“Thank you, exhibitors, for allowing me to come judge your show,” official judge Chad Ryan of Fond du Lac, Wis., stated before the selection of Grand Champion Ayrshire of the International Ayrshire Show. “This is a beautiful group at the end here that we should all be incredibly proud of.”
With a phenomenal lineup of animals that followed the triumphant sounds of the Scottish bag pipes, Judge Ryan and his associate judge, Mandi Bue from Kaukauna, Wis., declared Palmyra Predator B Ruthless-ET the winner out of a total of 289 animals. Ruthless was named Senior Champion Female after topping the Four-Year-Old class and was exhibited by Kurt Wolf and John Cannon from Epworth, Iowa. The judges could not have been happier with their champion.
“It’s not a secret anymore that I love this Four-Year-Old,” Judge Ryan joked. “She’s got the style and frame, she breeds back, and I swear she has gotten better as the day has gone on.”
Following her as Reserve Grand Champion was the Intermediate Champion, Heineman Reagan Roz, who won the Junior Three-Year-Old class. She is owned by Angela Fuller of Attica, N.Y.
Additionally, Reserve Senior Champion was awarded to Old-Bankston JC Banner, who topped the Five-Year-Old class. Banner was exhibited by Glamourview-Iager and Walton of Walkersville, Md. The honor of Intermediate Champion went to the first place Junior Three-Year-Old, Margot Precious, who was exhibited by Kurt Wolf and Mike Maier of Epworth, Iowa.
The first champions of the Ayrshire Show were the Junior Champion and Reserve. The winning Fall Heifer Calf, Lazy M Kingsire Xyllvi, exhibited by Glamourview-Iager and Walton, who clearly had a phenomenal show day to earn the Junior Champion banner. Following her was the Reserve Junior Champion, Stylin R Morticia, who was shown by Leslie and Linda Bruchey of Westminster, Md. Morticia also won the Summer Yearling class.
Among the many accolades from the two days of showing included Premier Breeder of the International Ayrshire Show, which went to Palmyra Farm of Hagerstown, Md., who also bred the Premier Sire, Palmyra Berkely Reagan-ET. Receiving the honors of Premier Exhibitor of the overall show and Premier Breeder of the Heifer Show was Peter Vail of Englewood, Fl. Mark and Becky Brown of Fennimore, Wis., achieved Premier Exhibitor of the Heifer Show. Finally, Bear-Ayr Distinct Kingsire, the sire of the Junior Champion, was named the Premier Sire of the Heifer Show.
Ayrshire youth come out on top
For the International Junior Ayrshire Show, the top two Lifetime Component Merit cows came to compete. Taking home the honor of Grand Champion and Senior Champion after winning that class was Bricker Farms Gibbs Carvella. She is owned by Todd, Lynsey, Allison, Kinslee, and Lacey Bricker and Carli Binckley of Salem, Ohio. The second Lifetime Component Merit cow was named Reserve Grand Champion and Reserve Senior Champion. Her name is Toppglen Wishful Thinking-ET. Wishful Thinking was exhibited by Tanner, Brennan, Marissa, and Logan Topp of West Salem, Ohio. These two were ranked above 113 other animals participating in the Junior Show.
Following these two outstanding production cows was the Intermediate Champion, Old-Bankston JC Baymont, who placed first in the Summer Junior Two-Year-Old class. Baymont is leased by Tyler Arnold and is owned by Cooper Wolf and Cael, Chase, and Caden Cannon of Guttenberg, Iowa. The honor of Reserve Intermediate Champion went to Junior Three-Year-Old, Arthuracres Handsome Annalise. Annalise is exhibited by Matthew Thompson and Cooper Wolf of Gutenberg, Iowa.
Finally, taking home the title of Junior Champion of the Junior Show was the winning Fall Calf, Grand-View Tuxedo Devyn-ET. Devyn was exhibited by Jacob, Logan, and Madison Harbaugh and Tim Busch of Marion, Wis. Reserve Junior Champion was the top Winter Yearling, On Topp Willy Nilly, shown by Keaton and Kinley Topp of Botkins, Ohio.
As seen in these shows, a combination of honoring the history of the breed and developing excellent genetics is what will drive the Ayrshire breed into the future.
Mikayla grew up near Osceola, Wis. She discovered her passion for the dairy industry while working on her neighbors’ Holstein dairy farm. That spurred her involvement in 4-H and FFA, and following graduation from Osceola High School, she headed to the University of Minnesota to pursue a degree in agricultural communication and marketing. During the school year, she worked as a website designer for the University of Minnesota department of animal science, and last summer, she was a farmer relations intern for Midwest Dairy. Peper served as the 2022 Hoard’s Dairyman editorial intern.
