A Junior 2-Year-Old Stole the Show: Chaluka Reynolda Bella Named Grand Champion at the 2026 NY Spring Ayrshire Show
McKayla Spencer walked into the Showplex in Hamburg, NY on Sunday afternoon with one cow — and walked out with the Grand Championship banner. Her junior 2-year-old, Chaluka Reynolda Bella, a Palmyra Lochinvar Reynolds daughter bred by Ferme Charest 2001 Inc., was the only entry in her class, yet Judge Jean-Philippe Charest had zero hesitation pulling her to the top of a competitive senior division and handing her both the Senior and Grand Champion Ayrshire titles.
That’s a bold statement from a 2-year-old — especially one standing alone in Class 7. But when the cow is right, the cow is right.
The Judge’s Picks
JP Charest sorted through roughly 49 head across 13 classes on Sunday afternoon, running simultaneously with the Brown Swiss show in the Cause Building. The cow show side was thin — single entries in three milking classes and no entries at all in both the Winter Heifer Calf and Senior 2-Year-Old classes. But what showed up in the heifer classes brought genuine depth and quality.
Reserve Grand Champion went to Palmyra Blackjack R Rosalyn, the first-place 4-year-old exhibited by Steve Linkowski of New Enterprise, PA. A Palmyra Calimero Blackjack ET daughter out of Palmyra Roush A Rosalyn, she carried the maturity and frame to earn Reserve Senior Champion honors as well.
Heifer Classes Delivered the Numbers
The real action was in the dry stock. The Summer Yearling class was the show’s deepest ring with 10 entries, followed closely by the Spring Yearlings at 9.
Class 3 – Summer Yearling (10 entries): Shocking Genetics’ Ms Cinderella’s Crown ET, a Heineman Melios Rage daughter, topped a loaded class. Russell Isley’s Kozy Kountry GB Pretty In Pink slotted second, with Karlie Supplee’s bred-and-owned Shultz Oops She Did It Again (by Mardel Stanley) earning third.
Class 4 – Spring Yearling (9 entries): Ashton and Levi Wilcox’s bred-and-owned On-The-Map Rage Journey — another Rage daughter — took command here. Winright and Madison Fisher crossed the border from Winchester, ON with Cedar Hall Climax Nala (by Marbrae Climax) for second, while Jeff Atherton’s Jackson-Hill Auto Teagan (by Marilie Autograph) grabbed third.
Class 5 – Winter Yearling (6 entries): This is where the Junior Champion emerged. True-Blessings Dante Renatte, exhibited by Cindy Bowen and Wyatt Johnston from Canton de Hatley, QC, topped the class. A Bear-Ayr Dreamer Dante daughter, she had the style and correctness Charest was looking for.
Class 2 – Fall Heifer Calf (5 entries): Russell Isley picked up his second first-place finish of the day with Kozy Kountry Gentle Rayne, a Gentle Beast daughter. The Hackett/Stoltzfus team’s Toppglen Champ Whit-ET placed second.
Class 6 – Fall Yearling (4 entries): Matthew Sweeney’s bred-and-owned Maple View’s A Carmenere (AMC), by Marilie Autograph, took the top spot here.
No Intermediate Champion was named in either the open or junior show divisions, with only single entries in the Junior and Senior 3-Year-Old classes.
Sire Trends Worth Watching
Heineman Melios Rage was arguably the sire of the show. Four daughters paraded through the heifer classes, including the Summer Yearling class winner (Ms Cinderella’s Crown ET) and the Spring Yearling class winner (On-The-Map Rage Journey). That’s the kind of consistency that turns a bull from “interesting” to “proven.”
Marilie Autograph placed daughters in multiple classes — Jackson-Hill Auto Teagan (3rd Spring Yearling), Jackson-Hill AG Coke Zero (Class 3), and the Fall Yearling winner Maple View’s A Carmenere. Palmyra Lochinvar Reynoldssired both the Grand Champion and placed daughters elsewhere in the show. And Grand-View Gentle Beast continued to produce show-ring calves, with daughters from Russell Isley and Matthew Sweeney in the lineup.
The Junior Exhibitor Story
This show was loaded with junior entries, and that might be the most important takeaway from Hamburg. McKayla Spencer — a junior exhibitor — owns the Grand Champion. Ashton and Levi Wilcox showed multiple bred-and-owned entries across several classes. Karlie Supplee earned Junior Show Junior Champion with a bred-and-owned heifer. Claire and Cara Stoltzfus, Mulligan Palmerton, Tyler March, Natalie Stuart — the next generation of Ayrshire breeders showed up and showed well.
The Wilcox family’s On-The-Map prefix appeared in three classes, all bred-and-owned junior entries. That’s not just participation — that’s a breeding program in the making.
Small Show, Big Signals
Let’s be honest: a show with single-entry milking classes and no entries in two divisions isn’t going to be confused with a national. But the NY Spring Ayrshire Show has never been about massive numbers — it’s about kicking off the season and getting a read on who’s bringing what.
The signals from Hamburg are clear. The heifer classes are strong, the junior exhibitors are engaged, and Rage daughters are everywhere. The cow side needs more depth, but the pipeline looks healthy. When a junior exhibitor’s 2-year-old is good enough to beat everything else in the building, the breed’s got something to build on.
Class 2 – Fall Heifer Calf (Born 09/01/25–11/30/25) — 5 Entries
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Kozy Kountry Gentle Rayne | Gentle Beast | Russell Isley | Clear Spring, MD |
| 2nd | Toppglen Champ Whit-ET | Cedarcut Colata’s Champion | Christopher & Melanie Hackett & Claire Stoltzfus | Manheim, PA |
| 3rd | SML PV Auto Blithe-ET | Marilie Autograph | Peter Vail & Rosie Trowbridge | Middleburgh, NY |
| 4th | Houghton Farms Dynamic Melody | Good-Vue-KP Dynamic | Morgan Houghton | Paxton, MA |
| 5th | On-The-Map Rage Bellaroz | Heineman Melios Rage | Ashton and Levi Wilcox | Freedom, NY |
Class 3 – Summer Yearling Heifer (Born 06/01/25–08/31/25) — 10 Entries
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Ms Cinderella’s Crown ET | Heineman Melios Rage | Shocking Genetics | Chambersburg, PA |
| 2nd | Kozy Kountry GB Pretty In Pink | Gentle Beast | Russell Isley | Clear Spring, MD |
| 3rd | Shultz Oops She Did It Again | Mardel Stanley | Karlie Supplee | Chambersburg, PA |
| 4th | Jackson-Hill Rage Bender | Heineman Melios Rage | Jeff Atherton | Greenwood, NY |
| 5th | Pennwood O’Reilly Gem | Palmyra O’Reilly | Claire & Cara Stoltzfus | Manheim, PA |
| 6th | Hardy-Farms Reynolds Ava | Reynolds | Robert Nagel | Ephrata, PA |
| 7th | Grand-View PV Tux Draven (AMC)-ET | Ruisseau Clair Tuxedo (AMC)-ET | Tyler March | Walton, NY |
| 8th | Grand-View PV T Drama-ET | Ruisseau Claire Tuxedo | Ashton and Levi Wilcox | Freedom, NY |
| 9th | Jackson-Hill AG Coke Zero | Marilie Autograph | Jeff Atherton | Greenwood, NY |
| 10th | Maple View’s Beast Reba | Grand-View Gentle Beast | Matthew Sweeney | Appleton, NY |
Class 4 – Spring Yearling Heifer (Born 03/01/25–05/31/25) — 9 Entries
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | On-The-Map Rage Journey | Heineman Melios Rage | Ashton and Levi Wilcox | Freedom, NY |
| 2nd | Cedar Hall Climax Nala | Marbrae Climax | Winright & Madison Fisher | Winchester, ON |
| 3rd | Jackson-Hill Auto Teagan | Marilie Autograph | Jeff Atherton | Greenwood, NY |
| 4th | Spencer Farms Rage X-Layla | Heineman Melios Rage | McKayla Spencer | Attica, NY |
| 5th | Glamourview PV KS Beyonce-ET | Bear-Ayr Distinct Kingsire | Lily Trowbridge & Peter Vail | Middleburgh, NY |
| 6th | Mile High C Mercedes | Kler-Vu Charisma-ET | Tyler March | Walton, NY |
| 7th | Hillacres Kiwi’s Koachella | Ridale Most Wanted-ET | Maple Downs Farms II / Peter Vail | Peach Bottom, PA |
| 8th | On-The-Map Stanley Beyonce | Mardel Stanley | Ashton and Levi Wilcox | Freedom, NY |
| 9th | Maple View’s Dynamic Kiwi | Good-Vue-KP Dynamic | Matthew Sweeney | Appleton, NY |
Class 5 – Winter Yearling Heifer (Born 12/01/24–02/29/25) — 6 Entries
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | True-Blessings Dante Renatte | Bear-Ayr Dreamer Dante | Cindy Bowen & Wyatt Johnston | Canton de Hatley, QC |
| 2nd | Mile High Shockwave Icelyn | Mont Comi Shockwave-ET | Lily Trowbridge & Peter Vail | Middleburgh, NY |
| 3rd | Woodman-Farm GB Gertrude | Grand-View Gentle Beast | Peter Vail | Middleburgh, NY |
| 4th | Lace Acres Boond Galaxy | Good-Vue Boondock | Natalie Stuart | Quarryville, PA |
| 5th | River Valley GB Rum | Gentle Beast | Kassi Bailey | Fillmore, NY |
| 6th | Myline-RC Get Chills-ET | Duo Star Gentleman ET | Hallie Steck & Justin Fox | Atwater, OH |
Class 6 – Fall Yearling Heifer (Born 09/01/24–11/30/24) — 4 Entries
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Maple View’s A Carmenere (AMC) | Marilie Autograph-ET | Matthew Sweeney | Appleton, NY |
| 2nd | MM-T Pockets Sharp Criminal-ET | Deer-Hill Sharp Dressed Man | Maple Downs Farms II / Peter Vail | Middleburgh, NY |
| 3rd | Jackson-Hill Reynolds Fever | Palmyra Lochinvar Reynolds-ET | Jeff Atherton | Greenwood, NY |
| 4th | Sliver-Lane Most Bootylicious | Ridale Most Wanted-ET | Lexi Findley | Quarryville, PA |
Junior Champion
True-Blessings Dante Renatte — Cindy Bowen & Wyatt Johnston, Canton de Hatley, QC
Reserve Junior Champion
Ms Cinderella’s Crown ET — Shocking Genetics, Chambersburg, PA
Junior Champion (Junior Show)
Shultz Oops She Did It Again — Karlie Supplee, Chambersburg, PA
Reserve Junior Champion (Junior Show)
Toppglen Champ Whit-ET — Christopher & Melanie Hackett & Claire Stoltzfus, Manheim, PA
Class 7 – Junior 2-Year-Old (Born 03/01/24–08/31/24) — 1 Entry
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Chaluka Reynolda Bella | Palmyra Lochinvar Reynolds-ET | McKayla Spencer | Attica, NY |
Class 8 – Senior 2-Year-Old (Born 09/01/23–02/28/24)
No Entries
Class 9 – Junior 3-Year-Old (Born 03/01/23–08/31/23) — 1 Entry
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Maple View’s Rushmore Katrina | Palmyra Ruth’s Rushmore-ET | Timothy Stead | Appleton, NY |
Class 10 – Senior 3-Year-Old (Born 09/01/22–02/28/23) — 1 Entry
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Family-AF-Ayr Vicking Anna | De La Plaine Vicking-ET | Chase Eller, Jared Helsley & Daniel Fyock | Roaring Spring, PA |
Class 11 – 4-Year-Old (Born 09/01/21–08/31/22) — 4 Entries
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Palmyra Blackjack R Rosalyn | Palmyra Calimero Blackjack ET | Steve Linkowski | New Enterprise, PA |
| 2nd | True-Blessings KS Cherry Candy | Bear-Ayr Distinct Kingsire | Jared Fishman, Fiona Malauley & Jarvis Idowu | Canton de Hatley, QC |
| 3rd | True-Blessings PK Rollthedice | Palmyra Lochinvar Reynolds | Preston Peabody | Buskirk, NY |
| 4th | All-Glo Reagan Minnie | Palmyra Berkley Reagan | Avery Kaufman | Berlin, PA |
Class 12 – 5-Year-Old (Born 09/01/20–08/31/21) — 2 Entries
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Jackson-Hill Beguiled Curry | Destiny Bethanys Beguiled-ET | Mulligan Palmerton | Delevan, NY |
| 2nd | Scapeland K Sunday | Bear-Ayr Distinct Kingsire | Maple Downs Farms II / Peter Vail | Middleburgh, NY |
Class 13 – Aged Cow (Born Prior to 08/31/20) — 1 Entry
| Place | Animal | Sire | Exhibitor | City/State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Rock-View Perfecta Brandy | Locust-Springs Gibbs Perfecta | Maple Downs Farms II / Peter Vail | Middleburgh, NY |
Class 14 – 100,000 Lifetime Production (Colored Breeds)
No Entries
Senior Champion
Chaluka Reynolda Bella — McKayla Spencer, Attica, NY
Reserve Senior Champion
Palmyra Blackjack R Rosalyn — Steve Linkowski, New Enterprise, PA
Senior Champion (Junior Show)
Chaluka Reynolda Bella — McKayla Spencer, Attica, NY
Reserve Senior Champion (Junior Show)
True-Blessings PK Rollthedice — Preston Peabody, Buskirk, NY
Grand Champion Ayrshire
Chaluka Reynolda Bella — McKayla Spencer, Attica, NY
Reserve Grand Champion Ayrshire
Palmyra Blackjack R Rosalyn — Steve Linkowski, New Enterprise, PA
Grand Champion Ayrshire (Junior Show)
Chaluka Reynolda Bella — McKayla Spencer, Attica, NY
Reserve Grand Champion Ayrshire (Junior Show)
True-Blessings PK Rollthedice — Preston Peabody, Buskirk, NY