MADISON, Wis. — Through the course of 12 placing classes and six sets of reasons in a college-level judging contest, it might seem unlikely for any top score to end up in a tie.
But for Naomi Scott of Westgate, Iowa, it happened not once, but twice this fall. She tied for high individual at the National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest Sept. 29 at World Dairy Expo in Madison.
She also tied for the winning spot at the contest held with the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, earlier this fall.
Both times, the Iowa State University senior ended up second based on the tiebreaker — the reasons score.
This has not dampened Scott’s enthusiasm for dairy judging, in which she’s been competing for at least 10 years.
“I love judging,” she said. “I think it’s so much fun to evaluate cows and see good dairy cattle. At the end of the day, I’m still very happy.”
Scott’s Iowa State University team placed third out of 17 teams in the Expo contest, behind the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively. Her teammates, Louis Hamlett of Aurora, Iowa, Raegan Kime of Waukon, Iowa, and Irene Nielsen of Potterville, Michigan, were first in Red & White judging and second in Ayrshires.
Scott had the best placing score of 64 individuals by five points. But, her reasons score fell five points behind Kylie Konyn of the UW-Madison team, which made for the tie. Konyn’s reasons score broke the tie.
In Harrisburg, Scott tied with a Pennsylvania State University student. The ISU team was third at that contest as well.
“I know it’s something I’ve never been quite as good at as everyone else,” Scott said. “But I definitely think I have improved. I’m just not quite there yet.”
Scott had a streak of six perfect scores in the placings category, earning the maximum 50 points possible in a judging class. She had two 48s, two 47s and a 45 in reasons.
“My goal was to never get below a 45, and I gave a 43 (on Milking Shorthorns),” she said. “When you’re doing six sets, it’s tough.”
Scott said she previously dreaded reasons, but with coaching at her former college, Kaskaskia College, and at Iowa State, things have changed.
“I’ve gotten over that,” Scott said. “I love sorting through classes. I’m seeing cows well and it feels really good.”
Scott has had experience to help hone her skills. Through her 4-H and junior college judging, then Iowa State University, she has participated in contests in Fort Worth, Texas, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Louisville, Kentucky. This was her third time judging at Expo, once each for 4-H, junior college and now ISU.
Each year, Iowa 4-H sends the team placing first at the state contest to the Expo contest, and Scott was on that team in 2021.
This year, Iowa was represented by Winneshiek County, with team members Anders and Mara Lovstuen, Kelsey Timp and Hanna Vagts. They were coached by Blake Courtney. The team won the Jersey breed and was sixth of 20 teams overall.
4-H member Anders Lovstuen placed 12th overall and was third in Jersey judging, while Kelsey Timp won the Ayrshire breed.
Scott has one judging contest left before she earns her degree in dairy science with a minor in agriculture entrepreneurship. The Iowa State University team will compete at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville in November.
Scott said she has high hopes for a successful finish. With any luck, it will not end in a tie.
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