4-H Dairy Youth Receive Awards at Chautauqua County Fair

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (August 26, 2025) The 4-H Dairy Show, held at the Chautauqua County Fair on Thursday, July 17, 2025, featured (40) 4-H Dairy youth from across Chautauqua County. Participants received ribbons, trophies, and other special awards for their efforts in showing seven different breeds of dairy cattle. The official judge for the event was Mr. Brett Bossard of Fabius, NY.

Youth aged 9 to 19 competed in both 4-H Dairy Showmanship and the judging contest. In showmanship, awards were presented based on how well 4-H youth presented their dairy animals to the judge. In the judging contest, youth received awards based on the judge’s evaluation of each animal’s conformation characteristics.

• Grand Champion Dairy Showman - Larsen Swan - Lone Member - Sherman
• Reserve Grand Champion Showman - Carlie Ward - Lone Member - South Dayton
• Honorable Mention Showman - Dayne Jantzi - Sherman Kountry Kids - Clymer

Dairy cows are judged differently based on their breed. Different breeds have different characteristics. At the dairy show, each breed is judged by how close the cow comes to the ideal of that breed.

Ayrshires are a Scottish breed of dairy cattle. It originated in, and is named for, the county of Ayrshire in south-western Scotland. These medium sized cattle have reddish spots, often in a jagged pattern. The winners for this breed were:

• Ayrshire Senior and Grand Champion - Evie Woodis - Lone Member - Dewittville
• Ayrshire Reserve Senior and Grand Champion - Levi Deland - Lone Member - Sherman

Brown Swiss cattle are a large, gray-brown breed whose milk is often used for cheese. The winners for this category were:

• Brown Swiss Junior Champion - Maecee Nickerson - Lone Member - Sherman
• Brown Swiss Reserve Junior Champion - Maecee Nickerson - Lone Member Sherman
• Brown Swiss Senior and Grand Champion - Carlie Ward - Lone Member - South Dayton
• Brown Swiss Reserve and Grand Champion - Ava Burridge - Lone Member - Stockton

Guernsey cattle vary from yellow to reddish-brown with white patches. They are easy to work with cow that produce excellent milk. The winners for this category were:

• Guernsey Junior and Grand Champion - Larsen Swan - Lone Member - Sherman
• Guernsey Reserve Junior and Grand Champion - Dayne Jantzi - Sherman Kountry Kids - Sherman

Holsteins are large black and white cows known for high milk production. They are easy to work with, making them one of the most commonly known dairy cows.

• Holstein Junior Champion - Emmersen Faye Crawford - Lone Member - Clymer
• Holstein Reserve Junior Champion - Grace Meyer - Lone Member - Sinclairville
• Holstein Senior and Grand Champion - Collin Crawford - Lone Member - Clymer
• Holstein Reserve Senior and Grand Champion - Anna Carlberg -Frewsburg Hayseeds- Jamestown
• Jersey cows are smaller, light brown cow. The winners of the Jersey category were:
• Jersey Junior Champion - Evie Woodis - Lone Member - Dewittville
• Jersey Reserve Junior Champion - Evie Woodis - Lone Member - Dewittville
• Jersey Senior and Grand Champion - Laine Carpenter - Frewsburg Hayseeds - Falconer
• Jersey Reserve Senior and Grand Champion - Tyler Crowell-Frewsburg Hayseeds - South Dayton

The best bred and owned category recognizes the top animal bred and shown by the same exhibitor. This places emphasis on the quality of a specific breeding program, not just the quality of an individual animal. The winners in this category were:

• Junior Best Bred and Owned 4-H Animal - Maecee Nickerson - Lone Member - Clymer
• Junior Supreme Champion of 4-H Show - Emmersen Faye Crawford - Lone Member - Clymer
• Junior Reserve Supreme Champion of 4-H Show - Maecee Nickerson - Lone Member Clymer
• Senior Best Bred and Owned 4-H Animal - Dayne Jantzi - Sherman Kountry Kids - Clymer

Collin Crawford, a lone member from Clymer, won Senior Supreme Grand Champion of 4-H Show and Anna Carlberg of the Frewsburg Hayseeds 4-H club won Senior Reserve Supreme Champion of 4–H Show.

A special thank you to the many families and agribusinesses who made financial donations to the 4-H Dairy Program. Your generosity made it possible for 4-H youth to receive awards during the 2025 Chautauqua County Fair. These donations will also support educational programs for 4-H Dairy youth throughout the year.

The 4-H Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua). CCE-Chautauqua is a subordinate governmental agency with an educational mission that operates under a form of organization and administration approved by Cornell University as agent for the State of New York. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The association is part of the national cooperative extension system, an educational partnership between County, State, and Federal governments. As New York’s land grant university Cornell administers the system in this state. Each Cornell Cooperative Extension association is an independent employer that is governed by an elected Board of Directors with general oversight from Cornell. All associations work to meet the needs of the counties in which they are located as well as state and national goals. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated August 26, 2025