Reynoldsburg,
Ohio—Abigail Shaw, Oxford, Mass., has been crowned the 61st
National Jersey Queen.
Abby
was presented the Charlene Nardone Crown by 2017 National Jersey Queen Lakaya
Lyon on November 3, 2018 during the Jersey Junior Banquet in Louisville, Ky.
She
will represent Jersey breeders for the next year with her participation in
events such as the 151st Annual Meeting of the American Jersey
Cattle Association, World Dairy Expo and The 67th All American
Jersey Shows & Sales.
The
National Jersey Queen contest lasted two days with nine outstanding young women
from across the country competing for the coveted crown.
Abby is a sophomore attending Assumption College, Worcester,
Mass., majoring in education. A decade of 4-H work has brought out her
leadership skills, developed her abilities as a dairy cattle judge, and above
all, been the showcase for her Registered Jerseys. “At this point in my show
career,” she says, “I am exhibiting all bred and owned heifers and cows,”
winning Supreme Champion two years in a row in Connecticut and the Grand
Champion three consecutive years at the Massachusetts state 4-H show.
Abby has served as Massachusetts Jersey Princess for two years,
giving her the opportunity to participate in meetings of the state dairy
promotion board and to speak to a crucial audience—the consumer.
Her platform for the coming year is Jerseys and creating
responsibility in youth. “Without Jerseys,” she says, “I would not know what it
is to be responsible for the health and well-being of anyone other than myself.
I would not know what it is to devote countless hours and make sacrifices to
accomplish the goals I have set for myself. Jerseys help develop responsibility
in young people because they require a great amount of attention, hard work,
and patience. I believe that I can be an excellent spokesperson for the breed
and an example of how Jerseys can create responsibility and diligence in youth
as I enter adulthood.”
Allison
Foster, Portage, Wis., was named first alternate in the contest. “Sharing the
Jersey Story” is what Allison does every minute of every day, of every week
throughout the year. “My love for Jerseys was inherited, but my passion for
Jerseys grows the more I learn about them. There are things we know, both by
experience and by research, that we must share with other producers to
encourage them to give Jerseys a try, and to consumers so we can increase the
demand for Jersey products.” Allison will graduate in December 2019 from the
University of Wisconsin-Platteville with a degree in dairy science with
long-term aims of a career either as a large-animal veterinarian or in dairy
nutrition.
Willow
Voegtlen, Beloit, Wis., was the second alternate. Willow
hails from Bedford County, Pennsylvania, where she was part of its dairy
princess program for 12 years doing more than a thousand promotions connecting
dairy farmers with consumers. She graduated from the UW-Madison Farm and
Industry Short Course program this year and is now full-time calf care lead and
assistant herdsman at Barlass Jerseys LLC in Janesville, Wis.
The
Queen and her court presented awards for the National Jersey Jug Futurity and The
66th All American Jersey Show, plus assisted with the clerking of
The All American Jersey Sale.
The
Charlene Nardone National Jersey Queen Fund provided scholarships of $500, $300
and $200 to the Queen and two alternates.
For more information, follow the National
Jersey Queen program on Facebook@USJerseyQueen.