On Tuesday, September 28, 2021, Mr. Robinson took 31 students to the annual Wisconsin Dairy Expo. At the Expo, we watched some of the dairy cattle shows and explored the expo hall which is filled with vendors, food, and games. Local student, Ella James, showed her fall yearling cow, in milk. Placing- 1st place Junior, 1st place Overall, Best Udder.

Here are some of Ella’s thoughts:

How was your experience as an exhibitor at the World Dairy Expo? “My experience at the World Dairy Expo was one of the best times I’ve ever had at a cow show. You walk around and see people from Canada or California and you think to yourself that this is the best of the best and you’re showing against them.”

Was this show any different from previous shows that you have been to? “It’s really different, most of the shows I go to have mainly kids who are just starting out, and the number of cattle is a lot smaller. At Expo, the smallest number of cattle for a breed was around 230 head. That’s almost double the entire dairy show at the Iowa County Fair. The shavings are also a different color than normal, this year it was purple.”

How did you prepare for this show? “I’ve been working with my cow since she was a calf, so I didn’t have to break her to lead at all. But my family and I had to come up with a plan/schedule so that everything went smoothly. We also had to find a string my cow could tie with, and somebody to clip, fit her. Overall everything went pretty well.”

Is there anything that you would have liked to see at the expo that you didn’t? “I haven’t been to the Expo in a while, so I can’t think of anything I missed this year. “

Is there anything you would like to change? “I wouldn’t change a single thing. This has been one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life. I couldn’t have asked for things to be better. I put myself out there, worked hard, and hoped for the best and I couldn’t be happier.”

By Laci Lindsey and Izzy Dannenberg