LEXINGTON, Ky. – More than 300 Junior Holstein members attended the 2023 National Holstein Convention held recently in Lexington. They went on tours, attended workshops, and took part in games and activities.

“Holstein Association USA Junior programs equip the youth of today to become future leaders and pursue excellence in and out of the show ring,” said Kelli Dunklee, event and program lead. “These activities help build their toolboxes to be knowledgeable individuals when they enter the workforce.”

Junior members could take part in the public speaking competition, where topics ranged from farm stress to dairy innovation, to dairy breed history and milk marketing. Twenty-seven kids entered the Folding Display competition, creating a free-standing display about a dairy industry topic. Other options were taking part in Dairy Jeopardy or the Dairy Bowl.

“The Dairy Bowl is a tradition that goes back 40-some years,” said long-time emcee Rod Stoll. “It’s a competition where states or associations can send up to four youths to compete in an event very similar to a scholastic bowl. It’s a competition of knowing some dairy trivia, some facts, that are usually very practical information that young people who are going to be dairy farmers or work in the dairy industry will find valuable.”

Stoll asked the participants questions about breeders, cows, nutrition, recommended practices on dairy farms, and more, including: “What are the six freedoms of a dairy cow as outlined by a dairy farming organization?” The answer was: organization, space, rest, water, air, feed and light. Another was: “What was the total number of dairy cows in the United States last year?” Answer: 9.4 million.

“It is a fun sport,” explained Josiah Freier, member of the junior team from New York who lives on a farm there with beef and dairy cows. “The Dairy Bowl has been a big part of my life. My older brothers did it,” he said.

The 2023 Senior Dairy Bowl Champions from New York were coach Jonathan Taylor, Gabriella Taylor, Annika Donlick, Elsie Donlick and George Andrew. The Junior Champions, from Illinois, were coach Becky Meier, Alaina Dinderman, Evan Beal, Drew Lueking, Kyle Ainger and coach Philip Shanks.

Youth activities are an important part of the annual conference, said Sarah Thomas, junior convention chairwoman. “That’s how you create passionate junior members which turn into adult senior members and that’s what changes the industry. The Holstein Association was established in 1885. It has recognized juniors in some capacity since 1922.”

Thomas started going to the National Holstein Convention in 2007 when she was 9, she said. She went every year until 2019, when she aged out. She was presented the Distinguished Junior Member, the highest honor that can be given to a Junior Holstein Member.

Holstein Association USA was established in 1885 and is the world’s largest dairy breed association. It maintains the records for all ancestry, identity, ownership, and performance information on more than 22 million registered Holstein cattle.