We are thrilled that the following personnel will make up the Judging Panel officiating at IDW 2018. For a full biography on each please click here https://internationaldairyweek.com.au/idw-2018/events/cattle-show/#ffs-tabbed-272. We look forward to welcoming each Judge to the showring from Monday 22 through to Thursday 25 January.
All Breeds National Youth Show – Mr Brian Behnke, United States of America
All Breeds National Youth Show – Mr Brian Behnke, United States of America
Australia’s IDW kicks off with the ABS Australia/Ridley All Breeds National Youth Show on Monday 22 January. In 2018 we are delighted to announce that the judge will be Brian Behnke from the United States of America.
Brian was born and raised in Brooklyn, Wisconsin, USA on his family’s farm, Bur-Wall Holsteins, a prominent Registered Holstein farm in southern Wisconsin.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brian has over 25 years of dairy cattle industry experience including an in-depth knowledge of dairy cattle genetics, sales and farm management. Brian has vast industry experiences including dairy cattle sire procurement for Landmark Genetics. He also served as herdsman on two prominent Registered Holstein farms, the 1200-head Roylane Registered Holstein herd in Warden, Washington and the 2400-head Wilcox Farms Inc in Roy, Washington. While at Roylane, Brian bred numerous bulls for AI including the popular Roylane Jordan. At Wilcox Farms he bred five All-American Nominated animals including the 1999 Unanimous All-American Sr. 3 Yr. Old, Wilcoxview BC Cami, and the prominent sire Wilcoxview Jasper.
Brian joined Semex in August 2003 garnering extensive field knowledge, working as a District Sales Manager and Regional Manager in the US. In these roles he was responsible for sales, marketing, growth and profitability of Semex’s Central Region. In 2008, he joined Semex’s genetic department as a Sire Analyst, working with herds in the Midwest and West Coast.
Seizing an opportunity to use more skills, Brian became the Business Manager for ABS St. Jacobs in July 2016. In this new position, not only does he buy the bulls for the brand, he also develops marketing and sales strategies in addition to running the finances of the business.
An accomplished cow-man, Brian has also had the opportunity to judge numerous dairy cattle shows both domestically and abroad, including the 2005 Grand International Red & White Show, Western Spring National and Wisconsin State Fair, the Canadian Scotia 4-H Classic, National Guernsey Show in Louisville and Madison as well as shows in the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, South Korea and Japan.
Brian and his wife Tami reside in Brooklyn, Wisconsin, USA and work with Tami’s family farm, Glenn-Ann Holsteins, 2016 National Herd of Excellence award winner from Holstein USA.
IDW Sheri Martin Memorial Youth Showmanship Awards – Mr Mark Patullo – Australia
IDW is thrilled to announce that the Youth Showmanship Competition at IDW 2018 will be judged by Mr Mark Patullo.
Mark has been involved in the dairy industry for most of his life, leasing a dairy farm in Gippsland before moving to the Goulburn Valley in Northern Victoria. There he purchased a farm at Katunga with his parents. He farmed there for over twenty years with registered Ayrshire & Holsteins.
After selling the farm Mark turned to the AI industry, working with three different AI companies over the years and now with World Wide Sires Aust. He is the Regional Sales Manager for QLD, WA, North East Victoria & South Coast NSW. Mark is also the Herd Evaluator for World Wide Sires and is the Sales Manager of the World Wide Sires Evolution Sale at IDW.
Married to Tracey, they have two children Bree & Hayden and are grandparents of five magnificent girls.
Mark owns Walmar Ayrshires & Holsteins. He was in a partnership to import the first Ayrshire heifer to Australia from Canada. Her dam was the highest Canadian classified Ayrshire cow 97pts. Mark has either owned or bred Ayrshire cows that have won Champions at Melbourne Royal, Sydney Royal, Adelaide Royal, Brisbane Royal and Shepparton National Shows. Walmar Farms have twice won Champion Ayrshire cow at IDW in 1998 and 1999; IDW Ayrshire Premier Breeder five times; IDW Ayrshire Premier Exhibitor three times; IDW Reserve Champion Holstein cow [Partnership]; IDW Reserve Champion Holstein Cow; IDW Intermediate Champion (Partnership); IDW Intermediate Champion and Holstein Champion cow twice at Sydney Royal (Partnership), one of the highlights being the Holstein World Conference. Both times taking out Supreme Dairy Cow as well.
Mark has had the privilege of preparing cattle and leading for many breeders and owners across the country. He has been lead person for many sales for well known Holstein Breeders, also for many sales at IDW.
Mark started judging in his early twenties and was accepted onto the National Ayrshire Judging Panel. His judging highlights include: Ayrshire Feature Shows throughout South Australia & Tasmania, The New Zealand dairy event (Ayrshire), The Brisbane Royal (Ayrshire), The Toowoomba Royal (Jersey), The All Breeds Show at Devonport, The NSW Ayrshire on Farm Challenge, NSW Brown Swiss on Farm Challenge and the Great Northern Jersey on Farm Challenge, the National Paraders Final at Sydney Royal and The Sydney Royal [Guernsey] as well as numerous country shows over the years.
National Illawarra Show – Mr Paul Morrison – England
Paul is a second generation dairy farmer in Northumberland which is in the north of England, bordering Scotland. He farms in partnership with his wife Ann and they have two daughters Joanna and Victoria, who both work full time away from the farm but help out whenever they can.
The milking herd consists of 100 cows, 20 pedigree Dairy Shorthorns and 80 pedigree Holsteins, calving all year round. The Breckney Shorthorn herd was established in 1989 by Paul and Ann when they purchased a maiden heifer from the Dent family’s Winbrook herd. The Holstein herd was established in 1958 by Paul’s parents.
Paul has been involved with showing and judging dairy cattle for over 40 years. He began judging dairy cattle in Northumberland Young Farmers and at the Northumberland British Friesian Breeders Club both of which he represented at club and national level. He became a member of the Holstein Friesian Judges panel in the mid-1980s, then a member of the new Holstein Society Judges panel after the two societies merged. Paul was one of the first judges on the Dairy Shorthorn panel.
Over the years Paul has judged numerous shows, herd competitions and stock judging competitions including: The Interbreed Group of Five Animals at the English Royal Show, Stoneleigh; The Dairy Shorthorn calves (twice), Dairy Shorthorn showmanship classes and Holstein calves at four different National All Breeds calf shows; Breed classes at the National Shorthorn Show, Cheshire, The National Dairy Event,Stoneleigh, The Royal Highland Show, Edinburgh, The Royal Norfolk, Lincolnshire County Show, Staffordshire County, Newark and Nottinghamshire Show.
Both herds have been successful in the show ring. Winning the Holstein Friesian championship and Interbreed Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show in 1996. Winning National All Breeds Calf Show Shorthorn Championship in 2012 and 2013 with two different home bred calves. 2017 Great Yorkshire Show Dairy Shorthorn Reserve and Junior champion.
IDW is delighted to welcome Paul to Australia and look forward to seeing him in January.
National Ayrshire Show – Mr Blair Weeks – Canada
The Judge of Australia’s National Ayrshire Show for 2018 is Mr Blair Weeks from Canada.
Blair operates Weeksdale Holsteins along with his wife Jaime and his parents Elmer and Sandra. Weeksdale is a Master Breeder herd with a current classification of 26 EX – 35 VG & 18 GP.
Blair has been an official judge with Holstein Canada for 14 years, judging numerous shows across Canada, UK and Argentina as well as being associate judge for the Ayrshire breed at the 2016 World Dairy Expo.
In 2016 Weeksdale bred and owned the Honorable Mention Grand Champion Holstein at Expo, Weeksdale Judges Harmony EX 95.
Blair has run and managed numerous sales, such as the East Coast Style sale and the annual Island Spring Sensation Sale. Blair has bred, owned or sold numerous All Canadians and All Americans and is an annual exhibitor at World Dairy Expo and the Royal Winter Fair. At the 2016 Royal Winter Fair, Blair was presented with the Andrea Crowe Memorial Award.
Blair resides in Pleasant Valley, Prince Edward Island, Canada with Jaime and their daughter Adelle.
IDW congratulate Blair on this appointment and look forward to seeing him in Australia in January.
National Guernsey Show – Mr Chris Lang – USA
IDW are excited to announce that Mr Chris Lang from the USA will judge Australia’s 2018 National Guernsey Show at IDW on Tuesday 23rd of January.
No stranger to dairying, Chris owns Springhill Farm at Big Prairie in Ohio in the United States of America.
Springhill Farms is located in Holmes County, in the heart of the world’s largest Amish population, halfway between Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Chris and his parents Tom and Karen Lang and sister Kendra milk 200 Registered Guernseys and Holsteins and are assisted by several key staff including long time employees Danny Pszenitzki and Marshall Overholt.
The farm itself was established in 1819 on land ceded by the U.S. government to the Lang family’s ancestors. In the late 1800s, it became primarily a dairy farm, complete with a herd of purebred Guernseys. By 1920, that Guernsey herd was well established. “My great-great-grandfather owned [the farm] at the time,” said Chris Lang. “He had a nationally recognized herd.” Although Springhill Farms has seen many changes since that time, one thing has always remained the same: the Lang family’s passion for good cows.
Springhill has had All-American Nominations in four breeds, over 60 All-American and Junior All-American nominations in the Guernsey breed in the last eight years, including five National Junior Champions and has bred and owned the 2016 Intermediate Champion at World Dairy Expo, National Grand Champion and two times HM National Grand Champion.
Chris is currently the Treasurer and Board Member of The American Guernsey Association, Type Committee Chairperson American Guernsey Association, President of Purebred Publishing (which produces five Dairy Breed Magazines in the USA) and President of the Ohio Guernsey Breeders Association.
No stranger to the show ring, Chris’ judging highlights include: Lead Judge at the Ohio, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Illinois and Minnesota State Fairs; Pennsylvania Farm Show, Eastern States Exposition (Big E), Western National In Washington, Associate Judge at The World Dairy Expo and this Fall will be lead judge National Guernsey Show in Louisville.
We look forward to watching Chris judge in Australia in January.
National Brown Swiss Show – Mr Brian Kelroy – USA
Judging Australia’s National Brown Swiss Show at IDW 2018 will be Mr Brian Kelroy from Wisconsin in the United States of America.
Brian resides in DeForest, WI with his wife Dana and two children Kian and Ava. Brian is the Dairy Programs Manager at East Central Select Sires covering southern Wisconsin. Prior to joining Select Sires, Brian worked as a Classifier for Holstein USA Inc for seven years where he had the opportunity to classify animals throughout the United States and also trained classifiers internationally.
Brian is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and currently serves as the coach of University of Wisconsin-Madison dairy judging team. In 2014 the team won the National Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest at World Dairy Expo and the team has finished second the last two years. Brian has also shown and bred animals that have won in the show ring, including Kelroy Rubens Vivian classified EX-95.
Brian has judged district, state and national shows throughout the country. This past year he served as the official judge for the Mid-East Summer National Junior Holstein Show and the Ohio Junior State Fair Holstein Show. Brian also served as the official judge for the 2015 Southern National Junior Holstein Show as well as the Southern National Junior Jersey Show in Stillwater, Ok. Brian served as the official judge at the 2015 Illinois Junior State Fair Holstein, Brown Swiss, Ayrshire and Guernsey Shows. He also had the opportunity to judge the Guernsey, Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn Show at the 2015 Wisconsin Junior State Fair as well as serving as the associate for the Wisconsin Junior State Fair Junior Holstein Show, which is the largest junior dairy show in the world. Brian has judged district shows in Wisconsin and in Iowa.
Brian also has had the opportunity to judge shows internationally in Japan, Peru and Poland. In October 2017, Brian will serve as the Associate Judge for the International Red and White Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo.
National Jersey Show – Mr Pat Nicholson – Australia
Judging the 2018 Feature Show is Mr Pat Nicholson from Australia. Pat is married to Carmen and they have two sons Riley aged six and Tyler aged three. Pat is part of a family operation at Girgarre in Northern Victoria with his Parents, Bill and Evelyn, and brother Brendon and his wife Tenealle. Together they run “Jugiong Jerseys” milking 550 Jerseys on 220 ha of flood irrigated land. The Jugiong herd is home to some of Australia’s highest classified and production Jerseys. Pat is the fourth generation of the Nicholson family to own and operate Jugiong Jerseys.
Pat is the current President of the Northern District Jersey Breeders club and has an extensive background in the development of the breed as a past classifier with Jersey Australia, past manager of National All Breeds Youth Camp and past Sale Manager ‘Northern Lights Sale’. He currently also represents Jersey Australia on the National All Breeds Ethics Committee.
Pat is a member of both the Jersey Australia and Holstein Australia Judging panels and has been Overjudge for both Jersey & Holstein Judging Schools over the years. Pat is a strong supporter of the youth of the dairy industry and regularly shares his knowledge and provides advice to the next generation be it at Youth Camps, Youth Days or local shows.
Pat’s judging experience is extensive, commencing as a 15 year old judging the Jerseys at the Wonthaggi Agriculture Show. Since then he has become one of the leading Judges of all breeds in Australia.
Some highlights of his judging experience include:
- Jerseys at Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane & Toowoomba Royals. NSW state Jersey Show, South Australian Autumn Fair, Gippsland Fair & many feature shows.
- World Conference Jersey Show at the New Zealand Dairy Event.
- National Guernsey Show at International Dairy Week
- National All Breeds Youth Show at International Dairy Week.
- Holsteins at Adelaide, Toowoomba and Perth Royals and many All Australian Shows.
- Semex/Holstein Australia Victorian On Farm Challenge
- On Farm Challenges across Australia in Jerseys, Holsteins, Illawarra & Guernsey’s.
- Has overjudged many Junior judging and handler’s classes and mentored many young breeders.
We are delighted to have Pat back in the IDW Judging Ring, particularly as the 2018 Feature Show is the Jersey Breed.
National Holstein Show – Mr Kiichi Matsushima – Japan
We are thrilled to announce that the Judge of Australia’s National Holstein Show at IDW 2018 will be Mr Kiichi Matsushima from Key Holsteins in Kumamoto, Japan.
Kiichi Matsushima was born as the eldest son of the dairy farm in Koshi-shi, Kumamoto. He has been engaged in dairy farming upon graduation from Rakuno Gakuen University Junior College. As he has been putting tremendous effort in improvement of dairy cattle over the years, he has been able to build his herd of cows with good conformation and production. He has bred 45 head of Excellent cows so far. He is also the first breeder to breed fifth generation bred and owned Excellent cows in Japan other than Hokkaido, the prefecture of the major dairy farming area in Japan.
Kiichi Matsushima has been introducing superior genetics from the North America such as ROXY, STARBUCK WHITNEY, AERO FLOWER, BROKER ELEGANCE, PR BARBIE, GOLD MISSY, etc. into his herd through their embryos since early stage of his breeding career. He has been exhibiting their offspring at shows not only in Kumamoto but at Japan’s National level with very good success. He has also made an impact on the Holstein industry through the sire side as well. Kiichi bred KEY GOLD-TEA MAC in 2004, whose semen has been sold by the Japanese AI Stud, Genetics Hokkaido. His contribution to the industry from the sire side is not only by this bull, as the bulls bred by him are continuously being sampled by Japanese AI studs.
Kiichi Matsushima is President of the Kumamoto Dairy Co-op and Vice President of the Federation of Kumamoto Dairy Co-op. He is an Adviser to the National Holstein Improvement Council and Supervisor of the Holstein Cattle Association of Japan.
Kiichi has been judging many of the shows in Japan since he obtained the license for the accredited judge from the Holstein Improvement Council in 1994 including: The Hokkaido Winter Fair, Shikoku Regional Show, Chugoku Regional B&W Show, All Kyushu Regional B&W Show, Iwate Prefectural B&W Show, Spring Show in Kita-Karuizawa, Chiba Nagai B&W Show, Hyogo Prefectural Show, Hokkaido Bekkai-cho Show, Kanto Regional Show and many more.
