By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

MADISON, Wis. — Nearly 70,000 dairy producers and industry representatives from around the globe, including 2,884 international guests joined in Madison, Wis. last week for the world’s most famous cattle exhibition and trade show, the one and only, the World Dairy Expo.

The Expo featured five full days of world-class competition among North America’s top dairy breeders with more than 2,600 animals exhibited, including a considerable number of Canadian cattle. In fact, for the first time since 2003, the U.S.-Canadian border reopened and permitted the ultra-competitive Canadian cattle to compete among America’s best.

A total of seven national and international breed shows, the Kingsmill Farm II International Futurity and breed sales took place this year on the grounds at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
Walking away with the title of supreme champion was Canadian cow and grand champion of the largest Holstein show in history with a total of 819 animals was Thrulane James Rose, exhibited by Pierre Boulet, of Montmagny, Quebec. Named as reserve supreme champion of the Expo was the winner of the Brown Swiss show, Old Mill E Snickerdoodle OCS exhibited by Allen Bassler, Jr., Upperville, Va.

“As expected, the caliber of the animals that walked on the colored shavings was second to none, and this year’s champions hailed from coast-to-coast, both U.S. and Canadian,” said Lisa Behnke, marketing manager of the Expo.

“The trade show boasted more than 700 companies and our international crowd was both enthusiastic and large.”

Other breed champions included the Central National Ayrshire grand champion, Valevue BBK Minerva, exhibited by Wayne and Donna Lexvold and Stillmore Cattle Co., Pine Island, Minn.; Central National Guernsey grand champion Four Winds Destiny Child, exhibited by Clark and Joy Vilter, of Hartland, Wis.; Central National Jersey Show grand champion Alexvale Made Me Giggle, exhibited by Avonlea Genetics and Cybil Fisher, of Brighton, Ontario, Canada; International Milking Shorthorn Show grand champion Nix’s Lilly Pad, exhibited by Timothy Nix, of Plato, Minn.; Grand International Red and White Show grand champion Cherrie-Kreek Beulah-Red-ET, exhibited by Richard Green, Sr., of Middletown, Del.

The overall winner of the Kingsmill Farm II International Futurity was the Holstein Miss Macland Sept Juliet-ET, exhibited by Nathan and Adam Goldenberg/Milky Way Dairy, of McGregor, Texas.
But there was much more to do at the Expo than the cattle shows. Particularly with 724 companies from 23 countries featuring the world’s most innovative dairy products, technologies and services available to breeders of all sizes.

Additionally, the Expo featured a series of free educational seminars for attendees to take advantage of, including topics on agro-security, nutrition, composting, longevity, lameness and family farm transfer. Also, attendees were invited to attend the World’s Dairy Expo’s Dinner with the Stars on Oct. 1, including seven individuals recognized for their lifetime of service to the dairy industry.

The 2008 honorees included Marion Barlass, of Wisconsin named Dairy Woman of the Year, Charles Tom, Mark and George Crave, of Wisconsin named Dairymen of the Year; Dr. Michael Hutjens, of Illinois named Industry Person of the Year and Dr. Hubertus Diers, of Germany – International Person of the Year.