The 2014 All-American Dairy Show will welcome nine judges to place classes in 14 youth and open shows, Sept. 13-18, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. The judges are: Jamie Black of Constable, N.Y., will sort the All-American Red & White Show Wednesday, Sept. 17. Co-owner of Opportunity Holsteins and Jerseys, Black's successes include hosting the Golden Opportunity Sale at Midas Touch Holsteins this spring, and earning multiple intermediate and grand champion banners along the tanbark trail with his senior three-year-old Cowtown Durham Grasshopper. He has judged on both sides of the border, including the 2013 New York Spring Red & White Show and the Prescott County Show in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, Canada.
Patrick Conroy of Angola, Ind., will evaluate the Premier National Junior Brown Swiss Show Monday, Sept. 15, and the All-American Jersey Show @ Harrisburg Sept. 17-18. A familiar face in the showring, Conroy is a full-time fitter and has placed classes at World Dairy Expo, and shows in California, Kentucky, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. From his roots on a Minnesota family dairy, he has traveled for shows across the United States and in 10 foreign countries. Conroy owns 40 head of cattle, and his show string includes numerous All-American and All-Canadian nominations.
Dr. Doug Evans of Georgetown, N.Y., will judge the Premier National Junior Guernsey Show Sept. 15. A large animal veterinarian who owns Georgetown Veterinary Practice, he, wife Kathe and children Andrew, Gregory, Laura and Rachel operate Sunny Acres, LLC, where they milk 50 Ayrshires and farm 245 acres. The Evans family has exhibited Ayrshires at the All-American for 25 years, earning Grand Champion honors seven times and multiple Premier Breeder and Exhibitor awards. Evans has judged at all the major national shows and several international shows and serves as an official judge for the Hoard's Dairyman contest.
Sean Johnson of Glenville, Pa., will place the Premier National Junior Holstein Show Sept. 15 and the All-American Milking Shorthorn Show Sept. 16-17. A professional hoof trimmer, Johnson has evaluated cattle at the Eastern National Red & White Show, New York Spring Jersey Show, Maryland Spring Show and Eastern National Ayrshire Show.
Barclay Phoenix of Greenbank, Ontario, Canada, will judge the All-American Holstein Show Sept. 17-18. The owner of Phoenix Holsteins and Hanover-Hill Sales and Marketing, Phoenix is also a past president of the Ontario Holstein Club. An international judge, he officiated at the 2013 United Kingdom Dairy Expo as well as the Royal Winter Fair and the World Dairy Expo.
Molly Sloan of Columbus, Wis., will sort the Premier National Junior Jersey Show on Sept. 15. Raised on a 30-cow Holstein operation, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin with degrees in dairy science and ag journalism. She has judged more than 60 local, state and national shows in 11 states and three countries, all before the age of 30. Sloan is a skills development specialist with Alta Genetics.
David Sprengeler of Plato, Minn., will serve triple duty by placing the Premier National Junior Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn shows Sept. 15 and the All-American Brown Swiss Show Sept. 16-17. He and wife Becky own and operate Arthurst Farm, a third-generation 100-cow Brown Swiss operation that has exhibited 14 Minnesota State Fair grand or reserve grand champions and Premier Breeder and/or Exhibitor banners for the last 15 years. He was a member of the University of Minnesota's 1978 National Championship Dairy Judging Team. Since then Sprengeler has judged shows across the country, including the Brown Swiss show at World Dairy Expo, and internationally in Brazil, France, Mexico and Peru.
Nathan Thomas of Cable, Ohio, will officiate the Premier National Junior Red & White Show Sept. 15 and the All-American Ayrshire Show Sept. 16-17. He, wife Jenny and son Colton work with the family's elite 20-cow Triple-T Holsteins and Jerseys. The Thomases have bred, owned or worked with more than 50 Holstein and Jersey All-American nominations in the past six years, including the 2009 Junior Champion Holstein from World Dairy Expo and the Royal Winter Fair. A professional cattle fitter for 13 years, Thomas has judged the Kansas All-Breeds Junior Show and county and regional Holstein and Jersey shows.
William Watchtel of Big Prairie, Ohio, will evaluate the All-American National Guernsey Show Sept. 17. He and son Kurt operate Spring Walk Farm, with 50 Guernseys, 100 Holsteins and 700 acres of corn, hay and soybeans. The family has exhibited numerous state and national champions and earned several premier breeder and exhibitor banners. He is a former Guernsey and Brown Swiss classifier who has judged state shows in Illinois, Kentucky, New York and Ohio, national shows in Louisville and in Sydney, Australia.
The All-American Dairy Show features 22 shows in six days in addition to the nation's only all-dairy antiques show. Last year's show featured nearly 2,000 animals from more than 1,100 exhibitors from across the nation.
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