Judge Pierre Boulet rushed across the colored shavings in dramatic fashion to select Oakfield Solom Footloose-ET as his Grand Champion of the International Holstein Show. The winner of the Five-Year-Old class and Senior Champion is owned by Duckett Holsteins, Vierra Dairy, and Tim and Sharyn Abbott of Rudolph, Wis.
“She’s a special cow. So much balance, a really good udder, and really good feet and legs,” is how he described his champion. Boulet, from Montmagny, Quebec, Canada, and his associate judge, Richard Landry of Ste-Brigitte-des-Saults, Quebec, Canada, placed 508 Holsteins over the two-day show.
Reserve Grand Champion honors went to the Intermediate Champion, Blondin Unstopabu Maple-Red, an animal Boulet identified as another special cow. The Red and White Holstein is owned by R&F Livestock, Kevin Doeberiener, Lindsay Bowen, and William Schilling of West Salem, Ohio.
Oak-Ridge K Gchip Turbo, the winning four-year-old, received Reserve Senior Champion honors. She was exhibited by Milk Source and Ransom-Rail, Kaukauna, Wis. Reserve Intermediate Champion was Ms Crushabull Carolina-ET, owned by Jim Butler of Chebanse, Ill.
In the heifer show, Junior Champion was Kingsway Alligator A Twix, the winning winter yearling heifer. She was exhibited by Velthuis Farms Ltd of Osgoode, Ontario, Canada. Coming from that same winter yearling class was Ms Thunderstorm Eternity-ET, the heifer that was named Reserve Junior Champion for her owners, La Femme Fatale Syndicate of Kaukauna, Wis.
The Premier Breeder banner went to Oakfield Corners Dairy of Oakfield, N.Y. Jim Butler of Chebanse, Ill., was named as the Premier Exhibitor. Croteau Lesperron Unix-ET was the Premier Sire of the International Holstein Show.
Canadian farms led the pack in the heifer show. Premier Exhibitor of the heifer show was Velthuis Farms Ltd., Osgoode, Ontario, Canada. Premier Breeder was awarded to Ferme Petitclerc of St. Basile, Quebec, Canada. Brenland Denver was Premier Sire of the heifers.
The author is the senior associate editor and covers animal health, dairy housing and equipment, and nutrient management. She grew up on a dairy farm near Plymouth, Wis., and previously served as a University of Wisconsin agricultural extension agent. She received a master’s degree from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
