Dairy Judging Team Elevates to the Top in Louisville

For the fourth year in a row, the University of Minnesota’s dairy judging team took home top honors at the collegiate dairy judging contest held at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) in Louisville, Kentucky. Held on November 4, 2018, the contest welcomed 18 four-year universities. The University of Minnesota surfaced to the top, beating second-place Virginia Tech by a margin of 30 points. Teams from the University of Minnesota have placed first overall in the Louisville contest seven of the past nine years.

In addition to placing first overall, the University of Minnesota team was first in oral reasons by an eight-point margin, first in the Jersey breed and placed among the top five teams in all five breeds.

Team members were Rachel Coyne, Spring Valley, Wisconsin; Kayla Leiding, Fountain, Minnesota; Lauren Hendel, Caledonia, Minnesota; and Tanner Morrison, Peterson, Minnesota.

Individually, Coyne was second overall, first in Ayrshire and second in Jersey. Leiding was fourth overall, Hendel was sixth overall and first in Jersey, and Morrison was fourth in Jersey and fifth in Holsteins. Coaches were Dr. Les Hansen, Alicia Thurk Hiebert, Eric Houdek and Gabriella Sorg.

 Photo: First-place collegiate team from the University of Minnesota in the dairy judging contest at NAILE, Louisville, Kentucky. (L to R): Tanner Morrison, Peterson, Minnesota; Lauren Hendel, Caledonia, Minnesota; Kayla Leiding, Fountain, Minnesota; Rachel Coyne, Spring Valley, Wisconsin; and Dr. Les Hansen, coach.