ISU Dairy Judging Team Triumphs in Texas Competition

Jan 30, 2025

Congratulations to the Iowa State University Dairy Judging Team that competed in January 2025 at the Southwest Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held at the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show in Fort Worth, TX. Team members consisted of Louis Halmett, Aurora, IA; Raegan Kime, Waucoma, IA, and Irene Nielsen, Potterville, MI. The trip started out with a top-notch practice stop in Billings, MO; at Groves-View Dairy, where team members were able to evaluate Brown Swiss and Holsteins, and the team also practiced at Sandy Creek Farm (Brown Swiss) in Bridgeport, TX. On contest day, in Brown Swiss, Raegan was 3rd, Irene was 4th, and the team was 4th. In the Holstein breed, Raegan was 4th, Irene was 6th and the team was 1st. Moving on to Jerseys, Raegan was 1st, Louis was 5th and the team was 1st. In Reasons, Raegan was 2nd, Irene was 4th, and the team was 1st. At the end of the day, Louis was 8th high individual overall, Irene was 5th and Raegan won the entire contest being named High Individual Overall with the team finishing 1st out of 10 teams. It was a sensational finish to the judging season and we are extremely proud of the commitment, dedication, and effort all dairy judging team participants put into the judging season starting back in the fall of 2024, which allowed them all to be very successful – way to go Cyclones!

Source : iastate.edu

Video: You Be The Judge: Evaluating 8 Breeding Rams!

It's time for some honest feedback here at Ewetopia Farms! Today, we’re showing you all eight rams we used for breeding this year. Instead of just presenting them, we thought it would be fun to create a “Ram Report Card” — where we point out both their strengths and areas for improvement.

But here’s the twist: you be the judge! In the comments, let us know what you like about each ram and what you think could be improved. No ram is ever perfect, but every one of them brings something valuable to the flock. By sharing perspectives, we all learn more about what to look for in good breeding stock.

At Ewetopia Farms, we raise registered Suffolk and Polled Dorset sheep, focusing on high-quality genetics, structure, and friendly temperaments. Evaluating breeding rams is part of the bigger picture of building stronger flocks — and we’re excited to share the process with you.

If you enjoy seeing how we evaluate our animals, follow along by subscribing to our channel. We share daily insights into the joys and challenges of sheep farming here in Canada.