The Wisconsin 4-H team was High Team Overall among the 21 4-H and FFA youth teams competing in the Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest at the 2004 North American International Livestock Exposition. The Wisconsin team scored 1,796 points – 6 points ahead of second-place Minnesota 4-H – at the contest, held Nov. 7 at Louisville, Ky. This is Wisconsin 4-H”s seventh contest win in the 22-year history of the event, and Wisconsin has more high team finishes than any other state.
Team Wisconsin 4-H Placed:
1st in Oral Reasons
1st in Guernseys
3rd in Holsteins
1st in Jerseys
5th in Ayrshires

Team Members and Individual Awards:
Nikki Kessenich – DeForest, Wis. – Columbia County
High Individual Overall (615 points)
1st in Oral Reasons
1st in Holsteins
1st in Jerseys

Vickie Cooper – DeForest, Wis. – Dane County
5th High Individual Overall
5th in Holsteins
2nd in Jerseys

Dan Ziegler – Belleville, Wis. – Dane County
1st in Guernseys
4th in Ayrshires

Grady Wubbenhorst – Westby, Wis. – Vernon County
4th in Guernseys

Ted Halbach, UW-Madison extension dairy youth specialist, coached the team. Team members were selected by their high overall individual placing at the Wisconsin State 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held Aug. 11 at West Allis, Wis. The Wisconsin 4-H Dairy Endowment Fund sponsored the team.

Wisconsin 4-H Grant County Placed:
4th High Team Overall (1,755 points)
2nd in Ayrshires
3rd in Jerseys
4th in Guernseys
5th in Oral Reasons

Team Members and Individual Awards:
Heather Scanlan – Fennimore, Wis.
9th High Individual Overall

Becky Martin – Stitzer, Wis.
1st in Ayrshires

Craig Pagenkopf – Lancaster, Wis.

Michael Maier – Stitzer, Wis.

Andy Buttles and Joan Mueller coached the team. Grant County placed third at the Wisconsin State 4-H Dairy Cattle Judging Contest held Aug. 11 at West Allis, Wis., earning the team the opportunity to compete at the All-American Youth Judging Contest in Harrisburg, Pa. However, because of flooding associated with Hurricane Ivan the contest was cancelled and the Grant County team was allowed entry into the NAILE Invitational Youth Dairy Cattle Judging Contest.