Live from World Dairy Expo, this is The Bullvine,
your daily dose of dairy news. Hey there, it's
Andrew from The Bullvine, and wow, do I have
a story for you today. You know those moments
that make you stop and think, did that really
just happen? Well, day three at World Dairy Expo
was packed with them. I'm talking judges getting
literal goosebumps, dinner deals that turned
into championships, and a breed explosion that
nobody saw coming. So pour yourself a coffee,
maybe grab a notepad, because what I'm about
to share isn't just a show recap. It's a masterclass
in split -second decision -making that's rewriting
how we think about breeding excellence. Let me
start with this question. What if I told you
the best breeding decisions at World Dairy Expo
took 10 seconds, not 10 spreadsheets? Stay with
me here. Picture this scene. Judge Greg Evans,
a third -generation Ayrshire breeder himself,
is evaluating the senior three -year -old class.
Two cows enter the ring. Koppenbarger Kingsire
Trinity and Bricker Farms King Cinderella. As
these two phenomenal animals circle, something
extraordinary happens. Evans' associate judge,
Jean -Philippe Charest, everyone calls him JP,
leans over and whispers something that captures
the entire day. I have goosebumps. Think about
that. These are seasoned professionals who've
judged thousands of animals, and they're getting
physical reactions from what they're seeing.
When excellence reaches that level, when two
cows are so perfectly matched that choosing between
them creates actual goosebumps, that's not just
competition. That's decades of breeding decisions
converging in one perfect moment. And here's
what makes this even more incredible. Greg Evans
looks at his breed and declares, and I quote,
the whole breed has just taken off like a rocket
ship. Now let me tell you about Peter Vale and
a dinner that became legendary. Last year at
Expo, Peter's sitting at dinner with the Bujon
Farms team. Mid -conversation, and I mean literally
between bites, Peter excuses himself from the
table. No explanation, just gets up and walks
out. He heads straight to the tent and writes
a check for a cow named B. Will Kingsire Willow.
Then he comes back and finishes his dinner, like
nothing happened. Fast forward one year. That
spontaneous purchase? She just won Grand Champion
Ayrshire. Kelly, Willow's barn manager, describes
this four -year -old as having an incredibly
resilient constitution. The kind of cow that
performs without drama and wins without question.
Rock -solid temperament meets elite genetics.
But here's the lesson, and write this down if
you're taking notes. Championship genetics don't
negotiate. When Peter saw quality, he didn't
form a committee. He didn't run spreadsheets.
He trusted his gut and wrote the check. Speaking
of spontaneous decisions, let me share the Trinity
story because this one's wild. Terry Packard
and Ernie Kuffner were Jersey people. Their entire
identity was Jersey cattle. Then Ernie gets bored.
That's right, bored. So what does he do? Buys
an air -sure sight unseen in Oklahoma. Now Terry
knows her husband pretty well. But she realizes
he's serious about this cow when something unusual
happens. Ernie starts mentioning Trinity by name
at home. For a guy who typically doesn't reference
individual animals in their herd, that was the
tell. Here's the kicker. That boredom purchase
literally doubled their Ayrshire herd. From one
to two. And Trinity? She just claimed both intermediate
champion and reserve grand champion. Their success
has been so significant they had to completely
rebrand from their jersey -focused identity.
Last year, their first Ayrshire calf won All
-American Winter Calf. This year, championship
banners. Sometimes the best decisions come from
instinct, not spreadsheets. Efting to the jersey
barn where 371 entries competed and history was
made. Stony Point, Joel Bailey, remember that
name, claimed her third Grand Champion jersey
title. at World Dairy Expo. Third, let that sink
in. Nathan Thomas, her handler, put it perfectly.
Bailey might be the greatest to ever compete
at Expo. But here's what I love about this story.
Thomas acknowledges it takes an entire network,
family maintaining the home operation, barn crew
managing every detail, everyone working together.
With this third victory, Bailey hasn't just won
another banner. She's moved into legendary status,
mythical territory. The kind of achievement that
gets talked about for generations. The unknown
that shocked everyone. But here's where it gets
really interesting. While Bailey was making history,
an unknown was shocking everyone, including the
judge. Conde Chocolatier Hot Coco wins Intermediate
Champion, and Judge Kelly Barbie's first reaction?
Who in the heck is that? He'd never seen her
before. Nobody had. The discovery story is pure
expo magic. A friend visiting another herd last
year spots this cow and makes a frantic call
to Dave Koss and Reuter Dairy Inc. The message
was simple. You need to buy this cow. Now, they
listened. Adding international flavor to the
win, Hot Cocoa was presented by Callum, an Australian
Leedsman, making his World Dairy Expo debut.
Dave Koss described the emotion of that moment
as something he'll be chasing for the rest of
his life. That's the dream every exhibitor carries
into Madison. that on any given day, an unknown
animal can rise up and shock the industry. And
speaking of shocking the industry, let's talk
about what happened in the Jersey Heifer Show.
Youth exhibitors won four consecutive classes,
four in a row, against open competition with
seasoned professionals. Judge Barbie was crystal
clear about this. These kids weren't just participating.
They were exhibiting at a professional level.
They're in the barns at midnight. They're using
genomic testing for breeding decisions. And they're
outworking veterans who've been doing this for
decades. In the junior jersey show alone, 167
entries competed. This isn't the future of dairy
anymore. The future is now, and it's wearing
junior exhibitor numbers. Which brings me to
Tyler Woodman and a story about building tomorrow's
champions today. Tyler just won the Richard Caverly
Memorial Dairy Award. He's 28, herd manager at
Maple Line Farm, with nearly 20 All -American
and Junior All -American nominations across airshires
and jerseys. But here's what matters. Tyler organized
workshops on fitting, showmanship, and judging
the night before the Stars and Stripes sale.
Youth consistently praise his willingness to
share knowledge. One quote stood out. Tyler always
has time to discuss pedigrees and mating choices.
The award includes a traveling trophy, a wooden
carving of a cow that was a five -time grand
champion at Toronto's Royal Winter Fair. Tyler
received it right there on the colored shavings
during the Jersey four -year -old class. That's
how you build an industry. One mentorship at
a time. Quick note on the Guernsey Barn. Wisconsin
absolutely dominated. 247 Open entries, 102 Junior
entries, and the home state swept the major honors.
Cadence Farms' Lovely from New Glarus won Grand
and Senior Champion. Donnybrook Ammo Stevie,
exhibited by Brittany Taylor and Layla Schuller,
also from New Glarus, claimed Intermediate Champion
in the Open show and Grand Champion in the Junior
show. When your state sweeps a breed like that,
you're doing something right. All right. Let
me break down what all this means for your operation.
Because that's why we're here, right? Not just
to hear stories, but to get better. Number one,
the 10 -second decision rule. Championship genetics
don't negotiate. Peter Vale left dinner to write
that check. Dave Koss trusted a friend's urgent
phone call. Ernie Kufner bought Trinity out of
boredom. All three quick decisions led to championships.
Your action? When elite genetics appear, move
immediately. or watch someone else win with them.
Number two, the Ayrshire investment window is
now. With Holstein money flooding in and judges
getting physical goosebumps from the quality,
Ayrshires have shifted from sleeper breed to
rocket ship. Your move? Start shopping Ayrshire
genetics before the window closes. Early adopters
are already doubling their herds, literally going
from one cow to two and winning championships.
Number three, youth plus genomics equals new
power structure. Four straight Jersey class wins
by juniors proves experience is losing to data
-driven decisions and midnight barn work. Your
strategy? Hire young talent, embrace genomic
testing, and stop assuming tenure equals expertise.
Number four, trust physical reactions over spreadsheets.
When seasoned judges get goosebumps watching
two Ayrshires compete, that's decades of breeding
excellence converging. Your lesson? Excellence
announces itself. If you feel it in your gut
when you see a cow, trust that instinct over
any evaluation sheet. The bottom line. Day three
at World Dairy Expo delivered everything that
makes Madison legendary. Ayrshire's proved a
breed can explode when the right people invest.
Bailey etched her name deeper into history. Hot
Coco showed that unknowns can shock even the
judges giving them banners. Youth exhibitors
demonstrated they're not waiting for permission.
They're taking the industry now. The rocket ship
isn't just getting started folks it's already
breaking orbit the question is are you on board
or are you watching from the ground remember
overthinking is the enemy of excellence the best
moves happen when instinct meets opportunity
not after committee meetings so here's my challenge
to you next time you're at a sale at a show looking
at genetics when something hits you in the gut
as special don't overthink it don't committee
it to death Remember Peter Vail walking out of
that dinner. Remember the judges getting goosebumps.
Remember that championship genetics don't negotiate.
Trust your instinct. Make the move. Write the
check. Because while you're analyzing, someone
else is already walking to the winner's circle.
I'm Andrew from The Bullvine, and that's your
Day 3 recap from World Dairy Expo. Until next
time, keep pushing boundaries, keep making bold
moves, and remember... In this industry, hesitation
costs more than overpaying everyone.