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The 2019 Youth Dairy Show includes kids from both 4H and FFA showing their cows at the fair. This year at the dairy show thirty-nine kids, ranging in ages from eight to nineteen, showing more than one hundred-forty animals. Many of them choose to show multiple breeds such as Holstein, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Guernsey, Red&White, Ayrshire, Line Back, and Milking Shorthorn.

Home Page correspondent Ashayla Faulkner spoke with Craig Williams, County Agent for the Penn State Extension, who has been supporting the Youth Dairy Show for twenty-nine years. He is passionate about encouraging the exhibitors who come with excitement and maybe exhaustion! When going to the show as a visitor or family member you’ll hear Craig’s voice over the loudspeaker system as he instructs those showing their animals.

Ashayla had a royal encounter with the 2019-20 Tioga County Dairy Princess Audrey Starkweather and her cow, Dallas. She asked Audrey what her favorite part of the Tioga County Fair was and she replied, “Showing cows!”
Audrey has been showing cows for the past three years.

In this dairy show, one of the judges was Isaac Haagen. He grew up on a 40 cow registered Holstein farm in Centre County, PA. He graduated from Penn State in 2015 with a degree in animal science. While at Penn State he was a member of the winning dairy judging team at the world dairy expo. He is currently a Ph.D. student at Penn State conducting research in dairy cattle breeding.

When viewing the cows for judging he took special time to speak to the exhibitors about what he was seeing so that they were being mentored in the process. In the broadcast, he explains many of the aspects of what judging includes.

He chose Lydia Madison as the best in showmanship with her cow named lucky. When Ashayla asked Isaac why Lydia won he said, “Lydia did a great job today really showing she had worked with her animal up to today’s show. She had great control over her animal. She showed that she had a natural relationship with that animal, and they were able to walk smoothly together around the ring. She really highlighted her animal in terms of bringing out what was best about her animal. For those reasons she really stood out in the crowd.”

Congratulations to all of the youth and their families who worked so hard raising and showing these wonderful animals from all of us here at Home Page!