Cross Country: Dairy Expo's cow judging draws a herd
Friday and Saturday are traditionally the biggest days crowdwise at World Dairy Expo -- that's when the Holstein cattle are paraded before the judge in the Coliseum show ring.
The International Red and White Show (most are Holsteins) cow judging runs Friday morning with the International Holstein calf classes beginning at noon. That's when race is on for the close-in seats that the true Holstein experts occupy -- the better to second guess the judge.
Second guess?
Yes indeed. In spite of the lack of noise -- a dairy show has no cheering, booing, or play-by-play -- some have compared it to watching grass grow or paint dry -- the atmosphere is intense and the anticipation at a high level.
As the Holsteins circle the Coliseum floor walking on this year's aqua-colored shavings, as many as 70 calves and their leadsmen or leadswomen are intent on presenting their animals in the best possible way before the judge. (There is an associate judge, but the head judge is king.)
In a dairy show there are no points, goals or touchdowns. The placings from top to bottom are based on the opinion of one man, and there are no appeals or replays.
Unlike a sporting event where many of the players are anonymous, the dairy cattle world is small -- very small. Chances are, many of the spectators know many of the calves or cows in the show ring, or at least the breeding behind the animal. It is very possible that many, maybe a dozen or more, competitors could have the same sire because of the technology of artificial insemination.
Cattle show watchers are great second guessers. Its possible that every one of the 5,000 spectators watching the Holstein cow judging Saturday, might disagree with the judges placings.
But, that's OK. There will be another show, another judge, another chance down the road. But, not so strange -- the cows that win the top ribbons and trophies at World Dairy Expo will probably already have won top awards at state fairs and other big shows and will win again.
The half hour in the show ring at Dairy Expo is the culmination of a process that began when the calf was born. As the young animal grew, it probably was shown at the county fair, and if it did well there, it was shown at the state fair. Then there were local breed shows and state breed shows.
If the animal was one that showed outstanding breed type as a calf, it may have even entered competition at World Dairy Expo. Breed champions and Supreme Champions at Expo are always cows, not because of any rule, but because a cow is mature and shows all her qualities.
So the cow is one of the class winners at Expo. Or maybe a breed champion or even the Supreme Champion, then what?
That's when there is money to be made. Her future sons and daughters in the form of embryos will be valuable. Frozen embryos are sold and transported worldwide. Her natural daughters will be worth more and could be the foundation of another dairy cow family.
Dairy shows are not about milk production, they are about breed type. Most of the dairy farmers in Wisconsin look at milk production first and foremost and never compete in the show ring.
But the show ring is popular and so is the glitz in raising dairy cattle. And as most who show cattle in competition will admit, it's the fun part.
Many of the visitors to World Dairy Expo do make a trip through one or more of the dairy barns. The first thing they notice is how all the animals, calf to cow -- are pampered, groomed and fussed over.
The bigger show strings have a professional fitter do the clipping, combing, brushing and polishing. Even those with one or two animals might have a family member who has become an expert in fitting the animals. In fact it is pretty much a certainty that an animal that has not been professionally groomed stands little chance of standing at the top of the class.
You will see fans in many of the exhibits, the better too keep the animal cool and comfortable. The wash racks are always busy as the cows are lathered and rinsed. The barns are abuzz with the sound of clippers and some one is ready with a fork or shovel to catch the manure before it hits the straw where the calf might lay.
Young, college-aged youth -- men and women -- take time off from college or another job to travel with an individual exhibitor or a string of cattle put together by a fitter. All of them have aspirations to own dairy cattle some day or to work with the nation's top herds who go to the big shows.
Katie Coats, who is part of the eight-member crew at Expo taking care of the 13 animals of the Ferme Pierre Boulet dairy in Quebec, says the work is long and hard.
"The cattle are by far better taken care of than are those of us taking care of them," she says. "We don't eat well -- pizza, hamburgers and fries may be all we get, all day -- and our hours are terrible."
At home in the barns, the manure is hauled out by a barn cleaner or Bobcat, at World Dairy Expo, a fork, shovel, wheel barrow and muscle power are standard equipment.
Decorating the individual cattle displays is traditional -- color photos of cows, the farmstead, family and herd advertising are standard. This year, MilkSource Genetics, Kaukauna, and owners John Vosters and Jim Ostrom have raised the bar rather high. Their four high-definition, 50-inch TV screens constantly show their farmstead and some of their Holstein cattle. Two of the screens are hooked into the Dairy Expo video system and show the judging taking place in the show ring.
Is this a trend? Some of the other exhibitors are wondering, and hoping not.
Attendance at World Dairy Expo seems to be following the traditional pattern: Tuesday, opening day has a smallish crowd dominated by Future Farmers of America chapters who arrive in school buses, scoot through the exhibits collecting informational brochures and leaving soon after noon to get back to school.
Crowds pick up Wednesday and Thursday, and parking spaces at the Alliant Energy Center are still available. The dairy shows are in progress, but the crowds are concentrated at the commercial exhibits.
Friday and Saturday are the big crowd days as the bleachers fill up at the Coliseum for the Holstein judging. Parking is short and cars circle back and forth looking for an opening. The commercial exhibits are shoulder-to-shoulder with people, the WestfaliaSurge ice cream line in Exhibition Hall is long, and sales representatives at the exhibits are talking fast and furious.
Saturday night is mass of movement out from the Expo. The commercial sales reps are heading home, the cattle are in trucks moving to their home barns maybe 2,000 miles away and the barns, Exhibition Hall, Arena and Coliseum will be trash strewed and a mess.
But, most everyone one who attended World Dairy Expo will have memories of a great week. And the folks who live over an easy drive from Madison will be comfortable knowing they have reserved their motel rooms for next year.
Oncken is owner of Oncken Communications, a Madison-based agricultural information and consulting company. He can be reached at 608-222-0624 or e-mail jfodairy@chorus.net.
John Oncken
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How do you milk a cow at Expo? Go through the milking parlor or as Dustin of Bush River Jerseys, Newberry, S.C., did, bring your own milking machine.
