Ten Jersey Youth Honored by National Jersey Association for Achievements - Cowsmo

Ten Jersey Youth Honored by National Jersey Association for Achievements

Ten young Jersey cattle owners were recognized Sunday, November 8 in Louisville, Ky., for their accomplishments in the National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest.

Winners of the Jersey Youth Achievement Contest were recognized in November by President Jonathan Merriam, far right. Pictured are Katarina Emerich (1st), Kathyrn Bosley (2nd), Gracie Krahn (3rd), Kylie Lehr (5th), Colin Wussow (6th), and Willow Voegtlen (10th). ©USJersey

The contest recognizes outstanding achievement by junior Jersey owners in four areas: work with Registered Jerseys™, related dairy activities, relative progress, and future goals. They were selected from 15 outstanding youth nominated by state Jersey associations, based on their cumulative record through December 31, 2019.

The American Jersey Cattle Association (AJCA) presented cash awards totaling $4,500, including $750 to the contest winner, at the Youth Award Ceremony held in conjunction with The All American Junior Jersey Show.

The Top Three Honorees

Ranked first was Katarina Emerich, Mooers, N.Y. A junior at Purdue University majoring in agribusiness, she placed third in last year’s contest. Katarina has participated in the National Youth Production Contest, Class V of Jersey Youth Academy and has received several scholarships through the AJCA. She has developed a herd with animals focused on both type and production, allowing her to compete well in the show ring and production contests. Katarina was also the 2019 First Alternate National Jersey Queen. In the future, she would like to work as a consultant or in marketing for a dairy cattle genetics company.

Kathryn Bosley, Malone, N.Y., placed second in the contest. She is active on her family’s Registered Jersey dairy, Tierney Farm, where she has a herd of 35 cows. Kathryn is in her senior year at the State University of New York (SUNY)-Cobleskill where she will obtain a bachelor’s degree in animal science and associate’s in dairy production and management. She frequents the tanbark trail and has exhibited many class winners and champions at various local, state and national shows. Kathryn is an avid dairy cattle evaluator and is active in many organizations through her university.

Placing third was Gracie Krahn of Albany, Ore. The 2019 National Jersey Queen, Gracie owns and manages a herd of 33 Registered Jerseys on her family’s operation, Royal Riverside Farms, which includes on-farm milk processing and bottling. Gracie currently attends Linn Benton Community College in Albany but plans to transfer to Oklahoma State University where she will dual major in agriculture communications and animal sciences. Passionate about the dairy industry, Gracie frequently gives presentations on the benefits of dairy products and the Jersey cow. She’s also active exhibiting her Jersey cattle and in the Oregon Junior Jersey Association.   

Rounding Out The Top 10
Ranking fourth through tenth in the contest were:

  • Kylie Lehr, Canastota, N.Y., an animal science major at Cornell University who has participated in many AJCA youth programs, including production contests, the All American Junior Jersey Show and Class V of Jersey Youth Academy;
  • Lydia Chittenden, Schodack Landing, N.Y., a sophomore at SUNY-Cobleskill working to obtain a bachelor’s degree in animal science who has regularly competed in the Pot O’Gold and National Jersey Youth Production contests and attended Class VI of Jersey Youth Academy;
  • Colin Wussow, Cecil, Wis., attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with an agriculture business major, was a finalist for the National FFA Dairy Entrepreneurship Proficiency, recently obtained his American FFA Degree and a member of Jersey Youth Academy Class VI in 2019;
  • Erin Leach, Linwood, Kan., has exhibited champion animals at the All American Jersey Shows, was a member of the fifth class of Jersey Youth Academy in 2017 and recently graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in animal science;
  • Joshua Seals, Tillamook, Ore., a sophomore at Eastern Oregon University majoring in agriculture science, active in the Oregon Jersey Cattle Association and participated in Class VI of Jersey Youth Academy;
  • Abigail Grimm, Princeton, Minn., former Fred Stout Experience on-farm intern at Broumley Dairy in Hico, Texas, attended Jersey Youth Academy in 2019 and gained a majority of her dairy cattle experience by working for various dairy farms; and
  • Willow Voetglen, Columbia Cross Roads, Pa., has a career in the dairy cattle A.I. industry, co-owner of August Gold Jerseys, a newly established REAP herd, and was a member of the fifth class of Jersey Youth Academy.

The National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest has been sponsored annually since 1957 by the American Jersey Cattle Association.

About the National Jersey Youth Programs          

Organized in 1868, the Jersey association has sponsored educational programs and activities for young people interested in the Jersey breed since 1917. Junior members have the same registration privileges as Lifetime Members, and also the incentives of a comprehensive program leading to national recognition for their achievements with Jersey cattle.

These programs include:

  • Free membership in the association until the youth’s 21st birthday (upon application to the association);
  • The All American Junior Jersey Show in Louisville, Ky., providing the thrill of competition in the largest show of Registered Jerseys™ in the world and introductions to lifelong friends from across the United States;
  • the National Jersey Youth Production Contest and Pot O’Gold sales, which create incentives for keeping production and management records;
  • national scholarships that help pay for hands-on work experiences and college educations;
  • the National Jersey Youth Achievement Contest, the ultimate recognition for Jersey youth between the ages of 16 and 20; and
  • Jersey Youth Academy, an intensive educational program that will be conducted in 2021 in Columbus, Ohio.

The annual National Heifer Sale is the primary source of funding for the AJCA’s youth program. The 2020 sale on June 26 in Columbus, Ohio, set new records with 16 lots averaging $10,996.88 and raising over $17,500 for Jersey youth programs. Additional funds are available from the Maurice E. Core Jersey Youth Fund, the Charlene Nardone National Jersey Queen Fund and scholarship funds managed by the American Jersey Cattle Association.

For More Information

For more information about the American Jersey Cattle Association’s youth programs, contact the Communications Department at 614/322-4451, or visit the USJersey website.

Scroll to Top