The stakes just got higher in Madison. World Dairy Expo dropped the judge lineup for its 59th edition, and the selections aren’t just names on paper—they’re the architects of genetic destiny for North America’s elite dairy cattle set to compete September 29 through October 2, 2026.
These eight individuals will walk onto the colored shavings with one mandate: identify excellence among the continent’s finest dairy genetics while 60,000 industry stakeholders watch every placement decision. Their selections ripple through breeding programs worldwide, making lineups worth tens of millions in genetic value.
The Power Behind the Placings
World Dairy Expo’s judge selection carries weight that extends far beyond a championship banner. When these officials place their classes, they’re essentially publishing a real-time genetic report card that influences sire selection, embryo values, and breeding decisions in herds from California to Quebec.
The selection process itself reflects the industry’s commitment to credibility. Exhibitors—those with actual cattle entered in each breed show—nominate candidates and vote on finalists from approved lists. It’s democracy with skin in the game, ensuring judges earn their assignments through respect from the breeding community, not backroom politics.
Meet Your 2026 Judges
International Ayrshire Show: David Hanson, Nicolette, Minnesota
Hanson represents the eighth generation of Ayrshire breeding at Good-Vue Farms in Minnesota’s remote Red River Valley region—a five-hour drive northwest of Minneapolis, where serious breeders don’t haul cattle to Madison without confidence they can compete.
The University of Minnesota graduate was a member of the school’s championship dairy judging teams before developing his eye in the professional ranks. He’s been building his judging resume methodically—county fairs, state shows, then breaking into the national circuit with assignments like the 2022 Southern National Ayrshire Show in Louisville. International gigs in Finland and South Africa followed, but Madison 2026 represents his highest-profile domestic assignment yet.
Hanson’s family doesn’t just show Ayrshires—they live them. His mother, Linda, earned the USABA Distinguished Service Award in 2018 after 14 years on the national board and international travel to promote the breed’s versatility. That missionary zeal runs deep: the family now actively pursues 100% pure Ayrshire bloodlines to strengthen the breed’s genetic foundation.
International Brown Swiss Show: Richard “RT” Thompson, Darlington, Wisconsin
Thompson runs Random Luck Farm, a 130-cow operation milking Brown Swiss, Jerseys, and Holsteins. But it’s his brown cows that define his legacy. After graduating from UW-Platteville in 1991, Thompson spent three years fitting for the powerhouse Pinehurst Farms Holstein program, learning from mentors David Bachmann Sr. and Terry Lee.
His career pivot came at Sunshine Genetics, where daily exposure to elite Brown Swiss ignited a lifelong affinity for the breed. “You’d see that the show winners were also the bull mothers of the breed, and it really just seemed to be a type of cow and a philosophy that suited me,” Thompson explained.
Random Luck has produced over 200 Excellent cows, 100 All-American nominees, and collected more than 50 Premier Breeder awards across shows, including WDE and regional nationals. The operation’s Random Luck B Tea Rose earned 2020 Wisconsin Cow of the Year honors. Thompson also claimed the A.C. “Whitie” Thomson Award in 2013 at World Dairy Expo—recognition of sustained excellence in breeding and exhibiting.
Thompson serves on the WDE Dairy Cattle Exhibitor Committee and was inducted into the Wisconsin State Fair Dairy Barn Hall of Fame in 2019, acknowledging decades of commitment to Wisconsin’s flagship agricultural event.
International Guernsey Show: Chris Lang, Big Prairie, Ohio
Lang operates Springhill Farm, a Guernsey breeding program that’s become synonymous with WDE success. Since serving as associate judge at the 2011 National Guernsey Show, Springhill cattle have been fixtures on Madison’s colored shavings, consistently producing champions and All-American nominees.
In 2018, his heifer Springhill Jokes Finale-ETV claimed Supreme Champion Heifer honors at the All-American Dairy Show, demonstrating Lang’s ability to identify and develop elite genetics from birth through maturity. That eye for quality has made him a sought-after judge across multiple breeds—he’s placed Premier National Junior Brown Swiss and Milking Shorthorn shows alongside his Guernsey assignments.
Lang’s international experience includes judging the 2019 National Guernsey Show at Australia’s International Dairy Week, bringing American perspectives on type and production to Southern Hemisphere breeders.
International Holstein Show: Ryan Krohlow, Poynette, Wisconsin
Krohlow operates HammerTime Holsteins on a 40-acre farmette with his wife, Haley and their four children—Callie, Conway, Cooper, and Case. Don’t let the acreage fool you: this compact operation punches way above its weight class, producing multiple All-American nominations from just eight to ten show heifers annually.
The operation has morphed into HammerTime Auctions, a registered dairy cattle auction service that’s sold multiple All-American nominees over the past three years. Krohlow’s dual expertise—20 years as a professional dairy cattle fitter and 12 years as a hoof trimmer—gives him a ground-level understanding of what creates lasting functional excellence.
He’s prepared 17 grand champions at World Dairy Expo and 10 at the Royal Winter Fair. His judging assignments have spanned the industry’s biggest stages: he served as an official judge for the 2024 International Jersey Show at WDE after serving as an associate judge for the 2022 International Holstein Show.
Krohlow also farms in partnership with his father-in-law at Mell-View Holsteins, where daughter Callie’s winter yearling, Mell-View Sfest Darla, topped the class at the 2024 International Junior Holstein Show. The family’s success demonstrates that elite genetics and savvy management trump farm size every time.
International Junior Holstein Show: Ben Wallace, Stoughton, Wisconsin
Wallace brings youth show experience and a competitive edge to the Junior Holstein assignment. He’s actively exhibiting at Wisconsin’s district shows and major regional events, keeping his eye sharp by competing against the same caliber of cattle he’ll judge in Madison.
His operation has produced champions like Winright Alt Talladega-Red-ET, which claimed top honors at the 2024 Wisconsin District 6 Show. Wallace’s involvement extends beyond his own program—he’s exhibited cattle in partnership with operations like Nor-Rich Acres, demonstrating collaborative genetics marketing.
Wallace’s judging assignments across Wisconsin’s district show circuit have prepared him for the intensity of placing youth competition at WDE, where young exhibitors often show at professional levels that rival—and sometimes exceed—open competition.
International Jersey Show: Mike Berry, Powell Butte, Oregon
Berry’s resume reads like a masterclass in versatility: former professional dairy cattle fitter, World Dairy Expo Jersey Show judge, WDE Holstein Show judge, and Royal Winter Fair Jersey Show judge.
He’s officiated the All-American Jersey Show twice, plus appearances judging the National Jersey Jug Futurity and the All-American Junior Jersey Show. His judging assignments span state shows coast to coast, building a reputation for consistent placings backed by sound reasoning.
Berry’s background in fitting gives him a unique perspective on cattle preparation and presentation—he knows the difference between temporary cosmetics and genuine structural merit. That’s critical at an event where the best fitters in North America bring their A-game to every class.
International Milking Shorthorn Show: Matt Henkes, Luana, Iowa
Henkes represents sixth-generation dairy farming in northeast Iowa, working full-time with his parents on a 65-cow Registered Holstein and Milking Shorthorn operation. But it’s his Henkeseen prefix Milking Shorthorns that dominate the national conversation.
Henkeseen genetics have swept classes at World Dairy Expo repeatedly. The 2024 International Milking Shorthorn Show saw Henkeseen Petr Shots-EXP-ET claim both Intermediate Champion and Best Bred & Owned honors. The 2022 show featured Henkeseen Royalty Reason-EXP, which won Best Bred & Owned and multiple class championships.
Henkes’ operation produces cattle that win as calves and dominate as aged cows—proof of genetic durability that transcends showring flash. His 2025 entries filled multiple classes at WDE, with Henkeseen Wild Berry-EXP and other entries demonstrating consistent quality across age groups.
International Red & White Show: Aaron Eaton, Marietta, New York
Eaton Holsteins has generated over 100 All-American or All-Canadian nominations, including nine Holstein, Jersey, or Red & White cows named national champions. The operation has claimed 11 Junior Champions or Reserves at the World Dairy Expo and the Royal Winter Fair.
Eaton’s breeding program has produced one EX-97, three EX-96, and four EX-95 classified cows—elite genetics that photograph well and milk even better. He works alongside the Currie Holsteins team in Tully, New York, assisting with daily operations, cattle development, showing, marketing, and genetic sales.
Before committing full-time to his family farm, Eaton worked as a professional dairy cattle fitter for 12 years across North, South, and Europe. That international exposure refined his eye for quality that transcends regional preferences. He’s judged state, regional, and national shows throughout North America, serving as associate judge at the 2023 Canadian National Holstein Show and the 2024 International Holstein Show at WDE.
Eaton also served as associate judge for the International Red & White Show at the 2019 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair—making his 2026 official assignment at WDE a natural progression in his judging career.
Why These Selections Matter
World Dairy Expo attracts over 2,200 cattle across seven breeds, representing the genetic elite of North American dairy breeding programs. The 2025 show drew entries from nearly 100 countries, with international delegations from Morocco, New Zealand, Central and South America, and Europe converging on Madison.
These aren’t county fair participants—they’re genetic investments valued collectively in the hundreds of millions. When a judge places a class, he’s essentially ranking genetic packages that will influence breeding decisions, embryo values, and sire selection across continents.
The credibility of these placements depends entirely on the judges’ reputations. Each of these eight officials earned their assignments through decades of breeding experience, showring success, and demonstrated ability to identify functional excellence that translates to profitable production.
The Judge Selection System
WDE’s selection process deliberately puts power in the hands of exhibitors who have actual cattle entered in the shows. Here’s how it works:
Exhibitors submit nominations with their entries. A Judge Selection Committee—composed of breed-specific exhibitors selected by the Dairy Cattle Exhibitor Committee—reviews all nominees and creates a ballot featuring up to three candidates.
The ballot goes out electronically by mid-November, with votes due in early December. Each animal entered counts as one vote, ensuring that operations with significant entries have proportional influence. The candidate receiving the most votes becomes the official judge.
Upon acceptance, the official judge submits three names for consideration as associate judges. The Selection Committee reviews these nominees and approves or denies them. This system ensures both official and associate judges meet the breed community’s standards.
Individuals with ethics violations at recent WDE events or ongoing penalty terms are automatically ineligible—protecting the show’s integrity by excluding anyone who’s previously compromised the rules.
What’s at Stake in 2026
World Dairy Expo 2026 returns to the Alliant Energy Center for its 59th edition, maintaining Madison’s position as the “meeting place of the global dairy industry.” The event combines the world’s largest dairy-focused trade show (700+ companies), elite cattle competition, seminars, meetings, and networking opportunities that drive millions in genetic commerce.
The Supreme Champion selection on the final day—when all breed judges reconvene to select the best two cows in the show—creates moments that define careers and establish genetic legacies. Past Supreme Champions have sold for seven figures and influenced breeding decisions for decades.
For the eight judges announced today, September 29 through October 2, 2026, represents the pinnacle assignment in North American dairy cattle evaluation. Their decisions will echo through pedigrees, sale catalogs, and breeding programs long after the colored shavings are swept clean.
Start booking your Madison hotel rooms—this lineup of judges, combined with the genetic firepower heading to Wisconsin, makes WDE 2026 unmissable for anyone serious about dairy cattle excellence.
