Dairy judging team wins national title

The Purdue Dairy Judging Team won first overall at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE) collegiate dairy judging contest.

Team Results:

• 1st Team Overall
• 1st Reasons
• 1st Guernseys
• 2nd Ayrshires
• 3rd Jerseys
• 4th Holsteins
• 5th Brown Swiss

“I think our success at NAILE is really a culmination of all of the years that Brian Engleking has put into the program and the traditions that Steve Hendress started with the Purdue Dairy Judging Team,” said Evan Coblentz, a team member. “Our win shows the dedication that Purdue has had to creating a dairy judging team that can run with the big names that are out there right now. I think it is a testament to the hard work our team has put in and the belief that all of our supporters have put in us.”

The other team members that competed at the NAILE dairy judging contest included Morgan Stone, Jackie Mudd and Cade Ziegler. Stone is a junior in sales and marketing. Coblentz and Mudd are seniors in animal sciences, and Ziegler is a senior in construction management.

According to Judging Teams Coordinator Hattie McGrady, the team’s success stems from its leadership.

“The Dairy Judging Team wrapped up one of the most successful seasons in Purdue history with their win at the 2024 North American International Livestock Exposition,” McGrady said. “Brian Engleking is not only great at what he does, but he is also the most passionate about it. Their victory is a direct reflection of his leadership and wisdom as a coach.”

Brian Engleking has been coaching this team since August 2022, and he said that he never imagined the team would be this successful in this short period of time. He credits the team’s success to its members for their hard work and dedication. 

“All four of these students will be successful in life,” Engleking said. “They’ve worked hard and had that winning attitude that it takes. They’re going to be successful.”

According to Engleking, he has only one rule for his team members.

“We have one rule, and it is to have fun,” Engleking said. “I have the theory that if you’re not going to have fun, then it’s not worth doing. I want to provide a great experience for the students where they can have fun and make a lot of memories.”

The team spends its Saturdays practicing, spending the whole day at various dairy farms around the state of Indiana.

“Every Saturday, we leave Purdue’s campus around 8 AM, and we drive to farms in Indiana, judging two to three farms that day,” said Ziegler. “We judge five or six classes total. Then, after we judge those classes, we give reasons to our coach, and he critiques us.”

Winning is not the only thing members get out of being on the team. They also build skills that they can use in their future.

“Being able to make a decision quickly, sticking with your guns and defending your reasoning is extremely important going forward in future careers,” Mudd said. “I don’t think that’s a skill that many people have the opportunity to expand on, so I am very grateful for that.” 

In addition to the team awards, Stone placed first overall as an individual, beating out her nearest competition by 24 points. As the top individual overall, she was awarded the George Heersche, Jr. Award.

“I have been judging since I was eight, so it was a good way to cap off my final dairy judging contest,” Stone said. “It was very exciting, and I am very thankful for my team because they did a lot to boost my confidence.”

Individual Results:

Morgan Stone

• 1st Overall
• 1st Reasons
• 1st Ayrshire
• 1st Guernsey
• 3rd Holstein
• 7th Brown Swiss
• 7th Jersey

Evan Coblentz

• 11th Overall
• 3rd Reasons
• 1st Brown Swiss
• 2nd Guernsey

Jackie Mudd

• 12th Overall
• 11th Reasons
• 6th Guernsey
• 9th Ayrshire
• 11th Jersey

Cade Ziegler

• 24th Overall
• 17th Reasons

The NAILE dairy judging contest was the team’s final contest of 2024. Its first contest of 2025 will be in January in Fort Worth, Texas.

“We’ve already been practicing through this fall with next year’s team,” Engleking said. “I have a lot of hope for them, and I think they have the opportunity to be just as successful as this year’s team.”

Students interested in joining the dairy judging team should email Hattie McGrady.