Area 4-H clubs vie for ribbons at Dairy Quiz Bowl

SPRINGFIELD — Twenty-seven 4-H’ers from Orange and Windsor Counties, including 10 first-time competitors, participated in the Central and Southeast Region 4-H Dairy Quiz Bowl on March 3.

Five clubs were represented at this University of Vermont Extension 4-H event, held at Vermont Technical College in Randolph Center. They were the Clever Clovers, Tunbridge; Middle Branch 4-H Club, Randolph Center; Rambling Rivers, Newbury; Top of the World, Reading; and Windsor Wonders, Springfield.

The two-part competition kicked off with a general knowledge written exam in the morning followed by a quiz bowl where 4-H’ers earned points for being the first to respond to questions on feeds and feeding, herd health, breeding and genetics, marketing, dairy foods, calf raising, milk quality and cattle breeds. The scores from both were combined to determine the placements in each division.

Rankings were as follows:

Novices (8-10 and first time participant):Sylvia Johnson, Tunbridge (first); Joey Palazzo, Pomfret (second); Morgan Caron, Tunbridge (third); Dani Flint, Randolph (fourth); Andrew Fors, Randolph and Arden Reisterer, Bethel (tie for fifth ); and Owen Bishop, Reading (sixth)

Beginners (8-10): Elizabeth Waterman, Thetford Center, and Dominic Palazzo, Pomfret (tie for first); Lucy Palmer, Ludlow (second); Leah Rogers, Randolph (third); and Kalynn Messier, Randolph Center (fourth)

Rookies (11-18 and first time participant): Amanda Ferris, Braintree (first); Sophie Martin, Springfield (second); and Joey Ferris, Braintree (third)

Juniors (11-13): Zach Johnson, Tunbridge (first); Dylan Slack, Bethel (second); Anabelle Messier, Randolph Center (third); and Jeremy Cross (fourth) and Josie Cross (fifth), both from Reading

Seniors (14-18): Keenan Thygesen, Tunbridge (first);Tyler Slack, Bethel (second); Hannah Dolloff, Springfield (third); Riley Cross, Reading (fourth); Caleb Palazzo, Pomfret (fifth); and Ron Senecal, Bradford (sixth)

Wyatt Messier of Randolph Center participated in the written exam phase of the competition in the senior division but not the buzzer rounds due to another commitment.

For more information about the 4-H dairy program in Orange County, call Allison Smith at (802) 476-2003, Ext. 205. For Windsor County, contact Lisa Muzzey at (802) 885-8386.