Beyond ribbons

MANCHESTER, Iowa — After a year of planning and two days of competition, Katie Wolf used to walk the grounds after the Youth Dairy Classic and find ribbons awarded to exhibitors left on the floor — prizes often forgotten in the hustle of packing the show box and making the trek back home. 

In those moments, Katie knew she wanted to help create a show that would stand out. What she has continued to curate has become a reason for families to travel across states and plan their yearly vacations on the Delaware County Fairgrounds.

Since taking over the Youth Dairy Classic in 2008, the show has grown from 32 entries from 15 exhibitors to 404 entries from more than 150 exhibitors this year. This was the ninth year the event was held in Manchester after moving from West Union when it outgrew the facilities. 

The Youth Dairy Classic was an event that helped shape Katie’s showing days, and when organizers Brian and Lisa Hanson were ready to retire, Katie did not want that to be the end. 

“If no one took over, they weren’t going to have a contest,” Katie said. “That’s what encouraged me to take over. I thought I was only going to do it one year, and now I just finished year 18.”

Along with Laura Demmer, Alison Kruse, Josh Thibideau and her husband’s cousin Ryan Wolf, the team puts on a show that provides a great experience and useful prizes for winners who will continue working in the show ring.

“When I saw all those ribbons on the floor, I thought I could take the $500 I spent on ribbons and put it towards something the kids could actually use,” Katie said. “We started doing prizes, and after I started working for Trans Ova Genetics, I pitched the idea of donating an in vitro fertilization package. Since then, they’ve been a big supporter of the show, increasing their donation to multiple IVF packages.”

Katie has worked with Trans Ova Genetics for over 13 years since graduating from college.

“One of my favorite parts is getting to interact with my clients on a personal level, and seeing their kids’ accomplishments,” Katie said. “It’s really rewarding to see them come through the ring and watch all the hard work they’ve put into getting there.”

The Youth Dairy Classic offers prizes for fitting and showmanship shows, awarding semen tanks, clippers, clipping chutes, halters and other items along with the IVF sessions. 

“We wanted more applicable prizes that could be used throughout their career as showmen, as dairy exhibitors,” Demmer said. “This might be something they appreciate a lot more than a trophy, a ribbon or a plaque. Those things are exciting, but they’re not usable.”

Prizes awarded to class winners this year included IVF packages from Trans Ova Genetics, exhibitor shirts from 1800Tshirts and GenoSource and gift cards to Kwik Star  sponsored by Shemak Hoof Trimming. 

A new prize this year was an embryo package from Red Carpet Holsteins, featuring Holstein, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss and Guernsey embryos awarded to the top intermediate fitting contest winner. 

“We call that the starter package,” Katie said. “If kids have an interest in a colored breed, but might not know how to get involved, if they win these embryos, our hope is that they’ll implant them, get baby calves and start a herd of their own with them.”

Fitting and showmanship classes are awarded prizes from first place to 10th, with a variety of showing equipment awarded.

Ryan, the volunteer registration coordinator, discussed the importance of adding worthwhile products and prizes to the fitting and showmanship shows and how that can help instill confidence and passion in their exhibitors.

“I think our exhibitors understand that they need to be well-rounded,” Ryan said. “It’s not just having the best animal, but it’s about making that animal look as good as possible. It’s about showing the animal the best that you can and teaching the exhibitor to think beyond the scope of what does this animal look like.”

Since implementing the strategy with more useful prizes, the Youth Dairy Classic has seen entries in fitting grow from three to 60 in 2026.

Demmer reiterated what they hope to accomplish with the prizes for fitting and showmanship.

“The one thing that I think a junior can control is how often they work with their animals and how often they hone their skills,” Demmer said. “In fitting and showmanship, we judge the junior instead of the animal. Giving those larger prizes, we think encourages these youth to continue showing and staking their experiences in the dairy industry.”

Increasing the number of exhibitors in the show was one of Katie’s priorities as she continues to help with the event year after year. Upgrading the prizes was one avenue, and another was partnering with the Junior Holstein Association, making the Youth Dairy Classic a national junior show for Holstein, Guernseys and Red and White Holstein breeds. 

“The communication we get from the Junior Holstein Association has been great,” Katie said. “Jacob Schaefer, a representative from the association, has been coming to the show to make sure we’re following the rules and the kids really enjoy interacting with him.”

By partnering with the Junior Holstein Association and increasing the number of exhibitors, Ryan wants the Junior Dairy Classic to continue to be a show that can help lay the foundation for youth who want to be a part of the dairy industry and teach them lifelong skills. 

“Showing helps these kids develop a passion not only for the show, but for the production and hard work that creates a flowing industry,” Ryan said. “The industry itself can face some challenges, but if they have something in their past and their history that helps them overcome adversity, that’s going to set them up for the future.”