Two supremes (2021 and 2022) danced it out in the Holstein aged cow class, where Shakira received the nod to go on and claim the 2023 World Dairy Expo supreme title.
MADISON, Wis. – Footloose or Shakira? Those were the names on minds and lips Friday, October 6th during an historic International Holstein Show at the 56th World Dairy Expo in Madison Wisconsin.
“If you think the birds-eye view of this pair of cows is incredible, you should see it from here,” said official Holstein show judge Lynn Harbaugh of Marion, Wisconsin before giving reasons for his placings that gave top nod to Erbacres Snapple Shakira EX-97-2E in the Holstein aged cow class, going on to be senior, grand and two-time 2023 supreme champion.
It was a matchup that had the attention of Holstein enthusiasts worldwide. It’s not often, if ever, that you see two back-to-back supreme world champions square off at the individual breed class level like this.
During a stacked Holstein show with 459 total entries, it was the six years and older class where the Canadian-owned 8-year-old 2021 World Dairy Expo supreme champion Erbacres Snapple Shakira, and the U.S.-owned 7-year-old 2022 World Dairy Expo supreme champion Oakfield Solom Footloose, were first evaluated in a class of 11 beautiful aged cows from other top breeders and exhibitors.
Grand champion Holstein Shakira…
Shakira is owned by Ferme Jacobs of Cap Sante, Quebec along with Ty-D Holsteins, Ferme Antelimark, Killian Theraulaz, and Attaboy Holsteins. She was bred by the Erbsens of Erbacres Farm, Lanark, Illinois and her story is international. She goes back to her granddam, the famous Apple. Yan Jacobs first saw her just after her first calving in 2017. He and his sister Ysabel and her husband Tyler Doiron (her leadsman) purchased Shakira as a fresh 2-year-old, and she went on to be first-place junior 2-year-old at the 2017 Royal. From there, her story of achievements continues to be written.
The Jacobs family has been showing at the World Dairy Expo for 15 years. This year, they earned their 10th premier breeder banner, having bred animals that did well for them and for other owners with multiple top placings in milking classes. In their 15 years at Expo, Ferme Jacobs have exhibited numerous champions, three grand champions, two reserve supreme, and Shakira, two-time supreme. They have also been awarded two premier exhibitor banners, and in 2021, Ysabel was recognized with the A.C. Whitie Thomson Memorial Award.
Udder Comfort is part of their preparations at shows and fresh cow routines at home. “We believe in this product, and are using it 15 years for our show cows and our fresh cows to bring the quality and texture to the udder,” says Ysabel. She explains that they apply Udder Comfort daily at shows and to all fresh udders after each milking for three days after calving.
Reserve grand champion Footloose…
Footloose is owned by Duckett Holsteins and Tim Abbott (Showbox Sires) of Rudolph, Wisconsin, along with Vierra Dairy. She was bred by Jonathan and Alicia Lamb of Oakfield Corners Dairy, Oakfield, New York.
Her story is equally riveting with a special heritage for Mike and Julie Duckett. Footloose goes back to her granddam, the two-time (2009-10) World Dairy Expo supreme champion and three-time All American Harvue Roy Frosty EX-97-3E-GMD, owned by Duckett and bred by the Hardesty family of Berryville, Virginia.
From supreme champion Frosty in 2009 and 2010 to supreme champion Footloose in 2022, Udder Comfort has been there too in the Duckett showbox and in the care of cattle at home.
“We do use a lot of it. Udder Comfort is great for increasing circulation on our fresh cows and keeping the udder quality on cows while showing,” says Mike Duckett. “The every day routine care they get is so important, and we are fortunate to have some very talented people working for us.”
Judge’s comments…
Shakira and Footloose have huge fan followings worldwide, and when the dust settled on that big dance in the six-and-older Holstein class, judge Harbaugh revealed his respect for both cows.
“The first cow just exudes style, balance, smoothness, and blending of parts. She’s so long in her frame, so straight in her lines, snug in her udder, and travels out on a beautiful set of feet and legs. And it is that correctness in the way she steps down on a shorter toe, a deeper heel, and a stronger pastern — along with her fullness up through her crop region today — that takes her over the beautiful, beautiful dairy cow coming along in second,” said Harbaugh.
“This second cow you could split a raindrop. She’s so angular, so open. You really have to admire the spring, the sweep, the openness to her rib structure, and she has a beautiful, beautiful mammary system in her own right,” he continued, complimenting the dairyness of the second cow and noting: “Today, the first cow is just a little leveler through the floor of her udder.”
With that contest secured, Shakira went on to be senior and grand champion of the International Holstein Show. Footloose stood reserve senior and reserve grand.
Earning honorable mention grand champion of the Holstein show was Glenirvine Unix Sally. An emotional Jim Ostrum of Kaukauna, Wisconsin took the Harbaugh handshake on his senior 3-year-old intermediate champion, owned by Milk Source, Laurie Fisher, Letter and Sabo of Kaukauna, Wisconsin.
Jim Butler of Chebanse, Illinois was premier exhibitor, and showed the reserve intermediate champion summer junior 2-year-old Rosemary Unix Goldie.
Earning champion bred-and-owned Holstein was Maple-Leigh Futures and Chad and Amy Ryan of Delavan, Wisconsin with their second place 4-year-old Ryan-Vu Unix Shasti.
And then there was June…
Earning a big round of applause was the 17-year-old Loyalyn Goldwyn June EX-97-7E-5* — with her owner and longtime Udder Comfort customer Pierre Boulet of Montmagny, Quebec at the halter. June’s graceful longevity held the hearts of the crowd — in person and online. She placed third of eight in the lifetime production class and won the Holstein Marketplace type and production award with the combination of style and accomplishment in the showring, nine calvings to her credit, and over 400,000 pounds of lifetime milk with a 4.3 to 4.8 test.
Best three redemption…
In best-three-females competition, the Oakfield Corners trio with Footloose, beat out the Ferme Jacobs trio with Shakira.
In addition to EX-96 Footloose, Oakfield’s winning trio included her maternal sister Oakfield Beemer Frisbee EX-93 that was an Eastern National champion, owned by Nolan Kummer of Evans City, Pennsylvania; and their bred-and-owned Oakfield Solomon Sunset EX-95. She was two-time grand champion (2022, 2023) at the All-American Dairy Show and stood fifth in the Expo 4-year-old class this year.
Junior champion honors went to Kingsway Farms and Velthuis Farms of Hastings, Ontario, Canada for their bred-and-owned spring yearling Kingsway Caught A Vibe. Reserve junior champion K-Hurst Alleyoop Primed was the top fall heifer calf shown by Doeberiener, Bowen, Carter and Reed of West Salem, Ohio.
Premier sire of the show was Croteau Lesperron Unix-ET, and premier sire of the heifer show was Farnear Delta-Lambda-ET
Supreme parade…
In the parade of breed grand champions, Shakira reigned supreme with the grand champion Jersey standing reserve supreme, Stoney Point Joel Baley, shown by Vierra Dairy, Hilmar, California.
Among the heifers of the open show, the Red and White was supreme. Sco-Lo Dc Rogue2470-Red-ET is owned by Fly Higher, Elmlo, Andy and Whitney Reynolds, and Mackenzie Reynolds of Corfu, New York. Reserve supreme heifer honors went to the Holstein, Kingsway Caught a Vibe, owned by Kingsway Farms and Velthuis Farms of Hastings, Ontario.
In the junior shows, the Ayrshire grand and junior champions claimed both supreme cow and heifer titles: Toppglen Wishful Thinking-ET, the 3-year-old bred-and-owned by Tanner, Brennan, Marissa, and Logan Topp of West Salem, Ohio and Grand-View Champ Dyna, the fall calf owned by Jacob, Logan, and Madison Harbaugh of Marion, Wisconsin.
Standing reserve supreme in the junior shows were the grand and junior champion Jerseys: Rolling Spring Premier Lucille, the lifetime cheese production cow owned by Evan Jauquet of Pulaski, Wisconsin and Miss Gayles Grace-ET, the winter yearling owned by Kendall Thomas of North Lewisburg, Ohio, which was also first-in-class of the open show and best bred-and-owned.
— Story by Sherry Bunting, photos by Randy Blodgett
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