Judging for the win

MADISON, Wis. — For the first time in history, the University of Minnesota can claim a record three consecutive wins in the National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo in Madison.

The team of Keenan Thygesen, Alexis Hoefs and Brady Gille collected 2,505 points across 12 classes and six sets of reasons Sept. 28, besting 16 teams by a margin of 85 points. They won both the reasons and placings categories of the contest, as well as three breeds.

Meanwhile, the Wabasha County team representing Minnesota won the National 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest that took place concurrently. Team members Blake Siewert, Nolan Kruger, and sisters, Emily and Ashley Mellgren, bested the Wisconsin 4-H team by five points.

Campbell Booth led the Wisconsin team, winning overall individual honors. Her teammates from Sheboygan County were Alison Gartman — who was seventh in the standings — Natalie Mauk and Austin Kreisa.

Gopher judge Keenan Thygesen won both the reasons and placings categories in the contest, posting a 40-point margin over his nearest competitor, the second-place overall individual, Payton Van Schyndle of Cuba City. Van Schyndle judged for the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

“I’m just blessed to see the cows today the way that the judges saw them,” Thygesen said. “Like (our coach) always says, it requires skill, but also a little bit of luck. Luckily, the cards fell in my favor, and I will be forever grateful.”

Thygesen is from Tunbridge, Vermont, while Gille calls Pulaski home. In Vermont, one of Thygesen’s judging mentors is a former Minnesotan and Gopher judging team member, Elizabeth Olson Hall, who lives on a Vermont dairy. Hoefs, from New Prague, was the only Minnesotan on the team.

Les Hansen, who coaches the University of Minnesota team along with Dr. Isaac Haagen, and Eric and Gabriella Houdek, said the team judged at 32 farms in preparation for the competition.

Gille, who placed sixth overall, described himself as speechless upon learning of the team’s success. He said judging with only three team members can be a disadvantage.

“It can be tough just knowing that there are only three people; there’s no dropped score,” he said. “But we all work together, and we work really hard.”

Hoefs said the win and her individual placing of fifth overall were a surprise. She had advice for students considering dairy judging in college.

“Check out the University of Minnesota,” she said. “The dairy judging program is exceptional, and (judging) is such a great skill to have going forward in your future career. … The people you meet, the farms you get to see, the cows you get to see, and obviously the kids you get to judge alongside are just truly one of a kind.”

The individual placings for Thygesen, Hoefs and Gille earned them the All-American label granted to the contest’s Top 15 overall winners.

The All-American list also included Sara Kronberg, of Milton,
judging for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Kronberg was the contest’s second-place winner in reasons and fourth overall individual. Her teammate, Jenna Gries, of Manitowoc,  made the All-American list at 15th in the overall standings.

As the 4-H contest results were announced in Madison, Emily Mellgren said her team was uncertain of the outcome. They had won Holsteins and Jerseys and placed well through much of the contest’s individual parts.

“We were really thinking that we were going to get second, and then we were all pretty shocked when we got first,” she said.

Mellgren was fourth individual overall, followed by fellow team member Siewert in fifth.

Mellgren’s sister, Ashley, said she enjoyed the day even before their success was evident.

“At first, I was a little bit nervous,” she said. “But, as the day got going, I felt pretty confident. I just kept rolling with it, and it was very fun.”

Their coach, Kayla Sexton, credited consistency for the team’s win.

Wisconsin 4-H member Booth said she found her top individual win “just amazing.”

“I’m so proud of my teammates, and I’m so proud of the team effort we put into each practice to get to this point,” Booth said. “We had three great coaches that, as always, were encouraging us and helping us along the way, and pushing us to be our best, which led us to this great success today.”

The coaches for the Wisconsin 4-H team were Sara Feldmann, Kelly Jens and Booth’s father, Chris.

Booth said her interest in dairy judging has been about following in her siblings’ footsteps.

“I’ve always admired all the steps they’ve taken to get to high levels, but I definitely think I passed them by doing this,” she said.

Both Minnesota and Wisconsin’s 4-H teams have earned the right to judge internationally in Scotland next year.