HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Red and White breed claimed both the supreme champion cow and heifer out of seven breeds at the Premier National Junior Show at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex on Monday.
The All-American Dairy Show youth event featured hundreds of cattle from multiple states, drawing exhibitors from as far away as Texas.
But it was Pennsylvanian Tyler Soden who took home the banner for Nisley-Gen Rager Donut-Red, a 4-year old cow he co-owns with his sister, Madison.
Soden, 12, hails from Sweet Peas Holsteins and Jerseys in Susquehanna, Pa. Besides showing cows and making hay, Soden’s favorite activities include hunting, fishing, golf, baseball and basketball.
“Being around the cows,” is what the Blue Ridge Middle School student said he likes best about showing, which he has been doing since age 8.
It was Donut’s debut in the show ring. She is classified Excellent-92, with a 93 point mammary system.
Alexis Shultz showed the supreme heifer, M-Devine W Lady Jane-Red-ET, owned by Cooper Merrill of M-Devine Holsteins, Seneca Falls, N.Y..
Shultz, 17, is a senior at Marion Central Junior/Senior School in Marion, N.Y.
Madison Soden exhibited the grand champion Jersey, Leachland Kissed K, a junior 3-year-old cow.
Madison, 15, participates in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science as well as Dairy Quiz Bowl and Jeopardy. The 4-H’er also enjoys golfing and being outdoors.
Claire Hlavaty, 15, showed the junior champion Jersey, summer yearling Vierra Seaside Getaway-ET. Getaway’s dam is Bri-Lin Valson Spritz, a two-time World Dairy Expo grand champion and two-time All-American classified Excellent-97.
Hlavaty of Lititz, Pa. is a 10th grader at Lancaster County Christian School where she is involved with theater and music.
Sean Shults of Sharon Springs, N.Y. showed the grand champion Ayrshire, Heiview Burdette Twisler, who was also named best bred-and-owned of the breed show.
Junior champion exhibitors, from left, Cade Ziegler, Holstein; Elijah McCarty, Guernsey; Carrie Rhoades, Milking Shorthorn; Alexis Shultz and Cooper Merrill, Red and White supreme heifer; Katelyn Taylor, Brown Swiss; Claire Hlavaty, Jersey; and Karlie Supplee, Ayrshire.
Leading the junior champion Ayrshire, fall calf Shultz R V Ok-ET, was Karlie Supplee of Shultz Cattle, Chambersburg, Pa.
Supplee, 12, is a sixth grader at Commonwealth Charter Academy. In addition to showing dairy cattle, she also enjoys showing lambs and goats.
Hannah Balthaser, 17, of Northkill Creek Farm, Bernville, Pa. showed the Brown Swiss grand champion cow, Northkill Creek Groovy.
Katelyn “Gert” Taylor exhibited the Brown Swiss junior champion, fall yearling Blessings Garbo F Whitney.
Taylor, 21, of South Creek Acres, Allenwood, Pa. graduated Penn State this spring majoring in agricultural science with a minor in animal science and leadership development.
Kolby Stoltzfus, East Earl, Pa. showed the Guernsey grand champion, Hollow View Tank Tillie, a 4-year-old cow.
Elijah McCarty of Rocky Hill Farm, Hughesville, Pa. exhibited the junior champion Guernsey, fall calf Rocky Hill James Dean Hoorah.
McCarty, 9, is a fourth-grader at Renn Elementary School who likes dinosaurs, wrestling, fishing, baseball and showing cows.
Exhibiting the Holstein grand champion cow —Oakfield Tattoo Tender-ET — was Chloe Lamb of Oakfield Corners Dairy, Oakfield, N.Y.
Lamb, 14, is a ninth-grader at Oakfield-Alabama Central School. According to her bio, her favorite activity is “anything related to cows.”
Cade Ziegler of Zig Holsteins, Ostrander, Ohio, led the junior champion Holstein, spring calf Petitclerc Alligator Alysone.
Ziegler, 20, is a senior at Purdue University studying construction management.
In the Milking Shorthorn contest, Allie Cockrum, 17, of Como, Texas, exhibited the grand champion, Krauses Money Just My Style, a junior 3-year-old cow.
Carrie Rhoades of Buckeye Knoll Farm, Greenville, Ohio showed the Milking Shorthorn junior champion, a fall yearling named Buckeye Knoll Gravity Poppy.
Rhoades, 20, is a senior majoring in ag education at Oklahoma State University.
Best bred-and owned exhibitors at the Premier National Junior Show on Sept. 16, 2024 are, from left, Danni Mosser, Jersey; Landree Fraley, Guernsey; Olivia Kennedy, Brown Swiss; Justin Wolfe, Red and White; Isaac Folts, Holstein and supreme bred-and-owned; Allie Cockrum, Milking Shorthorn; and Sean Shults, Ayrshire.
Supreme Bred-and-Owned
Isaac Folts of Folts Farm, North Collins, N.Y., showed the supreme champion bred-and-owned cow, Holstein milking yearling J-Folts Unix Carly-ET.
Folts, 18, is a freshman majoring in animal science at Cornell University.
Olivia Kennedy of Cooperstown, Pa. led R-Generation Braiden Pelah, an aged cow that was named best bred-and-and owned in the Brown Swiss show.
In the Guernsey show, Landree Fraley of Muncy, Pa. exhibited Twincounty Tappys Tribute-ETV, a junior 2-year-old cow named best bred-and-owned.
Exhibiting the grand champion bred-and-owned Red and White was Justin Wolfe with N.Y. Ovaltop Unstopabull Roseana, a junior 3-year-old cow.
Wolfe, 18 is a freshman majoring in ag business at SUNY-Cobleskill. Ovaltop Holsteins is in Richfield Springs, N.Y.
Danni Mosser of Geneva, Indiana, exhibited the best bred-and-owned Jersey, Pleasant Ridge Kid Rock Ella, a fall yearling.
Allie Cockrum showed the best bred-and-owned Milking Shorthorn.
Lolly Lesher accepts the Dairy Hall of Fame Award prior to the Premier National Junior Show on Sept. 16, 2024.
Lesher Named to Dairy Hall of Fame
Prior to selection of the supreme champions, Lolly Lesher was presented with the 2024 Dairy Hall of Fame Award.
She is partner-owner at Way-Har Farms LLC in Berks County with her husband, William. They operate a 300-cow dairy with 400 acres of crops. The milk produced at the farm is bottled and sold directly to consumers at their retail store, Way-Har Farm Market, where Lolly manages milk marketing, wholesale customers, and specialty events.
The Leshers have mentored numerous upcoming dairymen through college internships at the farm and store. They have four children Joshua, Jaylene, Laura, and Olivia.
Lesher served as fundraising coordinator for the All American Dairy Show for 25 years beginning in 1991.
She has been a member of the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program board of directors for over 20 years and serves as first vice president of American Dairy Association North East board of directors. She also represents the northeast region on the national level as secretary of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board, and is a member of the Dairy Management Inc. board of directors.
Lesher had previously been selected as Outstanding Young Dairy Leaders Institute alumni, named “The Pace Setter” by the Center for Dairy Excellence, and was voted the first female chair of the Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program board of directors.
Based on character, leadership, and the development of youth in the dairy industry, the award was presented by Congressman G.T. Thompson.
