Clemson Dairy Science Club students won the 2022 South Carolina State Fair

state fair…

Participating in the club gives students hands-on time with large animals

PUBLISHED ON November 21, 2022

CLEMSON, S.C. — Members of the Clemson University Dairy Science Club received several awards after participating in the 2022 South Carolina State Fair.

Students and their cattle partners take home awards, including Lauren Epps, an animal husbandry and veterinary medicine Major of Marietta, South Carolina, and her cow, Arillia. Epps and Orilia placed 4th in Jersey Coformation (form or structure) and 5th in Spectacle. Preparing for and participating in the State Fair complements what is taught in classes at Clemson.

“We spent at least four hours a week getting our cows used to the tie and practicing setting them up as if we were being watched by a judge,” Epps said. “Practicing these skills and learning what the judges look for complements what is learned in the classroom, in that we have real experience in identifying attractive traits in animals.”

Elizabeth McCabe, a livestock and veterinary specialist from Lexington, South Carolina, and her cow, Vega, placed 2nd^th in Collegiate Jersey Showmanship. Her cow placed 6th in the Junior Jersey conformation.

“This includes breaking the animal in the halter, working out the leads and getting them ready to compete in the show ring,” McCabe said. “It also involves learning as much information as possible about dairy cows and their physical characteristics.”

Members of the Clemson Dairy Science Club also participate in clinics and mock shows to help them prepare for competition.

“The first aspect of training is breaking the head,” said Lydia Owens, show chairman of the Dairy Science Club of Pickens, South Carolina. “Once the heifers are used to walking on the lead, they begin to learn the finer details of the show, such as a higher head position, a slower gait, adjusting the feet and legs and being able to switch them. »

Student learning complements the dairy knowledge learned in the classroom. During shows, students should be prepared to answer conformation-related questions about their heifer, giving them experience evaluating a dairy heifer for ideal body shape and structure, as well as flaws. They also need to know the parents of their heifer, which introduces them to the genetics associated with dairy cows. Students also gain hands-on experience with a variety of breeds, such as the Jersey, Holstein, Guernsey, and Brown Swiss, and learn the differences in purpose, structure, and temperament between the breeds.

Clemson Dairy Science Club Winners at the SC 2022 State Fair
Clemson Dairy Science Club members and their cattle partners who won at the 2022 South Carolina State Fair:

· “Holstein” category: 1^str Place Jessica Graham and “Minnie, “2^th Put Grace Cowan and “Kate” and 3^rd Place Emmaleigh Walters and “Dory.”
· Brown Swiss Showmanship category: 1^str Cue Lydia Owens and Dolly, 2^th Put Taylor Hancock and “Nen” and 3^rd Place Jessica Zayas Pardo and Oakley.
· Guernsey Combat Category: 1^str Place Chloe Groh and “Elsie”.
· Category “Jersey”: 1^str Place Victoria Mueller from “Penny”, 2^th Place Elizabeth McCabe and Vega, 3^rd Put Hannah Cooler and “Ruby” and 5^thousand Lauren Epps and “Orillia” place.
· Holstein category: 1^str Class Place and Honorable Mention Breed Champion Emmaleigh Walters and “Dory” (Clemson Charleston 4722 Tish), 1^str Class Place and Reserve Junior Breed Champion Hailey Scarborough and “Minnie” (Clemson Tropic 4019 Julie), 2^th A place in her class Grace Cowan and “Kate” (Clemson Daredevil 4837 Pear).
· Brown Swiss Category Category: 2^th Place in junior and 3^rd Open Place Lydia Owens and Dolly (Clemson Spark Dolly), 1^str Place in Junior and 2^th Open Place Taylor Hancock and “Nen” (Clemson Bocephus Nen), 1st^str Place in Junior and 2^th A place in the Open Chloe Link and “Oakley” (Diego Frey’s Clemson).
· Guernsey Category Category: 5^thousand Place in Junior and 7^thousand Open Sydney place Grace Lewis and ‘Elsie’ (Aldens HH Unforgettable reputation).
· Jersey category category: 3^rd Place in Junior and 4^thousand Place in Open Heather Sarver and “Penny” (Clemson Holeinone 523 144), 6^thousand Place in Junior and 8^thousand Elizabeth McCabe and Vega (Clemson Shocker 724 208) Open Place, 4^thousand Place in Junior and 7^thousand Place in Open Lauren Epps and “Orillia” (Cherub Colton Orillia), 7^thousand Sara Etezadmazafar Place and “Ruby” (Clemson Holeinon 523 144).

Clemson Dairy Science Club
Cows shown during the state fair are owned by Clemson University. Reta Miller, Clemson LaMaster Dairy Center manager, said that students from different walks of life are encouraged to join Dairy scientific club. The Dairy Center is part of Clemson Piedmont Studiesand an educational center.

“What’s unique about the Dairy Science Club is that no experience is required,” Miller said. “The fees are very minimal, which encourages students from all levels to participate.”

Participating in the club gives students hands-on time with large animals, especially cows. After the students go through all the necessary university training, they are assigned a heifer, and they begin to train this animal to lead on a leash. Once they have mastered the lead and the walk, the students begin teaching their heifer how to walk properly for show and how to place her feet correctly.

“Once the animals are comfortable on the leash and experience the organized chaos that is a cattle show, they become calmer,” said Miller, who joined the Clemson Dairy Science Club show team as a freshman in 2011. “The calm animals make it easier for them to work in all areas of the farm, and also make them better candidates for research projects.”

Miller became the manager of the LaMaster Dairy Center in 2021. Each semester, she usually hires six students to work on the farm.

“In my experience, being on the show team is what gets people interested in not only working on a dairy farm, but learning about the dairy industry as a whole,” she said.

Grace Cowan, a senior from Honea Path, South Carolina, and president of the Clemson Dairy Science Club, said the show team welcomes new members each semester.

“Members of the Dairy Science Club are working to protect the rapidly dying dairy industry in South Carolina,” Cowan said. “We go to farms to educate members about how different farms work. We then apply what we learn to teach others at the various agricultural shows and community events we attend as a club. I have been a member of the club for 3 years. During this time, I got the best friends.”

Cowan said the club is always looking for new members and invites anyone interested to contact them at Clemsondairyscienceclub@gmail.com.

– Clemson University