B A D C is my placing for this great class of Guernsey cows. B uses her combination of dairy strength and udder to get to the top the class today over A. She is a longer cow from nose to tail with more length of frame, a deeper barrel, and more width from the rear view, especially in her hooks and pins. In addition, B is sharper and cleaner over her topline and carries less flesh throughout. She has more height, width, and bloom to her rear udder, with a more defined crease, than A. Granting A tracks straighter on her legs when viewed from the rear, and has her tail set more squarely between her pins.
In a close middle pair, A places over D. While D keeps it close with her bloom and dairyness, A simply excels in cow power. She has more total mass, being especially deeper in both the fore and rear rib and having more depth of heart and barrel. Furthermore, A has less set to her hock when viewed from the side and has a deeper heel. Also, A has more length of fore udder and it blends more smoothly into the body wall. I do grant D has more bloom to her rear udder and is sharper and cleaner throughout.
It is with her dairyness and correctness of udder that D places over C in a logical bottom pair. She is more chiseled down her top, sharper at the withers, and more incurving at the thigh than C. D excels in the udder over C. She is higher and wider in the rear attachment, showing more bloom and fullness at the top. In addition, she carries her more youthful udder higher above the hocks. I do recognize C is a deeper ribbed cow and has a smoother fore udder attachment but lacks the quality of udder to place any higher in this class.
Jennifer ClarkTunbridge, Vt.
Clark placed the GUERNSEYS. She is an appraiser for the Brown Swiss Association and scores Ayrshires, Brown Swiss, Guernseys and Milking Shorthorns. She is also an independent feed consultant. Clark grew up with Guernseys and was part of Wesgray Guernseys, Viola, Wis., for over 15 years. She integrated Brown Swiss into her herd 12 years ago and now operates JC Swiss and Guernseys. A University of Wisconsin-River Falls graduate, she was high individual and led her team to the national collegiate title at the 1995 World Dairy Expo. She has judged county, district and breed shows in several states.
