Lila Wantland judged herself to the top of the senior division of the Missouri State 4-H Dairy Judging Contest. The contest was held Aug. 17 at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia. Wantland was the high individual in the intermediate division of the state contest in 2018.

Wantland, the daughter of Jeff and Leeann Wantland of Niangua, was high individual in Jerseys, second high in Holsteins, and third in oral reasons. Second high individual was Bailey Groves, daughter of Todd and Sheila Groves of Billings. Groves was high individual in Brown Swiss, Holsteins, and oral reasons. Third high individual was Hala Edquist of Mountain Grove. Edquist, daughter of Elias and Cheryl Edquist, was high individual in Guernseys, second in Brown Swiss, and third in Holsteins. Fourth high individual was Blake Wright of Verona. Wright, the son of Larry and Jodi Wright, was second in oral reasons. Rounding out the top five was Kylie Scrivner of Ava. Scrivner, the daughter of Tommy and Andrea Scrivner, was second in Guernseys.

Topping the intermediate division was Logan Archer of Falcon, followed by Jasmine Gates of Cairo and Molly Archer of Falcon. Rounding out the top five were Samantha Justice of Clever and Emma Parrigon of Stotts City.

In the junior division, Ada Bluel of Monett finished in first, followed by her sister Lily in second. Third was Molly Melzer of Harrisonville, followed by Tyson Droste of Lancaster and Teagan Hardy of Steelville.

The contestants placed six classes and gave two sets of reasons. The top three individuals in each breed received cash prizes sponsored by the Missouri breed associations. The top ten individuals in each division received rosettes from the Missouri State Fair, and the top four individuals in each division received a plaque from the Missouri State Fair and supporters of the contest. Contestants, their families, and exhibitors who provided cattle for the event were the guests at a Junior Dairymen’s Barbeque sponsored by Midwest Dairy Association, Missouri State Fair, Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, MFA, Dairy Farmers of America, and Hiland Dairy. The Missouri 4-H Dairy Judging Team receives support from FCS Financial, the Missouri Holstein Association and the Missouri Dairy Association in partnership with the Missouri 4-H Foundation, and thanks all their sponsors for their support.

The Missouri 4-H Dairy Judging Team will be competing this fall in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Madison, Wisconsin. The team is currently seeking ongoing sponsors for their travel. For more information about the dairy judging program, contact either Ted Probert at the Wright County Extension Center at 417-349-4134 or Karla Deaver at the Lawrence County Extension Center at 417-466-3102.