HARRISBURG, Pa. – Huronia Centurion Veronica repeated last year’s performance, edging out six other dairy breed grand champions to earn the supreme championship at the 43rd All-American Dairy Show.
George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, Arethusa Farm, Litchfield, Conn., own this 7-year-old Jersey.
“It feels just as good as the first time,” said Arethusa Farm manager Terri Packard. “She [Veronica] hasn’t been beaten in five years.”
Her accolades include grand champion Jersey at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisc., for both 2005 and 2004, with the reserve supreme championship in 2004, and the 2005 New York Spring Jersey Show.
She consistently wins best udder awards as well.
The Jersey judge, Michael Heath of Westminster, Md., commented she was a “dairy machine” when pronouncing her grand champion of the Jerseys, and noted he had never seen her look better.
Veronica’s lifetime milk production is close to 90,000 pounds of milk, with 5.3 percent fat and 4 percent protein.
Veronica was bred by Fred and Ruth Armstrong. Brian Sayles, then Ernest Kueffner, both notable dairymen, owned her prior to Arethusa Farm’s purchase.
She was sired by Sooner Centurion, her dam was Genesis Renaissance Vivianne. Her classification score is excellent 95.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff said prior to the parade of grand champions, “It’s a real pleasure to be able to host the largest dairy show in the world. The All-American is not only large in size, it excels in quality. It’s as good as any country anywhere can offer.”
Dairy cattle came from 28 states. The judges repeatedly praised the “dairyness” of all the seven breeds.
Ayrshire awards. 4-year old Maple Dell Zorro Dafourth was the grand champion Ayrshire. David Patrick, Woodbine, Md., owns this grand champion.
His Maple Dell Farm also picked up a number of other first places, including the junior championship. Patrick bred both animals.
The grand champion won top honors among the Ayrshires at the Maryland State Fair this year.
Marjorie Kuszlyk of Batavia, N. Y., walked away with the reserve grand championship for her 5-year-old, Cottrelli’s Kuszmar Nattie.
Palmyra Farm, Hagerstown, Md., took home the banners for both premier breeder and premier exhibitor.
Brown Swiss. Senior champion of the All-American Brown Swiss Show, Mont Legacy Dutch, walked away with the grand championship.
This 4-year-old, owned by Lee Harris, Newberry, S.C., has amassed a string of reserve grand championships in Kentucky shows plus first places in the bred and owned category.
Judge Kevin Eggink selected the 2005 grand champion, Kulp Gen Shania, owned by Arielle and Dan Chard, Woodstown, Pa., as reserve grand champion.
Emily Yeiser, Arnold, Md., carried off the best bred and owned award for her junior 3-year-old, Spots-Pride Bronze Promise.
Robert Wagner, Quarryville, Pa., was named premier breeder, and Elite Dairy, Copake, N.Y., picked up the premier exhibitor banner.
Guernsey prizes. Bred and owned by 17-year-old Ashley Elise Sears, South Deerfield, Mass., Indian Acres MM Pistachio Pie captured the grand champion title of the Guernsey show.
The 4-year-old triumphed over 200 other Guernseys. She was rated excellent 92 when 3 years old. The 2006 New York Spring Carousel Show also gave her a grand championship.
Ayars and Marion, Land of Living Farm, Mechanicsburg, Ohio, tied for the premier exhibitor banner, and won the reserve grand champion ribbon for Spring River Royal Happy.
Snider Homestead Farms, New Enterprise, Pa., earned the premier breeder banner, and tied for the premier exhibitor award.
Kendy Gable of Snider Homestead Farms emerged victorious for the Pennsylvania 3-year-old futurity prize with Sniders Abbot Kloey.
Holstein honors. Ten-year-old Cameron-Ridge BC Lisa garnered the grand championship title in the Holstein show. Bred and owned by Charlie Cameron of Cameron Ridge Holsteins, Brodhead, Ky., she has a lifetime production of 216,290 pounds milk.
She achieved the supreme champion prize at the 2004 Ohio Spring International Show, and the Holstein grand championship at the 2003, 2004, and 2006 Kentucky State Fairs.
Sunny-Valley Durham Electra won the reserve grand champion accolades for Gene Iager, Fulton, Md. James and Nina Burdette, Mercersburg, Pa., earned both the premier breeder and premier exhibitor banners.
More Jersey prizes. Almost 190 Jerseys competed in the All-American Jersey Show.
The reserve grand champion spot went to 3-year-old Extreme Electra, exhibited by Will Iager, Entourage Farm, Cybil Fisher, JCL Land and Cattle and Diamond C. Cattle Co., North Lewisburg, Ohio.
Waverly Farm, Clear Brook, Va., picked up both the premier breeder and premier exhibitor banners.
Milking Shorthorns. Intermediate champion Clayside KR Dairybell, exhibited by Dairybell Syndicate, Parksville, Ky., topped the Milking Shorthorn competition.
This senior 3-year-old garnered the grand championship at the Ozark Southern National Show in Springfield, Mo., and the Indiana State Fair as well.
Keith and Donnette Fisher, Hard Core Farm, New Enterprise, Pa., won the reserve grand championship with Innisfail BDC Stella 905, an aged cow. The Fishers also earned the best bred and owned prize, plus the premier breeders and premier exhibitor banners.
Red and White. Derrwyn Miss Special-Red ET claimed the grand champion accolades among over 100 Red and White dairy cows. This 5-year-old, exhibited by Nathan and Adam Goldenberg and Tom Mercuro, McGregor, Texas, has an excellent 94 classification.
Reserve champion honors went to Richard M. Green, Middletown, Del., for his aged cow, Macs Acres Fannie-Red ET. Green also won the premier exhibitor banner.
Lawrence-Haven Holsteins, New Castle, Pa., earned the premier breeder banner.
Youth awards. Ashley Taylor of Worton, Md., captured the supreme championship among the junior exhibitors with her own-bred Brown Swiss, Ash-Mar Banker Chai.
Jennifer Zinn, Jems Ayrshires, Newburg, Pa., won the Ayrshire grand championship for Jems-Ayrshires TOF Goody.
The reserve Ayrshire grand champion junior prize went to Ryan Gatton, Gatton Dairy, Crane, Mo., for Gatton BBBK Vanessa.
The Brown Swiss reserve prize was awarded to Samantha Garst, New Windsor, Md., for GS Premium Lisa.
Kelly Johnson, Rutter Bros, York, Pa., picked up the Guernsey grand champion honors for Rutter Bros. Regis River. The reserve grand championship went to Ashley Elise Sears, South Deerfield, Mass., for Indian Acres MM Pistachio Pie.
Luther Hillegass of Berlin, Pa., caught the judge’s eye for the Holstein grand championship with Hillmont Durham Lyndi. The reserve grand champion spot went to Patrick McGarr, McGarr Farms, King Ferry, N.Y.
In the youth Jersey competition, George Culpetzer, Xanadu Jersey Farm, Greenville, Pa., claimed grand champion honors for GR Xanadu Brenden KitKat P. Ryan and Mackensie Poole, Westminster, Md., picked up the reserve award for Piedmont Furor Helene ET.
Jenny Miller, White Hall, Md., walked away with the Milking Shorthorn grand champion youth prize for Jen-Mill Fiesta.
Steven W. Kuszlyk, Kuszlyk Cattle Co., Batavia, N.Y., won the reserve award for Kuszmar Tracethee.
The top Red and White prize for youth exhibitors went to Eric Lawrence, Lawrence-Haven Holsteins, New Castle, Pa., for his grand champion Lawrence-Haven P Abby-Red.
Lucy R. Crider, Antrim Spring Farms, St. Thomas, Pa., took the reserve grand champion award for Antrim-Spring RB Sunset-Red.
Prize money. Numerous sponsors contribute to the All-American awards. In addition to the prizes within the classes, the grand champions of both the open and the youth shows receive $1,000.
The prize for the junior supreme championship is $2,000, and the supreme champion of the open show of the All-American is $3,000.
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