The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

World Dairy Expo is pleased to announce the addition of a Showmanship Judges Clinic to its educational programs. Open to showmanship judges of all skill levels and youth dairy project leaders, the clinic will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 1 in the Coliseum at the Alliant Energy Center.

This international clinic will cover the showmanship guidelines developed by the Purebred Dairy Cattle Association to improve consistency in contests across North America. Led by 2017 WDE Showmanship Judge, David Crack of Richmond, Quebec, Canada, the workshop will include a mock contest. Free for all participants, clinic registration is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/WDEShowmanshipJudgeWorkshop.

“Showmanship is one of the most important dairy youth events that youth can participate in as it teaches life skills such as responsibility, poise, precision and learning. It is our responsibility, as youth leaders and judges, to know the guidelines and expectations, so that when we judge a show, we are giving youth the very best experience,” remarks Katie Coyne, WDE Youth Fitting & Showmanship Contest Superintendent.

Meanwhile, four judges have been selected for the 2018 WDE Youth Fitting and Youth Showmanship Contests. These individuals will evaluate contestants from around the globe on Sunday, September 30 at 10:00 a.m. in the Sale Pavilion and Thursday, October 4 at 6:00 p.m. in the Coliseum, respectively.

Judging the 2018 WDE Youth Fitting and Youth Showmanship Contests are:

Youth Fitting Contest

  • Tyler Reynolds, Feed Manager at Reyncrest Farms, Corfu, N.Y.

Youth Showmanship Contest

  • Junior Division: Curtis McNeil, Owner of Heather Holme Holsteins, Goderich, Ontario, Canada
  • Intermediate Division: Jamie Howard, EastGen Regional Sales Manager for Western Ontario, Burgessville, Ontario, Canada
  • Senior Division: Kelly Reynolds, New York Holstein Association Executive Manager, Corfu, N.Y.

Open to any young dairy enthusiast ages 16-21 and 9-21, respectively, Expo Youth Fitting and Youth Showmanship Contest participants are not required to exhibit in one of the WDE breed shows to qualify. However, to be eligible, contestants must use an animal that will be shown or sold at Expo in 2018. Complete contest details and registration forms are available in the Expo Premium Book or on the WDE website.

Serving as the meeting place of the global dairy industry, World Dairy Expo brings together the latest in dairy innovation and the best cattle in North America. Crowds of nearly 70,000 people, from 100 countries, will return to Madison, Wisconsin for the 52nd annual event, October 2-6, 2018, when the world’s largest dairy-focused trade show, dairy and forage seminars, a world-class dairy cattle show and more will be on display. Visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or YouTube for more information.