty-D, Antelimarck,
Theraulaz & Attaboy, QC).
Bonnie Cooper,
becooper2010@gmail.com
The lure and value of showing against the
very best dairy cattle in North America
proved irresistible as exhibitors from
across the United States and Canada
made the journey to Madison, WI, to
compete on the pink coloured shavings
at the 2024 World Dairy Expo (WDE).
Despite the added health requirements
imposed on dairy cattle show entries
because of outbreaks of the Highly
Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI/H5N1)
in the United States cattle population
this past year, exhibitors, particularly
those from Canada, were not deterred.
For Canadians, the “rewards” were worth
the “risk” as Canadian owned and/or
bred cattle won a number of classes
and took several champion awards in
the Holstein and Red & White Shows.
A Quebec sweep! Grand Champion Ayrshire: (L-R)
Champion - VIEUX VILLAGE GENTLEMAN JOY (Florent,
Vicky & Bianca Foley, QC); Reserve – VIEUX VILLAGE G
MONTANA (Florent, Vicky & Bianca Foley, QC); Honourable
Mention – B-WIL KINGSIRE WILLOW (Pierre Boulet, QC).
Quebec and Ontario exhibitors led the
Canadian delegation with several large
showstrings, while the Kooyman Family
of Westcoast Holsteins, Chilliwack,
BC, brought 10 head, and Tom DeGroot
of T&L Cattle Ltd., Cultus Lake, BC,
owned and/or partnered in several
animals. Beautiful fall weather was on
tap for the 57th WDE which was held
from October 1-4 and drew over 55,000
spectators from around the world
anxious to see the eight dairy breed
shows, visit commercial trade exhibits,
attend educational seminars and renew
friendships during “The Golden Age”
themed event.
The International Holstein Show drew
397 head for the appraisal of Canadian
born Judge Jamie Black, now of Batavia,
NY. It was a “changing of the guard”
moment as Judge Black selected the
winning 4-Year-Old, JEFFREY-WAY
HARD ROCK TWIGS, a silky, black
Hardrock daughter with dairy strength
owned by Kevin Doeberiener & Lindsay
Bowen (OH) and Pat Conroy (IN) as Grand
Champion. In a close placing, Twigs was
deemed wider of rear udder, carrying
her udder higher, and having more
udder quality than OAKFIELD SOLOM
FOOTLOOSE-ET, the 7-year-old, deep-
bodied Lifetime Milk Production Cow
winner by Solomon from Showbox Sires
(WI) and Vierra Dairy (CA) who was made
Reserve Grand Champion. Following as
Honourable Mention Grand Champion
Two Canadian-bred Cows take the top prizes! Grand Champion R&W:
(L-R) Champion - PREMIUM APPLE CRISP LILLY-RED (Butlerview Farms,
IL); Reserve - GLAUSTAR CALIF ALL OUT-RED (Ackley & Simpson, OH);
Honourable Mention - CHERRY-LOR ROBIN-P-RED (Phillip McCormick,
PA. Now owned by T&L Cattle, BC).
was ERBACRES SNAPPLE SHAKIRA, the
second place Lifetime Production Cow by O
Kaliber from Ferme Jacobs, Ty-D Holsteins,
Ferme Antelimarck, Kilian Theraulaz and
Attaboy Holstein (QC). In the most highly
anticipated class of the show, Footloose
had placed ahead of Shakira in the Lifetime
class on her advantage in dairy appearance,
longer and cleaner neck, longer fore udder
and ability to walk more comfortably. These
two incredible cows are WDE legends,
with Footloose being Grand and Supreme
Champion at WDE in 2022 and Reserve Grand
Champion in 2023, and Shakira being Grand
and Supreme Champion here in 2023 and
2021. Ferme Jacobs won their 11th Overall
Premier Breeder award in the Holstein Show,
with Butlerview Farm (IL) taking the Premier
Exhibitor banner for the third straight year.
Ferme Petitclerc & Fils (QC) was Junior
Premier Breeder and Exhibitor. FARNEAR
DELTA LAMBDA was Overall Premier Sire,
while GOLDEN-OAKS MASTER was Premier
Sire of the Heifer Show.
Repeating as Grand Champion of the
International Red & White Show was the
Canadian bred PREMIUM APPLE CRISP LILLY-
RED, the first 5-Year-Old from Butlerview who
was the best of the 325 entries in this show
judged by Kevin Doeberiener of Ohio. Sired by
Apple Crisp, Lilly used her angularity, length
of frame and quality of mammary system to
beat the first Aged Cow and Reserve Grand
Champion by California-Red, GLAUSTAR
CALIF ALL OUT-RED-ET, another Canadian
bred cow owned by Jay Ackley & Donald
Simpson (OH) who was admired for her
balance and symmetry. Tom DeGroot bought
the show’s first Yearling in Milk, Intermediate
prior to the show but permitted her junior
owner, Phillip McCormick (PA), to continue to
exhibit this exceptionally uddered, flawless
feet and legged Journey daughter under
his name for the remainder of the show for
whom she was also Grand Champion of the
Junior Show and overall Champion Bred &
Owned cow. MilkSource (WI) captured the Red
Show’s Overall Premier Breeder designation,
while Elmvue (NY) was Overall Premier
Exhibitor. FARNEAR ALTITUDE-RED-ET
was Overall Premier Sire and MR BLONDIN
WARRIOR-RED-ET was Junior Premier Sire.
Westcoast Holsteins went to the top of the
Red Junior 2-Year-Old class with a show
week purchase, INTENSE DEVOUR GINGER,
a Devour daughter who was admired for her
femininity and clean bone.
The other breed shows at WDE attracted
392 Jerseys, 379 Brown Swiss, 319 Ayrshires,
262 Milking Shorthorns, 211 Guernseys and
260 head in the Junior Holstein Show. In
all, 1812 exhibitors from 39 U.S. states and
four Canadian provinces participated at
Expo. The Grand Champion Jersey, STONEY
POINT JOEL BAILEY from Vierra Dairy, was
crowned WDE’s Supreme Champion Cow.
Supreme Champion Heifer honours went to
the Holstein, GENESSE ALTITUDE LEAH, an
Altitude daughter who had been first Spring
Yearling for Doeberiener & Bowen, Conroy,
Osinga and Clarkvalley Holsteins (ON).
For complete WDE show placings go to
www.worlddairyexpo.com. Next year’s World
Dairy Expo will take place in Madison from
September 30 to October 3, 2025.
Risk versus Rewards
As a result of the Avian Influenza situation
negative Influenza A (HPAI/H5N1) test
result from milk samples collected
within seven days of movement to
WDE. Because Canada has had no
reported cases of Avian Influenza, the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
strongly advised Canadian exhibitors
against participating in U.S. dairy cattle
shows at this time. To protect the
health and welfare of Canadian animals,
Canadian exhibitors that chose however
to exhibit at WDE faced increased health
requirements for their animals before
and after their return to Canada: 1) All
lactating cattle had to test negative for
the Influenza A virus within seven days of
their expected return to Canada. 2) Once
home, all animals had to be isolated. 3)
The farm’s veterinarian had to take a bulk
milk tank test and test each individual
returning animal – calves, heifers or cows
– between 14-21 days after return. 4) If
the test results are negative, the animals
can be re-integrated into the herd. 5)
An additional bulk milk tank test 30
days after re-integrating animals in the
herd was also recommended. Canadian
animals who exhibited at WDE moved
to other nearby sites off the Madison
fairgrounds after the show to test their
animals for the Influenza A virus prior
to crossing the border into Canada. We
are happy to report that all the Canadian
cattle who competed at WDE returned
home safely and cleared all their test
requirements. Why take this risk? For the
many Canadian exhibitors at WDE it was
clear the vast marketing opportunities
and ability to showcase their cattle and
genetics at this show far outweighed
the risk. “We have got to be here if we
are in the business. This is what we do.
We need to be at Madison,” said Ken and
Darren Kooyman of Westcoast Holsteins.
As one Quebec exhibitor said, “Expo is
our biggest business opportunity of the
year.” Many Canadian exhibitors reported
selling and buying cattle at Expo. Their
successful results in the showring speak
for themselves. While there were other
Canadians who chose not to travel to
WDE this year because of the Avian
Champion and Honourable Mention Grand
Champion, CHERRY-LOR ROBIN-P-RED,
in the U.S., all lactating cows competing at
World Dairy Expo this year had to have a
Influenza restrictions, for those that did,
the risk definitely paid off.