The Darling of Moy-Ayr

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The 400-mile trip to the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville was a successful one for Emily Schmidt and her family, as their 5-year-old Ayrshire cow was named the reserve supreme champion of the junior show Nov. 7.

“It was amazing to experience the rush and the excitement when they announced her as the reserve supreme champion,” Schmidt said. “My grandpa started Moy-Ayr, and my mom grew up showing, so it’s something we do together as a family, and that makes it that much more special.”

With her parents, Steve and Pauline, and sister, Rebecca, Schmidt calls Moy-Ayr Farm near Delavan, Wisconsin, home. Here, the Schmidts have a herd of 25 registered Ayrshires.

Moy-Ayr Berkely Darling EX94-2E was judge Ryan Benter’s choice for the show’s senior and grand champion selection after she won her class Nov. 6. She also garnered the best bred and owned award, along with being named the show’s total performance winner, an award based on a combination of type and production criteria.

Schmidt said that Darling’s class during the show was somewhat nerve-wracking.

“I get nervous every time, but in her class, Darling was originally pulled second,” Schmidt said. “(Benter) sent her out to the final line in second, too. We were almost to the final lineup when he finally switched us, and I could take a deep breath.”

With just over 24 hours to prepare for the supreme championship selection, Schmidt said her nerves returned as she escorted Darling back into Freedom Hall Nov. 7.

“I was standing out there, in line, with my hands shaking, just waiting for them to announce the winners,” Schmidt said. “In reality it wasn’t that long, but standing out there, it felt like forever.”

Sired by Palmyra Bendig Berkely, Darling is out of Maple-Dell Burdette Daria-ET EX-90 and completes six generations of Excellent-scored cows.

“We bought Darling’s mom as a heifer in the national Ayrshire convention sale in 2016,” Schmidt said. “I was 9 when we bought her. I remember her attitude — Darling definitely inherited that.”

Darling is more than just a pretty face with a strong personality, Schmidt said. A fourth-calf 5-year-old, Darling has made more over 21,000 pounds of milk in both her 3-year-old and 4-year-old lactations.

Darling is no stranger to success in the show ring, either. She repeated her win of the 5-year-old class in the Southern National Ayrshire Show, being named the show’s reserve senior and honorable mention grand champion.

Earlier this year, Darling was named the supreme champion of the Wisconsin State Fair Junior Dairy Cattle show and was the honorable mention senior champion at World Dairy Expo’s International Junior Ayrshire show. In 2023, she was named the intermediate and eventual reserve grand champion of both the Southern National and Southern National Junior Shows, after winning the senior 3-year-old class.

“I have shown Darling since she was a winter calf,” Schmidt said. “I always loved showing calves when I was younger. That year we didn’t have any March calves, and I picked Darling out. That was during COVID, so we didn’t have many shows to go to, but we came down here and she was second in the winter calf class in the junior show.”

As of 2024, Darling has earned a Junior All-American nomination each year Schmidt has shown her — six in total, with two Junior All-American and four Reserve Junior All-American titles. She was also the 2023 Reserve All-American Senior Three-Year-Old in open competition.

The Schmidts’ have two daughters from Darling, including a 2-year-old sired by Blue-Spruce Ringer, that is Good Plus 83 and calved in July with a Grand-View Gentle Beast heifer calf. In June, Darling had her other daughter, sired by Blackaddar B B Kellogg. Emily is looking forward to working with her next year. Darling also has a son sired by Bear-Ayr Distinct Kingsire, owned by Jessica Gatton-Dixon of Missouri, who will have semen collected in the near future.

With her continued show ring successes, the Schmidts hope to successfully do in vitro fertilization in the near future with Darling, to make more daughters.

Darling is due back in July, and Schmidt has hopes she will continue her show ring successes competing as an aged cow.

“Next year will be my last year as a junior for state and county fair,” Schmidt said. “But I have three years left as a junior for the state and national Ayrshire shows.”

Having grown up alongside the calf she picked out to show five years ago, Schmidt said Darling has earned a special place in her heart.

“She’s just a great cow to work with,” Schmidt said. “I love her frame the best — that’s what catches my eye the most. Until this year, she’s settled on the first service; this year it took two. She shows well and she milks well, too. She’s just an all-around good cow.”

With most of her junior career behind her, Schmidt said she is excited to take part in her final three years of junior competition, working alongside her family.

“My family has always loved showing,” Schmidt said. “When I walked out of the show ring after supreme, my mom had tears in her eyes; it means so much to my whole family. My grandpa passed away last year, and it means a lot to all of us to continue the tradition he started.”