I place this class of Holstein aged cows C-B-A-D. Starting the class with C, a beautiful dairy cow that carries the best udder in the class. C has a definite advantage in overall dairyness from end to end. She has more body and openness of rib and more angle of rib than B. She also has a more capacious udder with a higher, wider rear udder and a fore udder that extends into the body wall. She also has an advantage in being more level on the udder floor. I would give B a slight advantage in feet and legs.

In a close placing, B has more style, dairyness and Holstein breed character than A. In addition, she has a slight advantage in the mammary system, showing more balance from quarter to quarter on the udder floor, and she carries her udder a little higher above the hock. She also has a slight advantage in feet and legs. I do grant A has more strength of bone.

A uses her size and scale and length of frame along with a definite advantage in rear udder to place over D. In addition to a higher and wider rear udder, she has more capacity, width and bloom to her udder. D places at the bottom of the class as she lacks the dairyness, the bloom to her udder, and the height and width of her rear udder to place any higher.

Joey Airoso
Pixley, Calif.

Airoso placed the HOLSTEINS. Airoso is a fourth generation California dairyman who has shown cattle throughout the western states and at World Dairy Expo. This past year, Air-Osa Redbull 12417 placed fourth in the Lifetime Production class at the Madison, Wis., show earning an All-American nomination. Joey farms in central California with his wife, Laurie; parents, Joe and Diane; and son Joseph and his wife, Kelci. The 2,600 cow dairy has a 28,000 pound herd average. The Airoso family has been milking cows for 104 years and breeding registered Holsteins for 60-plus years.