MADISON, Wis. — The dust was still settling on the colored shavings after the International Red & White Show at the 2025 World Dairy Expo, when Mark Comfort, co-founder of Udder Comfort International caught up with longtime friend Jamie Black for an interview. Jamie is show herd manager for Oakfield Corners Dairy in western New York.
It was Thursday afternoon, Oct. 2 — one day before the Holstein finale that would make history for Oakfield. Jamie had just shown Hurcroft Awe LillyAnn-Red EX97, second in the production cow class and the type and production award winner.
The next day, he would lead Lovhill Sidekick Kandy Cane EX96 to grand champion Holstein and reserve supreme. It was the first top-of-the-card finish at the big dance for her owners Jonathan and Alicia Lamb of Oakfield Corners.
They didn’t know Thursday that the quiet rhythm of teamwork, preparation, and care behind the scenes would bring sweet victory Friday in Kandy Cane, although Jonathan reflects later that he sensed it.
“Jamie liked being the dark horse,” he recalls. “We saw her coming on. She was bagging up nice, and she looked great.”
“I’m an udder guy”
Before talking cows, Mark Comfort points out proudly, “This gentleman (Jamie) judged the amazing Holstein show last year. He did a fabulous job. I’ve got to go back 40 years — I knew his dad. I knew this young man and his brother when they were with their dad at shows, and just so passionate about the cattle.”
Jamie smiles. “Mark gave me my first job.” That early start grew into mentorship and friendship.
Today, at Oakfield Corners, a 10,000-cow enterprise across multiple sites, Jamie manages their separately housed elite show herd of 25 milk cows that he and the Lamb family have great hopes for.
“If anybody’s ever watched me judge, they know I’m an udder guy,” Jamie says. “I like udder quality, udder texture. Great-uddered cows. You’ve got to have that foundation.”
Raised in Ontario, Canada showing cattle with his father and brother, Jamie later worked in AI and genetics, a career that began when Mark hired him years ago. That mentorship helped shape Jamie’s calm, detail-driven approach.
From the barn to the showring
“These cows get the same attention every day, whether they’re at home or on the road,” Jamie explains. “We keep their routine steady and their udders healthy. That’s what keeps them happy and performing.”
The team follows detailed feeding, exercise, and udder-care routines.
“We use Udder Comfort on all our fresh cows for the first few milkings,” Jamie notes. “It helps them settle in, softens the udders, keeps swelling down, and gets the texture where we want it.”
Glancing across their pack area, standing in front of the exhibit’s larger-than-life posters of Kandy Cane and LillyAnn in the step-up parlor at milking time, he adds: “I hate treating cows for mastitis, so the more we can do on the front end to be proactive, the better. And if it happens, we use Udder Comfort. It’s our go-to on anything with any swelling or issue. It helps them bounce right back.”
The calm before the class
That preventive mindset is part of what Alicia calls Jamie’s gift. “He’s steady,” she says. “No matter how busy or stressful show week gets, he stays calm. He doesn’t rattle. The cows sense it.”
Jamie prioritizes patience. He believes a cow cannot be rushed, and “she’ll tell you what she needs, if you pay attention.”
That quiet connection showed as he led LillyAnn into the ring. Already a three-time grand champion Red & White at the All-American in Harrisburg, she again stood out for maturity, balance, and udder quality — the kind of cow Jamie admires.
“She’s one of my favorites,” he says. “She just went EX97 this summer. I’ve got a soft spot for old cows, the cows that have done the work, lasted a long time, had a lot of calves, given a lot of milk.”
The next day: sweet victory
The last day of Expo brought new anticipation. Among the Holsteins, Kandy Cane was bagging up perfectly and walking with composure. While the talk was centered on a few others, at first, the crowd took notice when Jamie entered the ring on the halter of Kandy Cane in this deep 5-year-old class.
Livestream commentators picked up on it, calling her a “crowd-pleaser,” and they connected her Lovhill prefix back to Katrysha, the 2015 grand champion from the same maternal line.
Judge Aaron Eaton ended the suspense quickly and left no doubt: “This cow in first — she runs away with it. So much balance, dairyness, angularity, and the best udder in the class.” He praised her udder quality, her high, wide rear udder, and the snugness of attachments. As the production award winner in the 5-year-old class, she has 122,644 pounds of lifetime milk to-date with 2x records of 33,900M 3.9F 3.0P as a 5-year-old and 44,110M 3.5F 3.1P as a 4-year-old.
“We’re splitting hairs among incredible cows, but when that 5-year-old came in, it was game over for me,” said Eaton as he named Kandy Cane senior and then grand champion from the division winners among a record 468 International Holstein Show entries.
Her win caps a remarkable run. She was supreme champion at the 2024 All-American in Harrisburg and grand champion at the 2025 Northeast Spring National in Syracuse.
She traces to Expo royalty: Her second dam is a maternal sister to Lovhill Goldwyn Katrysha EX96, World Dairy Expo reserve grand in 2014 and grand and supreme in 2015 for her owners at Milksource.
“Mike Lovich has been Kandy Cane’s biggest supporter,” notes Jonathan. “This win from that same family line meant a lot.” By available records, Lovhill becomes the first prefix to produce two separate World Dairy Expo Holstein grand champions.
Kandy Cane calved January 18 and is bred back to Blakely, a Game Day son noted for high conception and type. Due again March 2026, she’s been flushed several times with Epiphany and Lambda embryos due this winter and spring.
Teamwork and detail
Behind every polished showring performance is steady daily work. “Jamie is among the best at what he does,” Jonathan observes. “The fitters and everyone behind the scenes are dedicated and invested.”
Alicia explains that they work the show cows year-round, and “before a show we bag them once or twice to learn how many hours they need in the udder to look their best.”
Jamie credits the crew — the feeders, milkers caretakers — whose consistency keeps cows thriving. The Lambs, he adds, emphasize that mindset across their show and commercial herds: keeping cows comfortable, sound, and productive for the long term.
For him, Udder Comfort is more than a show prep step. “Good udders make good cows,” he says, believing great udders and longevity go hand-in-hand as comfortable cows eat better, milk better, and stay longer.
The 2025 Expo marked Oakfield’s largest and most successful string in Madison yet. They brought six Holstein cows and a heifer, five Red & White cows and a heifer, plus a Jersey cow and heifer. Every animal earned a medal.
The Lamb children added to the excitement: Kyra, 11, showed the grand champion of the International Junior Jersey Show, while Griffin, 9, placed 7th of 40 (5th junior) with his winter Jersey calf.
Their cousins also did well as Chloe and Claire Lamb exhibited Oakfield Tatoo Tender EX95, named reserve senior, reserve grand champion of the International Junior Holstein Show, and the type and production award as well.
These moments mean so much because this is the next generation, already developing a love for cows and for the industry, and wanting to do it right.
People and purpose
Asked what he enjoys most, Jamie doesn’t hesitate. “It’s the people. We’ve got a great crew, and the Lambs are great to work for. They make you feel like part of the family. Everybody’s pulling the same direction — we just want to keep getting better.”
Wrapping up the Expo interview, Mark Comfort observes the qualities he always saw in his friend over the years: “Jamie is one you can trust with your best cows. He’s patient, precise, and puts the cow first every time.”
That’s a mindset Jamie credits to the early years with his Dad and to working for Mark. “Seeing things done the right way. That has stuck with me,” he says.
Reflections on the week
As Expo week wound down, Jamie reflects on what makes it special: “It’s a long week, but it’s where you see the best cattle and the best cattle people in the world.”
For Mark, it’s equally inspiring to watch dedicated stockmen like Jamie use every tool — including Udder Comfort — to keep elite cows reaching their potential and performing naturally and comfortably at their peak.
From camaraderie in the barns to friendly rivalry in the ring, it’s the shared respect for great cows and the pursuit of excellence among those who devote their lives to caring for them.
For the crew at Oakfield Corners Dairy, comfort and quality go hand-in-hand — from the fresh cow at home to the grand champion on the colored shavings.
— By Sherry Bunting
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Profiles in comfort and quality 