Burlington--Vermont 4-H dairy members did the state proud, competing against 4-H'ers from throughout New England in several 4-H dairy events at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

In quiz bowl competition, held on Sept. 16, Vermont captured first place with team member Emma Seward of East Wallingford named high individual scorer. She scored a whopping 55 points ahead of the second-place finisher, a 4-H'er from Rhode Island.

Rose Tarbell also finished in the top 10 as fourth high individual scorer. Other members of the state quiz bowl team were Liviya Russo, Lunenburg, and Lorryn Trujillo, North Clarendon.

Emma Deering, Middlebury; Sadie Ellner, Morristown; and Aubrey Maley, Irasburg; represented Vermont in the clipping contest, also held on Sept. 16. For this timed competition, each three-member team clipped and groomed an animal.

Judges considered several criteria when placing the teams, including preparation, teamwork, technique, the overall finished appearance of the animal and how well the team explained the steps and process they followed to fit their animal in the allotted time. Vermont placed third after teams from Maine and Connecticut.

All 4-H dairy exhibitors, including those showing cattle or competing in contests, were required to take a written general knowledge test, which quizzed them on dairy topics ranging from breeds, dairy nutrition and feeds to herd health, dairy products and marketing, among other dairy topics.

The test, which took place on Sept. 15, was especially important to the quiz bowl team as it decides the ranking going into the quiz bowl contest. All four team members finished in the top 10 in the Senior Division (ages 15-18) with Rose Tarbell, Middletown Springs, first; Lorryn Trujillo, North Clarendon, third; Emma Seward, East Wallingford, fourth; and Liviya Russo, Lunenburg, seventh.

East Hardwick 4-H'er Gabriel Michaud finished in tenth place, giving Vermont five top placings in this age group for the written exam.

For more information about the 4-H dairy program in Vermont, contact University of Vermont 4-H livestock educator Wendy Sorrell at (800) 571-0668 or wendy.sorrell@uvm.edu.