Eight Missouri youth took their knowledge of dairy abroad this summer by competing in judging contests during the International Dairy Youth Tour.

The Missouri 4-H and FFA dairy judging teams placed first in two of the international dairy judging contests. The tour visited Scotland, England, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

Missouri 4-H team members invited to compete during the June 20 to July 2 tour were Grant Groves of Billings, Daryin Sharp of Bolivar, Ellie Wantland of Niangua and Lora Wright of Verona. Missouri FFA team members included Sam Masri of Monett, Lilly Schmidt of Monett, and Blake and Lora Wright of Verona.

Earning a spot
Not just any 4-H or FFA member can attend the tour. The International Dairy Youth Tour is by invitation only, with many teams earning the right to participate by winning or placing in a national dairy judging event.

The Missouri 4-H team was invited on the tour in recognition of its third-place finish in the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo last October, says Karla Deaver, University of Missouri Extension 4-H youth development specialist. Team coaches were Deaver and MU Extension dairy specialist Ted Probert.

The Monett FFA dairy judging team earned its tour invitation following its third-place finish in the National FFA Dairy Cattle Evaluation Contest at the National FFA Convention last October.

Heavy competition
In Scotland, the teams competed with other winning 4-H, FFA and intercollegiate teams on June 23 at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh. The pair of Groves and Sharp placed first in the competition. Groves was the top individual, and Blake Wright was second.

The second competition of the tour was at the National Holstein Show in Luxembourg. This contest was an individual event in which participants worked to see how closely they could match the official judge of the show. Contestants also selected the best udder in the class and wrote a set of reasons to justify their placing. First place in this contest was Blake Wright, followed by Schmidt in second place. Two team members, Wantland and Lora Wright, had the opportunity to participate in showmanship at the event.

Beyond the judging
In addition to the attending competitions, team members toured farms and historical and cultural sites. Most team members had the opportunity to stay with a Luxembourg family for three days. Tour stops included the World War II memorial just outside Luxembourg City, where Gen. George S. Patton is buried.

“Our teams really embraced this opportunity to travel and have these new experiences,” Deaver says. “We are very proud of how they competed in the two judging competitions. Not only did they see agriculture and the dairy industry in another part of the world, but they developed lifelong friendships with members of the tour from other states.”

Supporters of the teams attended an appreciation dinner. Team members gave a presentation about their tour experience.

The team receives ongoing support from FCS Financial, the Missouri Holstein Association and the Missouri Dairy Association in partnership with the Missouri 4-H Foundation.

Source: MU Extension