For the first time in 32 years, the Michigan Dairy Cattle Judging team took top honors in the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest. The team coached by Joe Domecq and Sarah Black placed first out of 31 teams that showed up to compete on the colored shavings. Team members included Savannah Katulski, Hayleigh Geurink, Megan Bush, Megan Filhart.
Rounding out the top five were Wisconsin (5), Pennsylvania (4), New York (3), and Minnesota (2). Michigan's score of 2045 points blew the second place team out of the water by 44 points. Reasons scores, putting Minnesota on top, broke a tie between second and third at 2001 points.
Michigan also took top honors in reasons with Pennsylvania following in second.
Tony Garcia of California (at right) took first place individually for oral reasons and for overall total score. Individually, Garcia scored 700 of a possible 750 points. In reasons, he talked his way to 234 points of a possible 250. A key part of Garcia's win were his exemplary performance topping the Ayrshire and Brown Swiss.New York native Jacob Dueppengiser took top honors in the Holstein (144 points) and Jersey (148 points) breeds. Megan Bush and teammate, Hayleigh Geurink of Michigan dominated the Guernsey breed with scores of 149.
