New Haven--The 2024 Multi-County 4-H Dairy Show was held July 19 and 20 at the Addison County Fair and Field Days grounds in New Haven under beautiful skies and sunny weather.

Forty-eight youths from Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Rutland Counties, showing 67 animals, paraded before judge Seth Carson of Newbury, an Orange County 4-H program alum.

Friday afternoon the 4-H’ers participated in fitting and showmanship where they demonstrated how well they prepared and handled their animal. In addition to individual placements by age group, the top two winners in each group then competed for championships.

In the Junior divisions the first- and second-place winners were:

  • Age 13: Caroline Allen, Panton (first), Kylee Shepard, Panton (second); Age 12: Tenley Chittenden, Shoreham (first), Payton Lucas, Orwell (second); Age 11: Kobe Rooney, Fairfax (first), Camille Plouffe, Bridport (second); Age 10: Rowdy Pope, Bridport (first), Sophia Roleau, Bristol (second); Age 9: Clayton Conner, Shoreham (first), Sophee Shepard, Panton (second); Age 8: Lucas Gorton, New Haven (first), Huxton Joyal, Williston (second)
  • Caroline Allen was named Champion Junior Showman with Tenley Chittenden awarded Reserve Champion Junior Showman and Payton Lucas, Honorable Mention Showman.

The Senior division winners were:

  • Ages 17 and 18: Brailey Livingston, New Haven (first), Mackenzie Chase, Bristol (second); Age 16: Noa Sauve, Colchester (first), Patty Bruce, Belmont (second); Ages 14 and 15: Taryn Burns, Shoreham (first), Bella Roell, Middlebury (second)
  • Champion Senior Showman went to Brailey Livingston. Taryn Burns was named Reserve Champion Senior Champion and Noa Sauve, Honorable Mention Showman.

The winner of each age class received a can of Revive, a hair conditioner for their animal, and the champions, an animal first aid kit, both donated by Merck Animal Health.

Saturday morning started off with the conformation classes, arranged by breed and age of the animal. For these classes, the judge looked at the physical structure, condition and overall appearance of the animals. The first and second place winners for each breed competed for the championships.

AYRSHIRE: Junior Champion and Grand Champion: Bella Roell, Middlebury, with her winter calf; Reserve Junior Champion and Reserve Champion: Caroline Allen, Panton, with her fall calf; Honorable Mention Junior Champion and Honorable Mention Champion: Bella Roell, Middlebury, with her winter yearling.

Ayrshire individual class winners:

  • Spring calf: Boston Wilbur, Orwell (first); Normandie Cesario, Cornwall (second)
  • Winter calf: Bella Roell, Middlebury (first)
  • Fall calf: Caroline Allen, Panton (first); Paige Chamberlin, Addison (second)
  • Winter yearling: Bella Roell, Middlebury (first)
  • Fall yearling: Natalia Tarbell, Middletown Springs (first)

BROWN SWISS: Senior Champion and Grand Champion: Brailey Livingston, New Haven, with her three-year-old cow; Junior Champion and Reserve Champion: Noa Sauve, Colchester, with his winter yearling; Reserve Junior Champion and Honorable Mention Champion: Noa Sauve, Colchester, with his winter calf; Honorable Mention Champion: Tenley Chittenden, Shoreham, with her spring calf

Brown Swiss individual class winners:

  • Spring calf: Tenley Chittenden, Shoreham (first); Isabella Wilbur, Orwell (second)
  • Winter calf: Noa Sauve, Colchester (first); Desiree Plouffe, Bridport (second)
  • Fall calf: Mackenzie Chase, Bristol (first); Taryn Burns, Shoreham (second)
  • Summer yearling: Jordan Hutchins, North Ferrisburgh (first); Jayden Ploof, Panton (second)
  • Spring yearling: Jayden Ploof, Panton (first); Taryn Burns, Shoreham (second)
  • Winter yearling: Noa Sauve, Colchester (first); Renee Plouffe, Bridport (second)
  • Three-year-old cow: Brailey Livingston, New Haven (first)

GUERNSEY: Junior Champion and Grand Champion: Sophia Roleau, Bristol, with her summer yearling; Reserve Junior Champion and Reserve Grand Champion: Thomas Allen, Panton, with his winter calf

HOLSTEIN: Junior Champion and Grand Champion: Ava Wood, Middlebury, with her fall yearling; Reserve Junior Champion and Reserve Champion: Brailey Livingston, New Haven, with her fall calf; Honorable Mention Champion: Emma Deering, Middlebury, with her winter yearling

Holstein individual class winners:

  • Spring calf: Lucas Gorton, New Haven (first); Kylee Shepard, Panton (second)
  • Winter calf: Elizabeth Fay, Pawlet (first); Patty Bruce, Belmont (second)
  • Fall calf: Ava Wood, Shoreham (first); Brailey Livingston, New Haven (second)
  • Summer yearling: Hailey Bartlett, Bristol (first)
  • Spring yearling: Isabelle Fay, Pawlet (first)
  • Winter yearling: Emma Deering, Middlebury (first), Patty Bruce, Belmont (second)
  • Fall yearling: Ava Wood, Shoreham (first)

JERSEY: Junior Champion and Grand Champion: Isabella Wilbur, Orwell, with her summer yearling; Reserve Junior Champion and Reserve Champion: Caroline Allen, Panton, with her spring yearling; Honorable Mention Champion: Lola Rollins, North Ferrisburgh, with her fall calf

Jersey individual class winners:

  • Spring calf: Sophee Shepard, Panton (first); Blake Moulton, Middlebury (second)
  • Winter calf: Torrey Hanna, Addison (first)
  • Fall calf: Lola Rollins, North Ferrisburgh (first); Kylee Shepard, Panton (second)
  • Summer yearling: Isabella Wilbur, Orwell (first); Lola Rollins, North Ferrisburgh (second)
  • Spring yearling: Caroline Allen, Panton (first)
  • Winter yearling: Camille Plouffe, Bridport (first)
  • Fall yearling: Torrey Hanna, Addison (first)

MILKING SHORTHORN: Junior Champion and Grand Champion: Brailey Livingston, New Haven, with her fall calf

Other 4-H’ers who competed in the dairy show were Gracelynn Barber, Sutton Chittenden and Alyssa Warren, all from Shoreham; Avery Beaupre, Shelburne; John Belter, South Burlington; Carter and Daniel Bruce, Belmont; Collin Chamberlin, Addison; Emma Edenfield, Colchester; Mia Mitchell, Middlebury; Ava Smith, Danby; and Greyson VanderWey, Ferrisburgh.

The participants and their families gathered for a potluck and cookout on Friday night. The Franklin County Dairy Committee supplied hot dogs and hamburgers and Green Mountain Dairy Promotion donated milk.

The two-day dairy show was organized by University of Vermont Extension 4-H educator educators for Addison and Franklin Counties, with support from the Franklin and Addison County 4-H Foundations and numerous volunteers.