There are three things that can bring you to the winner’s backdrop at a show. Here are five steps to a great fill and a blue ribbon.

In late summer of 2021, Hannah Loftin, an up-and-coming fitter and showman from North Carolina, turned to Facebook to ask if anyone had an animal she could fit in the World Dairy Expo fitting contest.

As a keen showmanship class heats up, it is common for judges to “break the tie” by asking a question. As we have mentioned in previous articles, these questions should not be open-ended such as “tell me about your heifer,” but specific questions that require a well-thought-out answer.

As we look to a new year, whether you are just beginning a show season or just ending one, it’s a great time to look ahead to 2022 and what you would like to achieve.

In rural western New York, just south of Buffalo, Isaac Folts rises each day before school to head out to the barn to do chores. Unlike most youth, Isaac, who is 15, heads out to his own barn.

Editor’s note: This is part one of a two-part series. When we were kids, we added a few holes to a sheep feeder and tied heifers up to it. In the evening, they went out to a dirt lot. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked.

Jayden and Kennedy Kimball of Windham, Maine, are a force to be reckoned with on the softball field and in the show ring. These young dairy exhibitors are intense and dedicated with an incredible work ethic that is taking them to the national stage in both cattle showing and softball.