Cow’s coat helps to claim top prize at Prince William Fair

By Cheryl Chumley

Published: August 9, 2008

Not to take anything away from the winner, said senior fitting class judge Kristina McComb, but the runner-up's ears were cleaner.

In the end, though, it was the trimming that counted.

"Next time, use clippers a little closer around the feet," said McComb about Ben Smith's sec-ond-place cow at the Saturday morning showing and fitting of the class of 14-through-18-year-olds Northern Vir-ginia District Dairy Show at the Prince William County

Fairgrounds.

Of the winner, Elizabeth Leonard's Holstein, McComb pointed to the coat as a significant factor.

"She just gleaned head to toe, you can see the white and pink on the knees, and the tail's nice and clean," McComb said.

Kraig Smith, Joe Burton and Matthew Mullins finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively, for the class size. The showing was the 60th, outlasting even the 59 years of the fair.

"We started showing in Bealeton," said Doris Johnson,

co-chairman of the show, which is the only district event of its kind in Virginia. "It's open to [contest-ants] in the whole state, but most are from Fauquier County now. Only one or two dairy farms are left in Prince William County."

Judges look for how well the animals present, as well as check for overall health and

fitness.

"How clean they are, how well they're clipped, just general appearance," Johnson added, ex-plaining that the showing and fitting of the cows is a split event that separates the animals by age—juniors are 9 to 14 years old, and seniors 14 to 18 years old. A second show later in the day judges the cows by breed.

For the showing and fitting, four types of dairy cows were entered: Ayrshires, which are spotted reddish with white; Jerseys, more fawn in color; Holsteins, black and white; and Brown Swiss, a grayish tan in color. The size of the cow, Johnson said, largely dictates the level of milk production.

"A good Holstein will give between 80 and 90 pounds of milk a day," Johnson said, "and good Jerseys will do the same. Brown Swiss and Ayrshires, they're a little bit less … and Jerseys give the most pure. They give the richest milk. It has the most butter fat."

Roughly 8.3 pounds of milk equals a gallon, Johnson added.

Handouts at the showing indicated a "cow's udder can hold 25 to 50 pounds of milk" at a time. Other quick facts:

• an average cow produces 90 glasses of milk per day, or 200,000 during a lifetime;

• a cow can't produce milk until she's birthed a calf;

• grass-fed cows provide roughly 50 glasses of milk per day compared to those fed a variety of feed, corn, hay and grass.

The cows with varied diets give about 100 glasses of milk each day, according to the fact-sheet.

Staff writer Cheryl Chumley can be reached at 703-670-1907.