2024 WORLD DAIRY EXPO
•
ALLIANT ENERGY CENTER
•
MADISON, WISCONSIN, USA
•
WWW.WORLDDAIRYEXPO.COM
EXPO Daily Edition
Monday, September 30, 2024
Young fitters showcase their skills
IN THIS ISSUE Youth Spotlight Q&A
Pennsylvania youth wins Michael Heath Overall Fitting Award
page 5
BY DANIELLE NAUMAN Staff Writer
Star Studded: Savannah Crack page 6
Youth Showmanship Contest page 9
International Junior Holstein Show Results page 11
Judging Contest Results pages 15
FLAVORS OF THE DAY
MADISON, Wis. — When the clippers stopped in the Sale Pavilion Sept. 28, signaling the end of the World Dairy Expo Youth Fitting Contest, Kyle Welk of Peach Bottom, Pennsylvania, rose to the top for judges Dawson Nickels and Josh Karn. Welk topped the senior male division before being named the top fitter in Saturday’s contest. For the feat, he was awarded the Michael Heath Overall Youth Fitting Award, in memory of the late Michael Heath. Forty aspiring young dairy cattle fitters took part in the contest, which was first held in 2010. Nickels was charged with placing the senior division, while Karn handled the evaluation duties in the intermediate division. “I was blown away by not only the number of participants, but by the great support they had from spectators,” said Nickels, who is the business development manager for MilkSource, fits for Budjon Farms and raises select embryo calves on the side. “The quality was phenomenal. From top to
bottom, it was just incredible.” Karn, who milks 90 cows at Karnview Farms in addition to fitting agreed with Nickels. “It’s a great thing for the industry, to have so many kids wanting to clip,” Karn said. “Good fitters are getting hard to find, but the quality in the contest was really good.” Welk, 20, was overwhelmed by his selection as the top fitter. “It means a lot to me, that
I’m reaching and accomplishing some of my goals as a fitter,” Welk said. Welk sorted himself to the top, easily, for Nickels and Karn. “Kyle did such a nice job,” Nickels said. “His attention to detail was flawless.” Welk, who is fitting fulltime, began clipping in earnest about four years ago. He credits Michael Bosley as a mentor who began to help him build
his confidence. “Michael was fitting my calves in 4-H for me before I ever picked up a set of clippers,” Welk said. “He encouraged me to start and helped me along.” Welk said that is the best advice he can give an aspiring fitter. Turn to YOUTH FITTING | Page 4
Building the future
Grilled Cheese
Pepperjack from Arena Cheese, Inc. UW-Madison Cheese Stand next to the Arena Building
ATTENDEE INFORMATION
Create your schedule Download Expo’s mobile event app for complete show details, today’s schedule of events, maps and interactive features. Find it by scanning this QR code.
#WDE24
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Kyle Welk (center) is named the recipient of the Michael Heath Overall Youth Fi ng Award Sept. 28 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Pictured (from le ) are award sponsors Ka e Shultz and Kelly Barbee, Kyle Welk, and judges Dawson Nickels and Josh Karn. Welk was named the top fi er from 40 par cipants in the Youth Fi ng Contest.
Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy grows industry leaders BY DANIELLE NAUMAN Staff Writer
MADISON, Wis. — While it was not his first world, the late Mike Hellenbrand became passionate about the world of showing dairy cattle, and about World Dairy Expo. After his untimely death in 2020, his wife, Linda, and a group of their friends chose to commemorate his memory by establishing the Hellenbrand Lasting Legacy Award (HLLA). “Mike loved cattle and he loved kids,” said Bryan Voegeli, a long-time friend and member of the HLLA board of directors. “Of all the things he did for our industry, the greatest was what he did for the youth.” Giving youth the opportunity to experience the colored shavings, on the halter of a great heifer was a passion of Hellenbrand, Voegeli said. That passion became the foundation upon which the
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Logan Harbaugh (le ) and the late Mike Hellenbrand pose for a photo with Millborne HP Fabulous-ETV, Oct. 3, 2019, at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin. Hellenbrand had a passion for providing calves for youth to show on the colored shavings. HLLA was built. Since its inception, three youth have been awarded the opportunity to own daughters of past Expo champions. The
fourth calf will be awarded early next year. She is a daughter of the 2022 International Red & White Show Grand Champion, Ms Ransom-Rail Beth-Red-ET,
Printed and published in partnership with Dairy Star
donated by MilkSource Genetics, Ransom-Rail and Laurie Fischer. Applicants must be highschool aged. They are not required to live on a farm, but they must provide information about the farm where the animal will be housed, detailing their relationship with the farm, and the responsibilities they have there. “We want to see evidence that the applicant has sufficient knowledge to know what they’re getting, and some 4-H and FFA experience,” said HLLA board member Dr. Sheila McGuirk. “We want this to be a unique opportunity for the winner to get to Expo, to show on the colored shavings, that they might not have otherwise gotten. A key piece of the application process is the selection of a mentor. “We want them to choose a mentor they’ll have repeated close contact with, and we prefer the mentor not be a parent,” Turn to HELLENBRAND | Page 3
+
'$,5< 67 5