Bailey. 468 Holsteins. One Red & White underdog. If you missed Friday’s showdown in Madison, you missed everything.
The colored shavings of Madison trembled under the weight of pure emotion. After six days that felt like a lifetime, World Dairy Expo 2025 delivered its grand finale—and holy cow, what a finale it was! If you weren’t there, you missed the kind of electricity that makes grown farmers cry, champions shake, and crowds roar like they’re watching the winning touchdown at the Super Bowl.
The Moment That Stopped Madison Cold
Picture this: The Supreme Champion candidates enter the ring. Golden-Oaks Temptres-Red-ET stands alongside the defending 2024 World Dairy Expo Supreme Champion—Stoney Point Joel Bailey, the Jersey legend who’d just claimed her THIRD consecutive Grand Champion Jersey title earlier in the week.
The tension was unbearable. Bailey, the first Jersey Supreme Champion since 2016, was attempting to defend her crown. The crowd held its breath as judges deliberated between the reigning queen and the Red & White challenger.
Then came the announcement over the microphone: Golden-Oaks Temptres-Red-ET, the new Supreme Champion. The roar that erupted could’ve been heard in Milwaukee. This five-year-old Unstopabull daughter didn’t just win—she dethroned a living legend. Owners Milk Source, Fischer, Steincrest & Crescentmead of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, watched three years of planning explode into pure glory. The Red & White had done the impossible—beaten Bailey on dairy’s biggest stage.
Standing in Reserve was Lovhill Sidekick Kandy Cane, the Holstein powerhouse who’d claimed Grand Champion of the International Holstein Show just hours earlier. The Lamb family of Oakfield, New York, couldn’t stop hugging each other—their five-year-old Sidekick daughter had just proven she belonged with the immortals, even if Bailey couldn’t be beaten this year.
Junior Show Magic: Where Kids Become Legends
The Junior Show delivered moments that had seasoned exhibitors wiping their eyes. When Luck-E Merjack Asalia was tapped for Supreme Champion, sisters Tessa & Stella Schmocker of Whitewater, Wisconsin, literally jumped into each other’s arms.
This wasn’t just a cow winning—this was years of 5:45 a.m. wake-ups, missed school dances, and family sacrifices crystallizing into one perfect moment. Their lifetime production champion had just proved that dreams don’t care how old you are.
Reserve Supreme went to Toppglen Wishful Thinking-ET, and the Topp family’s reaction was pure gold. Tanner, Brennan, Marissa, and Logan—four siblings from West Salem, Ohio—created a group hug so tight the photographer had to wait minutes for them to separate.
Holstein Royalty: When Legends Collide in Black & White
The International Holstein Show delivered drama worthy of its 468-head entry. Lovhill Sidekick Kandy Cane claimed the throne as Grand Champion, bringing the Lamb family of Oakfield, New York, their moment of glory. This wasn’t just another win—this was validation on the world’s biggest stage. The five-year-old Sidekick daughter had already dominated the Eastern Fall National Holstein Show and the Northeast Spring National earlier this year, but Madison was different. Madison was everything.
The backstory added layers to the triumph. Last year’s sensation, Jeffrey-Way Hard Rock Twigs, had completed the coveted North American double—winning both World Dairy Expo and the Royal Winter Fair. Twigs had been unstoppable, dominating every ring she entered. But this year belonged to Kandy Cane, who proved that dynasties are made to be challenged.
Standing as Reserve Grand Champion was West-Adub Lambda Sadie, Butlerview Farm’s junior three-year-old, who also claimed Intermediate Champion. The depth of quality was staggering—Judge Aaron Eaton later called the junior three-year-old class “exceptional” with quality “20 deep.”
The Cinderella Story Nobody Saw Coming
Then came the shocker that had everyone buzzing in the barns. Echo Glen Master Ivy—a Winter Yearling Holstein nobody was talking about three days ago—became Supreme Champion Heifer of the entire World Dairy Expo.
Owner Ronald Grandy of Beaverton, Ontario? He couldn’t speak. Literally, “I had never thought of that ever happening,” he finally managed, voice cracking. “Last night I was on a high, like a big high for a long time… Unbelievable”.
Here’s what makes this magical: Grandy came with four head. All four won their classes. That’s not luck—that’s destiny wearing work boots. His hands shook as he held Ivy’s halter, this March purchase from Clark Valley’s sale that just rewrote his family’s future.
Butlerview’s Return to Victory Lane
Butlerview Farm was announced as Premier Exhibitor. Their West-Adub Lambda Sadie had just claimed both Intermediate Champion and Reserve Grand Champion, but the real story was in Mike Deaver’s eyes.
“They’re pretty happy, I’ll tell you,” Deaver said, voice thick with emotion. His team—from “three or four different countries”—erupted in celebrations that transcended language. “They’re very humble. They don’t take anything for granted, and when we have success, it’s a thrill”.
The impossible happened: Butlerview won first, second, AND third in a two-year-old class. “It doesn’t happen very often,” Deaver understated, while his team celebrated like they’d won the World Cup.
The Marathon That Made History
Judge Aaron Eaton’s voice was hoarse by the time he finished. 468 Holsteins. Two days. One moment he’ll never forget.
“It was unbelievable to judge a show of this magnitude,” Eaton said, still processing what he’d just experienced. The winter calf class alone—61 head requiring 90 minutes of evaluation—had the crowd on their feet the entire time.
But the moment that broke him? A 16-year-old cow with 11 calves, still competitive, still proud, walking that ring like she owned it. “It takes so much time and patience and dedication,” Eaton said, voice catching.
His daughters had won in the Red & White show earlier. “That’d be right up there with my favorite part of the week,” he admitted, the judge becoming a proud father for just a moment.
The Klussendorf Moment: 83 Years of Tradition
When they called Clark Woodmancy’s name for the 83rd Klussendorf Award, the entire Coliseum stood. This wasn’t just an award—it was recognition of a lifetime spent in barns, at sales, building the industry one handshake at a time.
“I’m very humbled and very proud,” Woodmancy said, but when the announcer mentioned New England, he knew. His wife grabbed his hand. His team cheered. Forty years of partnerships, including work with the legendary Hazel, had led to this moment.
“It’s a 365-day deal,” he reminded everyone, and the crowd nodded knowingly. Every person in that building understood exactly what he meant.
Bailey’s Legacy: The Queen Who Wouldn’t Quit
While Bailey didn’t defend her Supreme title, her third consecutive Grand Champion Jersey victory earlier in the week had already cemented her as one of the greatest ever to walk the colored shavings. Nathan Thomas, her handler, put it perfectly: “She’s moved beyond being just a champion of her time”.
The drama of seeing the defending Supreme Champion go head-to-head with new challengers added electricity to an already charged atmosphere. Bailey may have passed the Supreme torch, but her three-year reign as Jersey Grand Champion remains untouchable.
The Atmosphere That Defined a Generation
The barns took on a tailgate atmosphere all week, but Friday was different. Friday was electric. ExpoTV’s live coverage had live commentators. Music pumped. Competitors who’d been rivals all week hugged like family.
People become invested, much like with sports teams. Like, will anyone beat Bailey?. The answer came dramatically—not in the Jersey ring where Bailey remained undefeated, but in the Supreme selection where a Red & White rose to claim the ultimate crown.
The Final Moments: When Champions Were Crowned
As the final championship was awarded and the last banner raised, something magical happened. The entire Coliseum—competitors, spectators, judges, everyone—erupted in spontaneous applause that rocked the Alliant Energy Center.
This wasn’t just applause for the winners. This was recognition of what had just happened: a week where dairy excellence wasn’t just displayed—it was celebrated, elevated, and immortalized. The passing of the torch from Bailey to a new Supreme Champion symbolized the beautiful continuity of excellence.
The Unforgettable Truth
World Dairy Expo 2025 didn’t just crown champions—it created legends, built families, and reminded everyone why this industry is more than just about milk and money. It’s about moments like these, when months of work crystallize into minutes of magic, when defending champions meet new challengers, and when the impossible becomes inevitable.
The colored shavings have been swept. The banners have been hung. The trailers have rolled home. But the memories? The connections? The pure, unbridled joy of competition at its finest? Those will burn bright until next October, when Madison once again becomes the center of the dairy universe.
Because this is World Dairy Expo. This is where champions are made, dynasties are challenged, and dreams don’t just come true—they explode into reality with the force of 468 Holsteins and the passion of thousands who believe that what happens in this ring matters.
See you next year, Madison. We’ll be the ones with goosebumps, waiting for magic to strike again.
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