Delaware County Youth Compete in State 4-H Dairy Judging

Eighteen 4-H youth from Delaware County recently competed in the State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest during the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.

In the Senior division, Delaware County youth earned the top five overall spots and seven of the top ten youth ranked in Reasons.

Senior Team 1 (pictured below) topped their division and in a rare feat, placed 1, 2, 3, 4 individually overall. Members include Caden Kremer, Aden Kruse, Ty Hoeger, and Ford Domeyer. The team ranked 1^st overall, Reasons, Brown Swiss and Ayrshire; 3^rd Holstein; 4^th Milking Shorthorn and 5^th Guernsey and Jersey. Individually placing in the top ten were Caden Kremer – 1^st Overall, 3^rd Reasons, 5^th Ayrshire, Guernsey, Jersey, and Holstein; Aden Kruse – 2^nd Overall, Milking Shorthorn 1^st Brown Swiss, 4^th Reasons, 6^th Ayrshire; Ty Hoeger – 3^rd Overall, 1^st Reasons, Ayrshire, 5^th Brown Swiss, 8^th Holstein; Ford Domeyer – 4^th Overall, Guernsey, 1^st Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, 2^nd Ayrshire. This win earns them the opportunity to represent Iowa in the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest in Madison, WI this fall.

Senior Team 3 placed 2^nd overall. Team members are Haley Ronnebaum, Bianka Ronnebaum, and Alia Domeyer. The team ranked 2^nd Reasons, Milking Shorthorn, Jersey, Guernsey, and Brown Swiss, 4^th Ayrshire and Holstein.  Individually placing in the top ten were Haley Ronnebaum – 5^th Overall, 2^nd Brown Swiss, Holstein, 3^rd Milking Shorthorn, 6^th Reasons, 8^th Jersey, Guernsey; Bianka Ronnebaum – 8^th Overall, 2^nd Guernsey, 3^rd Ayrshire, Jersey, 7^th Reasons, 9^th Brown Swiss; and Alia Domeyer – 4^th Milking Shorthorn, 9^th Reasons. Due to their high individual ranking, some or all of these girls may have earned the opportunity to compete on the Iowa team at the Louisville dairy judging contest in November.

Senior Team 2 placed 5^th overall. Team members are Madalynn Arnold, Braden Ronnebaum, Cael Cannon, and Chase Cannon. This team placed 5^th out of 7 teams Overall, Reasons, Brown Swiss; 1^st Milking Shorthorn, 2^nd Ayrshire, 4^th Guernsey, Jersey. Individually placing in the top ten were Madalynn Arnold – 6^th Guernsey, Jersey, 9^th Ayrshire; Cael Cannon – 4^th Brown Swiss; and Braden Ronnebaum – 9^th Milking Shorthorn.

Delaware County Junior members earned five of the top ten Reasons scores. Junior Team 1 members are Cooper Schulte, Tyler Arnold, Karl Zumbach, and Tate Shemak. They earned 1^st Reasons and Guernsey, 2^nd Ayrshire, Jersey, 3^rd Holstein, Milking Shorthorn and Overall, 4^th Brown Swiss. Individually placing in the top ten were Cooper Schulte – 1^st Reasons, Guernsey, 3^rd Ayrshire, 4^th Overall, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, 7^th Brown Swiss; Tyler Arnold – 2^nd Guernsey, 3^rd Reasons, 4^th Holsteins, 6^th Jersey, 8^th Overall; Karl Zumbach – 1^st Ayrshire, 4^th Reasons, 5^th Jersey, 6^th Guernsey, 10^th Overall; and Tate Shemak 6^th Holstein, 8^th Jersey, 10^th Guernsey and Reasons.

Junior team 2 earned 4^th place overall. Team members include Caden Cannon, Will Zumbach, Anna Zumbach, and Carson Rauen (Dubuque Co). They earned 1^st Ayrshire, 3^rd Brown Swiss, Jersey, Reasons, 4^th Guernsey, Holstein, Milking Shorthorn, Overall. Individually placing in the top ten were Caden Cannon – 2^nd Jersey, 4^th Ayrshire, 7^th Reasons; Will Zumbach – 7^th Jersey, 9^th Ayrshire, 10^th Brown Swiss; Anna Zumbach – 6^th Brown Swiss, 9^th Milking Shorthorn; and Carson Rauen – 5^th Ayrshire, 8^th Milking Shorthorn.

There were six teams with 23 individuals competing in the Senior Division. There were four teams with 16 individuals competing in the Junior Division of the contest this year. Each contest participant receives a judging notepad and pen donated by Kunde Jersey Farm of Manchester.

The coaches of the Delaware County Dairy Judging teams are Kaleb Kruse, Jeannie Domeyer, and Mason Kruse. They appreciate the support of parents, volunteers, and the dairy producers who let them practice at their farms in preparation for the state contest. This year’s teams judged animals at the farms of Kruse’s Swiss, Ronnebaum Dairy, Tom and Sara Kruse, KCCK Genetics, Knapp Genetics, and Kunde Jersey Farm in addition to practicing at the fairgrounds during the DelCo Classic. The youth also competed at the Mississippi Valley Fair judging contest in late July.

photos courtesy of ISU Extension & Outreach of Delaware County