World Dairy Expo | |
---|---|
Status | Active |
Genre | Exposition |
Frequency | Annually |
Venue | Alliant Energy Center |
Location(s) | Madison, Wisconsin |
Country | United States |
Inaugurated | October 1967 |
Website | www |
World Dairy Expo is a five-day event showcasing dairy cattle and the newest technologies available to the dairy industry. The show is held annually at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Considered the largest and most important dairy cattle show in North America, it has been held in the first week of October since 1967, except 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the unusual aspects about the World Dairy Expo is its themes. Since the late 1980s the show has had a theme, when the showing is decorated with two backdrops that correspond to that year's theme. Themes have ranged from the simple to the extravagant, like the "Excitement is Building" theme which had a huge construction-like backdrop.
Dairy cattle from all over the United States and Canada are exhibited at the show. All seven nationally recognized breeds (Brown Swiss, Holstein, Red & White, Guernsey, Jersey, Milking Shorthorn, and Ayrshire) have a show. After a grand champion from each breed is selected, a final judging is held to determine the best two cows in the show. This is held on the last day (Saturday) and is often referred to as the main event. The show starts out with an introduction of each cow and leadsman (person at the end of the halter) listing both of their achievements. After this is done the cows are judged by all of the breed judges from the past week. After they decide on a cow, the Supreme Champion and Reserve Supreme Champion is announced.
World Dairy Expo is also home to the a largest dairy-focused trade show in the world. Over 600 companies from all over the world exhibit to the show's 60,000 attendees. Companies like John Deere, Case IH, Land O'Lakes, Select Sires, Semex, ABS, AEM, [2] ANIMART and many more make the trip to Madison, Wisconsin, USA every year. World Dairy Expo is recognized as a member of the "Tradeshow Week Top 200", a list honoring the nation's top trade events organized by Trade Show Executive Gold 100. World Dairy Expo remains the only Wisconsin event in the “Top 200”, and was ranked #23 in 2013.
World Dairy Expo offers conferences for the youth in the dairy industry. There are several regional and national judging contests in which teams and individuals from high school FFA chapters and 4-H programs can compete in as well as a division for Collegiate level teams. Contestants compete for honors in dairy judging, dairy foods and dairy forage. There is a separate junior cattle show for contestants who are college age or younger. This cattle show is separate from the main show and Supreme and Reserve Supreme champions are named the same way as the older contestants. Winning the junior show is almost as prestigious as winning the open show.
World Dairy Expo began as the World Food Exposition in 1967 by the newly created World Food and Agricultural Foundation. The first executive director of the show was Bruce Walter from Chippewa Falls, WI. He served in1967 and 1968. The first show had nearly 1,200 head exhibited. The only problem was that no one came to see the show.
In 1969, the show was transitioned to a new executive director, Mr. Bev Craig. He focused on attracting commercial exhibits and shortening the show from ten to five days for practicality. Additionally in 1969, the show was held in the Coliseum for the first time and celebrated with an opening banquet.
The show remained on shaky ground financially, despite major strides. In 1971, industry leaders met to discuss solutions. One of which was the major need for a major trade show for dairy farmers. A broad array of organizations came together to breathe life into the new idea. Greg Blaska, AMPI corporate board member, was elected president of the organization for thirty-one years. Also in 1971 were the foundations of success built. The first farm management workshops were held, the first recognition awards were presented, National Dairy Shrine moved its festivities to Madison, and the expo began to focus on food and craft exhibits for women in dairy.
To assist with its business organization, World Dairy Expo became a not-for-profit organization in 1993. With the show growing, World Dairy Expo Management Inc. (WDEM) was established in 1998 as a for-profit subsidiary of World Dairy Expo. WDEM provided revenue for World Dairy Expo to employ full-time year round staff. Now, it has grown into the largest dairy-focused trade show in the world. [3]
The Guernsey is a breed of dairy cattle from the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It is fawn or red and white in colour, and is hardy and docile. Its milk is rich in flavour, high in fat and protein, and has a golden-yellow tinge due to its high β-carotene content. The Guernsey is one of three Channel Island cattle breeds; the other two are the Alderney, which is now extinct, and the Jersey.
The Dairy Shorthorn is a British breed of dairy cattle. It derives from the Shorthorn cattle of Teesside, in the North Riding of Yorkshire and in Northumbria in north-eastern England. The Shorthorn was for this reason at first known as the Durham or Teeswater.
The Brown Swiss or American Brown Swiss is an American breed of dairy cattle. It derives from the traditional triple-purpose Braunvieh of the Alpine region of Europe, but has diverged substantially from it. It was selectively bred for dairy qualities only, and its draft and beef capabilities were lost. Milk yield was measured in 2013 at 10231 kg (22600 lb) per year; the milk has about 4% butterfat and 3.5% protein and is suitable for making cheese.
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Hoard's Dairyman is an American agricultural trade publication that focuses on dairy farming. It was founded in 1885 by William D. Hoard as a supplement to the Jefferson County Union and is published in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.
Alliant Energy Center is a multi-building complex located in Madison, Wisconsin. It comprises 164 acres (0.66 km2) of greenspace and includes the 255,000-square-foot (23,700 m2) Exhibition Hall, the 10,000-seat Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the 29-acre (0.12 km2) Willow Island and the 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) Arena. After completing various stages of planning throughout 2013, it was announced on November 26 that Dane County would be awarding a $20.7 million contract to Miron Construction for the construction of two new multi-use pavilions at the Alliant Energy Center. The exhibition pavilions, which total 290,000 square feet, will be replacing the nine current agricultural barns. Construction began following the Midwest Horse Fair in April 2014 with completion set in time for the 2014 World Dairy Expo in late September. The Center welcomes more than one million people attending more than 500 events annually, ranging from local meetings and banquets to large sporting events and major concerts.
Cutting is a western-style equestrian competition in which a horse and rider work together before a judge or panel of judges to demonstrate the horse's athleticism and ability to handle cattle. Modern competition utilizes a 2+1⁄2 minute performance, called a "run." Each contestant is assisted by four helpers: two are designated as turnback riders, who help to keep cattle from running off to the back of the arena, the other two are designated as herd holders to keep the cattle bunched together and prevent potential strays from escaping into the work area. Cutting cattle are typically young steers and heifers that customarily range in size from 400 to 650 lb. They usually are of Angus or Hereford lineage though may be a mix of crossbred beef cattle, including Charolais Braford or Brahman lineage.
The Red Sindhi is a dairy breed of zebuine cattle. It is believed to originate in western Sindh and in the Las Bela area of Balochistan, now in Pakistan. It is widely kept in Pakistan, where in 2006 there were approximately 3000000 head; there are small numbers in India and in Bangladesh. Other names include Las Bela, Malir and Sindhi.
The Paris International Agricultural Show is an annual agricultural show and trade fair, that takes place at the end of February or beginning of March at the Paris expo Porte de Versailles in Paris, France. It is one of the world's largest and most important agricultural shows, drawing larger crowds than any other in Paris except the Foire de Paris.
The Tipo Carora or Carora is a Venezuelan breed of dairy cattle. It was bred in the early part of the twentieth century by crossing of local Criollo cows with imported Brown Swiss bulls. It is named for its place of origin, the town of Carora in the Venezuelan state of Lara.
Missy is a Holstein cow who was auctioned for $1.2 million in 2009, making her the most expensive cow in the world at that time.
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The Rockingham County Fair has been dubbed by the Los Angeles Times as one of the best rural county fairs in the United States for the usual showcases that include: tractor pulls, a demolition derby, amusement rides, an antique auto show, a flea market, and country-western concerts. Local specialties brought to the fair are quince and crab apple jellies, gingerbread, peanut brittle, canned huckleberries and sauerkraut.
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John Thomas Cole was an Australian dairy farmer and cattle breeder.
The Dairy Show is an annual British agricultural show, organised by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers. It was founded in 1876 and was first held at the Agricultural Hall in Islington, London; it was later held at Olympia, London, and then moved to the National Agricultural Exhibition Centre at Stoneleigh Park, in Warwickshire. It is now held as part of the annual Livestock Event at the National Exhibition Centre, in Birmingham in the Midlands.
The Swedish Friesian, Swedish: 'Svensk Låglandsboskap', often abbreviated to SLB, is a Swedish breed of dairy cattle. It was established in about 1870 from imports of cattle of Dutch Friesian or German Black Pied type. From about 1970 it has been systematically cross-bred with the American Holstein-Friesian breed, to the point that the original Swedish type may be extinct. The name Swedish Holstein may also be used.It is a type of Swedish cattle breed.
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