New York youths take ‘Spectacle’ from Expo calf to Reserve Supreme

Group of young farmers showcasing their dairy cows at the World Dairy Expo 2026, standing in a line on a green carpet. — In the Supreme lineup for the junior show were (l-r) Levi Wilcox at the halter of the grand champion junior 3-year-old he owns with his brother Ashton, Ayrshire Hall’s V-Lane Spectacle (Reserve Supreme); Lane Francis at the halter of the grand champion Red & White Luck-E Russ Astro-Red-ET, which he owns with siblings Allison and Callum; Alyson Doiron at the halter of her grand champion Holstein Arolene Dempsey Ella (Supreme); Elizabeth Schieferstine at the halter of her bred-and-owned grand champion Brown Swiss Pearl Dell Drake Whitney; Britton Allen at the halter of his bred-and-owned grand champion Milking Shorthorn Lazy M Jekyll Zella EXP; Laylaa Schuler at the halter of her two-time grand champion of the Junior show Donnybrook Ammo Stevie; Kyra Lamb at the halter of her two-time grand champion and lifetime production Jersey Kevetta Colton Delilah.
*Photo courtesy Dairy Agenda Today*

By SHERRY BUNTING

Special for Farmshine

MADISON, Wis. — A Canadian youth and her Holstein took the top Junior honor at World Dairy Expo, while a pair of New York Ayrshire youths were right there with her on the colored shavings.

Arolene Dempsey Ella, the 5-year-old Holstein owned by first-time Expo breed-show exhibitor Alyson Doiron of Cap-Santé, Quebec was named supreme champion of the World Dairy Expo Junior Show.

Reserve Supreme honors went to Hall’s V-Lane Spectacle-ET, owned by Ashton and Levi Wilcox of Varysburg, N.Y.

Bred in Oklahoma by Hall’s Ayrshires and V-Lane Farms, both of Cushing, Spectacle was purchased by the two Wilcox brothers as a calf at World Dairy Expo three years ago. She won her class at World Dairy Expo as a 2-year-old in 2025. Then, as a junior 3-year-old this year, the young Junior-owned cow advanced to be intermediate and grand champion of the International Junior Ayrshire Show as well as intermediate and honorable mention grand of the open show before garnering Reserve Supreme of the Junior show.

That Madison finish followed her wins as intermediate and grand champion of the Premier National Junior Show and open competition at the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg.

Group of six people standing with a calf at the World Dairy Expo. One person holds a yellow banner that reads 'WORLD DAIRY EXPO 2026'. — Enjoying the Reserve Supreme moment with junior 3-year-old Spectacle are owners and team from New York and Pennsylvania (l-r) Peyton and Melissa Heeter, Kelly, Levi (at halter) and Justin Wilcox, and Dan Hosking. *Photo courtesy Dairy Agenda Today*

Kelly Wilcox was quick to thank Greg and Kathy Evans of Sunny Acres Farm and Dan Hosking of Hosking Sales (both in New York) for helping with her handling and preparation during the week in Madison.

Competing for Supreme honors were additional Junior show breed grand champions, including Elizabeth Shieferstine of Verona, New York with her bred-and-owned Brown Swiss grand champion Pearl Dell Drake Whitney; Laylaa Schuler of New Glarus, Wisconsin with her two-time grand champion Guernsey Donnybrook Ammo Stevie, also grand champion of the open show; Kyra Lamb of Oakfield, New York with her two-time grand champion and lifetime production Jersey Kevetta Colton Delilah, previously Supreme of the Premier National Junior Show in Harrisburg; and Britton Allen of Stitzer, Wisconsin with his bred-and-owned grand champion Milking Shorthorn Lazy M Jekyll Zella.

Companies sponsoring the awards presented to World Dairy Expo’s Supreme Champion (cows and heifers) include Trans Ova Genetics, FutureCow, Culbertson Cattle & Marketing, the DeWall family, Ameriprint Apparel LLC, Dynasty Genetics, Frenchville Trailer Sales LLC, and Select Sires Inc.