SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The 2019 Superior Young Dairy Producer Award (SYDPA) program was held recently at the Illinois State Fair. Twenty-five 4-H dairy project members from across Illinois took part in the event. The purpose of the contest is to create an educational activity that promotes youth development, career development, and personal growth through increased knowledge of the dairy industry.
This three-phase competition emphasizes the youth’s knowledge of the dairy industry. The “top three” overall participants were awarded with a $1,000 scholarship. The $3,000 in scholarships is sponsored by Prairie Farms Dairy and awarded to:
- Briley Lenkaitis, Eldorado, IL (Saline County)
- Zachary Paul, Worden, IL (Madison County)
- Ainsley Kratochvil, Fairbury, IL (Livingston, County)
Individual plaques, sponsored by Land of Lincoln Purebred Livestock Breeders Association and Illinois State Fair, were awarded to the “top 3” in each phase and the “top 3” overall winners.
The first phase was a dairy management test relating to dairy nutrition, herd health, reproduction, milk marketing, and other dairy related information. Top three contestants for this phase were:
- Zachary Paul, Worden, IL (Madison County)
- Shana Lueking, Centralia, IL (Clinton County)
- Brady Heinzmann, Carlyle, IL (Clinton County)
The second phase was a three station skill-a-thon on various aspects of the dairy industry. Contestants had to identify dairy feeds, identify dairy pedigree information, and identify dairy equipment. The top three contestants in the skill-a-thon were:
- Briley Lenkaitis, Eldorado, IL (Saline County)
- Payton Erbsen, Lanark, IL (Carroll County)
- Riley Walden, Mode, IL (Shelby County)
The third phase of the Superior Young Dairy Producer Contest was a judging contest. The judging phase consisted of animal selection by placing four classes of dairy cows and two classes of heifers. The top three contestants for this phase were:
- Briley Lenkaitis, Eldorado, IL (Saline County)
- Gage Wendling, Altamont, IL (Effingham County)
- Ainsley Kratochvil, Fairbury, IL (Livingston, County
— University of Illinois Extension
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