Great cows, great people are always the bright spot

BIGLERVILLE, Pa. — The sun shone bright for this bright spot on the calendars of eastern cattle enthusiasts Saturday, July 11 as the Maryland Brown Swiss Association Invitational Show brought ‘socially-distanced’ excitement to South Mountain Fairgrounds, near Biglerville, Pennsylvania.

The event was well attended by cow enthusiasts who were just so glad to be together — appreciating good cattle.

We love a good cow show and enjoy talking with customers, seeing their cattle, and always learning something new. Saturday, it felt good to walk through show strings with product samples and realize as caretakers and exhibitors looked up or turned from getting a cow ready — there was already plenty of Udder Comfort in and ON hand!

What we heard often Saturday, July 11 is familiar: “You can never have enough Udder Comfort! It’s the best… The one that works… love it!”

The Comfort Team is grateful to be part of the passion for quality and honored to sponsor the grand champion of the junior show during the Maryland Brown Swiss Invitational, which attracted more entries this year than in previous years.

Mike Creek of Palmyra Farm, Hagerstown, Maryland judged 136 Brown Swiss representing 11 states as exhibitors came from Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts.

“The show had amazing quality, and I was privileged to be a part of it,” said Creek. “I am proud of the people who organized and managed this show because it certainly meant a lot to all of the exhibitors.”

He echoed words on the tongues of many about how important these opportunities are for breeders who may only get to see each other a few times a year.

Everyone loves to see what everyone else has been breeding and developing, and to test their genetics, showmanship, preparation and skills against the field and to match their judging skills looking them over.

Cow shows are a passion for many, to be sure.

With some of the biggest national shows canceled this year due to the pandemic, regional shows like this attract fewer public crowds and give something to look forward to — especially for the junior exhibitors to have the chance to show their animals that they have been working with — in particular the final-year juniors.

With some words of encouragement about finding the bright spots in the world through the great cattle and great people in this industry, Judge Creek named a pair of 4-year-olds to top the Maryland Brown Swiss Invitational.

Lindsey Rucks of RAD-ical Genetics and Milking R Dairy, Okeechobee, Florida, had the grand champion, Latimore Braiden Twinkle. Rucks also captured the premier exhibitor banner of the show.

Creek praised Twinkle’s style and mammary system, with praise as well for reserve grand champion Peach Kist Brinkley-ET, also best bred-and-owned, exhibited by Jenna Lenhart of Thurmont, Maryland. Both Lenhart and Rucks expressed their gratitude to Dale and Deanna Bendig of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for their help.

In the Junior Show, grand champion honors went to Gianna Novak of Outlaw Farms, Stockton, Virginia. Her very first homebred Brown Swiss, 5-year-old G-Outla Vigor Kit Kat, was first place aged cow before being named grand champion of the Junior Invitational Brown Swiss Show. Gianna is studying dairy science at Virginia Tech.

Earning reserve grand champion and intermediate champion of the Junior Show was junior 3-year-old Cutting Edge S Dagmar, exhibited by Dakota Fraley of Muncy, Pennsylvania.

Garnering premier breeder of the show were first-timers Andrew and Abbie Evans of A Joy Farm, Athens, Pennsylvania. The highlight of their 11 entries was home-bred 3-year-old A Joy C Nissan. She was named intermediate champion and honorable mention grand.

Brown Swiss dairying has been Abbie’s dream for quite some time. Her husband Andrew hails from the Evans family of Sunny Acres Farm, Madison, N.Y., known for their top Ayrshires. The Comfort Team will always appreciate Dr. Doug Evans as one of the first to use Udder Comfort with his veterinary practice and his own cows. He helped us realize the bigtime benefits are in proactive use, applying it fresh and pre-fresh to bring heifers in soft, comfortable and ready to produce volumes of high quality milk.

There’s nothing like a cow show for catching up with old friends and making new ones all around the enjoyment of great cows. We wish everyone the best who are planning, organizing, preparing for and exhibiting in the shows that can go on!

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