People

At just 16 years old, Caroline Arrowsmith has a mile-long list of accolades in the dairy world, and behind her success is a passion driven by her family and the people she has come to know along the way.

It’s a show more about the youth showing than the dairy cattle being shown.

The Youth Dairy Classic started at the Fayette County (Iowa) Fairgrounds after the dairy show at the National Cattle Congress shut down for a few years for financial reasons in the early 1990s.

Impressive. Motivated. Innovative. These are a few of the many terms that could be used to describe Alex Gambonini of Petaluma, California.

What started as Kirk Butcher’s dream to form a camp for fellow youth who shared a passion for cows 35 years ago is today an annual event that draws as many as 100 budding dairy enthusiasts for the Southeast Dairy Youth Retreat.

For over a quarter of a century, Rod Stoll has been adding enthusiasm and a game-day feel to the Holstein Association’s national dairy quiz bowl competitions. Serving as a moderator is his way of giving back to the youth program that shaped his career in agriculture.

Every year, thousands of farm kids across the country culminate months of hard work and care by taking a cow or calf to a show. This time-honored tradition of preparing an animal for show is an excellent practical lesson in hard work and dedication.