WDE AWARD WINNER RECOGNITION 2022

A.C. “Whitie” Thomson Memorial Award

The 2022 A.C. “Whitie” Thomson Memorial Award was presented to Timothy Coon of Amenia, New York, during World Dairy Expo 2022. Whitie Thomson was known for his exemplary leadership and sportsmanship in the Showring. This honor is awarded to a herdsman or showman that exhibits the same attributes the A.C. “Whitie” Thomson Memorial Award was founded on. Coon’s roots take him back to his family’s Guernsey farm in eastern New York. His career has spanned time as a hoof trimmer and cattle fitter and working with Hanover Hill Sales and Service, The Cattle Exchange, and the Guernsey Marketing Service. In 1981, his passion for showing dairy cattle was further ignited during his first World Dairy Expo, and he has not missed a show since. Coon worked the World Premiere Sale in 1982 and traveled with Dreamstreet Holsteins under the direction of Buddy Fleming the year after where they won Grand, Reserve, and Supreme Champion titles. The New York native then began heading up the show crew of Lylehaven Holsteins from Montpelier, Vermont. Lylehaven quickly became a household name with numerous World Dairy Expo class winners and AllAmericans for cows, heifers, and bulls. In 1995, Coon embarked on a journey with Piedmont Jersey Inc. in Coaticook, Quebec, Canada, who also exhibited a plethora of class winners, All-Americans, and All-Canadians. Specifically, Coon helped prepare Waymar Patrick Nadine EX-97 for two of her Grand Champion Jersey titles at World Dairy Expo. Upon the turn of the century, Coon initiated his own show string which was made up of descendants of exceptional herds such as Woodmansee, Gage, Millbourne, Coondell, Long Pine, Oblong Valley, and many more. Most recently, the string has consisted of many from Elite Dairy in Copake, New York. In 2018 and 2019, Coon played a vital role in the success of Cutting Edge T Delilah’s titles of Grand and Supreme Champion. For the past two years, Coon has helped develop the Grand Champion Brown Swiss, Cutting Edge Thunder Faye. Coon is no stranger to receiving accolades such as Premier Breeder and Premier Exhibitor. In 2015, he was named the Klussendorf-MacKenzie award winner. Despite his numerous accomplishments, Coon remains humble and radiates the spirit of the dairy industry to those around him.

2022 Merle Howard Award

Keenan Thygesen of Tunbridge, Vermont, was named the 18th Merle Howard Award winner at the 55th World Dairy Expo on Friday, October 7. “Hard-working” and “a can-do attitude” are two descriptions for this year’s Merle Howard Award Winner. In 4-H, Thygesen served as secretary, vice president, and then president of his club. As his 4-H career came to a close, he joined his state’s quiz bowl team that competed at the highly competitive National 4-H Dairy Knowledge Bowl competition in Louisville, Kentucky. That same year, Thygesen was a delegate to the National 4-H Dairy Conference. With a deep desire to expand his dairy knowledge, Thygesen also competed in both Jeopardy and Quiz Bowl as a member of the New England Junior Holstein Association. A person who steps up to lead, he also served as secretary for that group. As a high school student at the Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire, this year’s Merle Howard winner played baseball, basketball and was a member of the STEM Scholars group. While these accolades are among the many reasons this young man won the Merle Howard award, it’s his work with the show string that ultimately led him to the winner circle. This Vermont dairy exhibitor has walked animals in four breeds across World Dairy Expo’s famed colored shavings: Ayrshire, Guernsey, Holstein, and Jersey. This includes homebred animals in all four breeds. In 2021, Thygesen showed the first-place spring calf that went on to become Reserve Junior Champion of the International Junior Guernsey Show. That same year, he was also responsible for the daily care of the Junior Champion of the International Guernsey Show. This year, Thygesen, along with his cousin, earned third place honors with their homebred Ayrshire summer junior two-yearold cow. A fitter who continues to hone his talents, Thygesen earned fourth and fifth place finishes at the two most recent youth fitting contests at World Dairy Expo. In addition, he has groomed cattle for many farms across the Northeast and Midwest. To further develop his skills, Thygesen interned at Luck-E Holsteins this past summer. Thygesen is the son of Kyle and Jen Thygesen and is currently a freshman at the University of Minnesota majoring in animal science. A unique aspect about Thygesen is that he is an accomplished poultry breeder. He received the American Poultry Association scholarship in 2022, the highest award given to a youth of that national organization. Merle Howard was a respected dairy industry pioneer. Winner of the 1954 Klussendorf Award, Howard was a herd manager, Holstein classifier, and later a sales and export businessman. Howard also served on the first National Dairy Shrine Board of Directors.

2022 Klussendorf Award

John Erbsen of Lanark, Illinois, was presented the 80th Klussendorf Award, the highest recognition given to a dairy cattle showman in the United States, during the 55th World Dairy Expo. Erbsen embodies every great quality of a great dairyman. The award is given in memory of Arthur B. Klussendorf, considered an outstanding showman of his time and a model for all who have followed him. This year’s selection was made by members of the Klussendorf Memorial Association, formed in 1937, at its annual meeting held earlier this week in Madison, Wis. Erbsen received the silver trophy designed by Tiffany Jewelers of New York City. Erbsen is among the most unique individuals to ever win the award. He continues to have a highly successful career in the A.I. industry as a dairy programs specialist and has captured outstanding cattle images as a professional photographer. Both vocations span over three decades. As good as this Illinois native is in those spaces, it’s his cow sense that ultimately led fellow Klussendorf Association members to select this individual as the 80th winner of North America’s most coveted show award. Having developed a friendship with the Kamps Family of Kamps-Hollow, he also became a big fan of Kamps-Hollow Altitude. Because of his suggestion to Select Sires, KHW Kite Advent-Red entered A.I. service and made a tremendous impact for the Red & White Holstein breed. It’s at this time that Erbsen also negotiated a purchase of Advent’s sister

KHW Regiment Apple-Red and owned her with several partners throughout the years. Today, we simply know this cow as “Apple” as she has transformed the Red & White breed. The Apple legacy unfolded when she won the Junior Two-Year-Old Cow Class at the International Holstein Show. Five years later, Apple ascended to become the Grand Champion at the International Red & White Show. Then, in 2013, one of the unique moments in World Dairy Expo annals took place — Apple’s clone, Apple 3, was named Grand Champion. Apple, herself, was named Reserve Grand Champion, and Apple’s daughter earned honorable mention honors that year. Fast forward to this year, Apple was named the All-Time Red & White World Champion by the Holstein International magazine. The next chapter of Erbsen’s incredible story began to unfold in 2013 when he invested in Apple’s six-month-old daughter, Miss Apple Snapple. Two years later, Snapple also won the Junior Two-Year-Old Cow Class at World Dairy Expo. Prior to that moment in time, Snapple was flushed and one of her calves was Erbacres Snapple Shakira-ET. Shakira eventually ascended to the pinnacle of World Dairy Expo stardom when she was named Supreme Champion for her new owners in 2021. While many great people contributed to the success of these great cows, John Erbsen was in the middle of it all.

Klussendorf-MacKenzie Award

Joel Phoenix of Cannington, Ontario, Canada, was presented the 31st KlussendorfMacKenzie Award during World Dairy Expo® 2022, in memory of Duncan MacKenzie, the 1961 Klussendorf winner. While this year’s Klussendorf-MacKenzie award winner has an impressive dairy resumé, it is most important to note that Phoenix exemplifies the standards that made Duncan MacKenzie the forbearer of this award. This year’s MacKenzie winner was a very active 4-H member and developed his skills to a level that enabled him to become a world-renowned cattle fitter. Spending more than 15 years as a professional dairy cattle fitter, this Canadian has traveled the world to work with many great people and animals. In 2013, Phoenix was honored with the inaugural Andrea Crowe Achievement Award at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Canada, for exhibiting “everyday love of the industry” that inspires others, fosters knowledge, and encourages good sportsmanship. At the shows, this Ontario dairyman is known for his sportsmanship, never having a negative word for a judge after a difficult defeat and is extremely humble when he has showring success. He is a knowledgeable source of advice for anyone who asks, and his honesty makes him a valuable partner to those who purchase animals with him. As a result of his efforts, the family dairy has owned and merchandized many AllCanadian and All-American nominations over the past ten years. One of the most admirable things about the 2022 Duncan MacKenzie winner is that even when he is working with some of the biggest, most prominent names in the industry, he is still himself. He never hesitates to use his skills and strengths to help people when they need it. Phoenix never forgets where he came from nor who his family and friends are. Phoenix would be the first to acknowledge that it takes a team to run a dairy and quick to thank his wife, Jessica, and their children, Jacob and Jordan, and his father, Jim, for their work on the farm. A successful Holstein judge, this Ontario Holstein breeder has placed cattle across Canada and around the world. This includes being the associate Holstein

John Erbsen, left, was the recipient of the 80th Klussendorf Award while Joel Phoenix, right, was presented the 31st Klussendorf-MacKenzie Award.

judge at both the Royal Winter Fair and World Dairy Expo. In addition, Joel has judged cattle at the Mexican National Holstein and Jersey Show, the New South Wales Australian Show, the Atlantic Fall Championship Show, and the Manitoba Spring Show.

2022 McKown Master Breeder Award

Cow families have always remained at the heart of Ralph Shank Jr. and Mary Shank Creek’s successful breeding program. Along with Shank’s wife Terrie and Creek’s husband Mike, they own and operate Palmyra Farm in Hagerstown, Maryland, in addition to their children and grandchildren who are the fourth and fifth generations on the family farm. The siblings’ dedication to the Ayrshire breed and its future has been nearly immeasurable. In honor of their hard work and success, they have been selected by the Klussendorf Association as this year’s recipients of the Robert “Whitey” McKown Master Breeder Award. This prestigious award honors exemplary breeders who have been successful at showing and judging dairy cattle. Winners embody qualities associated with the Klussendorf Award, including character, ability, endeavor, and sportsmanship. This award will be formally presented to Shank and Creek during the International Ayrshire Show on Wednesday, October 5 at World Dairy Expo. The long list of Palmyra bulls placed into A.I. displays their dedication and strong breeding philosophy, totaling 81 Ayrshires and 16 Holsteins. Palmyra Tri-Star Burdette is a high production and type bull with over 6,500 daughters in 1,600 herds and has been a key player in the progress of the Ayrshire breed. To round out his accomplishments, Burdette was the Premier Sire at World Dairy Expo for seven consecutive years from 2013 to 2019 and has sired national champions in seven countries. Excellent cows pair well with proven sires, which is why nearly 200 Palmyra cows have been listed on the Ayrshire Elite Cow Performance Index (CPI) list, including 42 in a single round. Additionally, 10 of their cows have ranked first. Palmyra Berkely P Ruth-ET (EX-94) is a former top CPI leader and a two-time Grand Champion at World Dairy Expo. She went on to become the Total Performance winner at Expo in 2018 and a three-time unanimous All-American. Her daughter was named Intermediate Champion and Reserve Grand Champion of the International Ayrshire Show at World Dairy Expo in 2021. Ruth’s full brother, Palmyra Berkely Reagan-ET, has been the most heavily sampled Ayrshire young sire in the U.S. with over 20,000 units of semen sold. He is following closely in Burdette’s footsteps, receiving his first Premier Sire banner in 2021. Palmyra Farm’s emphasis on breeding for production is evident, having over 150 cows with lifetime production totals of 100,000 pounds of milk or more, at least 40 with over 150,000 pounds of milk, and five others with over 200,000 pounds of milk. Palmyra is a progressive Ayrshire herd, being the first to utilize embryo transfer in the country. Further, they have showcased their genetics internationally by exporting embryos to 10 foreign countries. To match their success with breeding productive cows, this duo has also found success in the showring. Shank and Creek have been Premier Breeder 11 times, Premier Exhibitor nine times, and have shown Grand Champion cows three times at the International Ayrshire Show at World Dairy Expo. They have won Premier Breeder and Exhibitor banners numerous times at the All-American Dairy Show and Maryland State Fair. To date, they have earned 158 All-American Ayrshire nominations and achieved 49 All-American designations. Among these nominations are seven consecutive generations of Palmyra’s Ginger family. In 2011, they were recognized with the Ayrshire Master Breeder Award. Further, they have received multiple Ayrshire French production trophies and a Constructive Breeder Award. As important as excellent breeding is to this family, they also have a passion for supporting their community, the dairy industry, breed organizations, and agriculture youth programs. Over the years, they have hosted 19 student interns from 10 universities. They strive to connect with the community by hosting many tours and visitors to their farm every year, along with many classification workshops and dairy judging practices. To add to their portfolio of endeavors, they launched Palmyra Farm Cheese in 2009, which produces unique Cheddar cheeses from their Ayrshire cows. Shank and Creek have held several leadership roles and titles. Shank previously served the Maryland Ayrshire Association as a president and director. He was also chair of the National Ayrshire Youth Committee and chaired the 1998 National Ayrshire Convention along with his wife. While Shank stays closer to the day-today aspects of the farm, Creek is a global ambassador for the Ayrshire breed. She has served on the U.S. Ayrshire Breeder’s Association Board of Directors, was the World Ayrshire Federation President from 2012 to 2016, and is a past president of National Dairy Shrine. She has judged shows locally and internationally, and in 2015, she judged the International Ayrshire Show at WDE. In 2012, she was recognized as World Dairy Expo’s “Dairy Woman of the Year”. To round out their success, they were presented the National Dairy Shrine’s Outstanding Breeders Award in 2019. Shank and Creek are a humble team. They have forged their way to the top of elite Ayrshire genetics, and no job or task along the way has been too small or insignificant. No matter their accomplishments in the showring or on classification days, they never forget to support those around them and to ensure the whole breed is making progress. Their dedication to the Ayrshire breed and dairy industry is admirable and has now earned them and Palmyra Farm the title of the 2022 McKown Master Breeder Award winners. Past winners of the Robert “Whitey” McKown Master Breeder Award include: Cutting Edge Brown Swiss, Copake, N.Y., 2021; Woodsmansee Holsteins, Preston, Conn., 2019; Ovaltop Holsteins, Richfield Springs, N.Y., 2018; Wendon Holsteins, Innisfail, Alberta, 2017; Ferme Jacobs Inc., Cap-Santé, Quebec, 2016; Walk-Era, Wisconsin Dells, Wis., 2015; Pond View Farm, Danville, Vt., 2014; Quality Holsteins, Vaughan, Ontario, 2013; Windsor Manor Farms, New Windsor, Md., 2012; Moondale, Monona, Iowa, 2011; Snider Homestead, New Enterprise, Pa., 2010; and Windy Knoll View, Mercersburg, Pa., 2009. No award was given in the pandemic year of 2020. The Robert “Whitey” McKown Breeder Award was made possible by the family and friends of the 1997 Honorary Klussendorf honoree after his passing in 2009. McKown joined the Holstein World staff in 1956 and became widely respected as he traveled nationally and internationally, reporting on shows, sales, meetings, and other Holstein events. The 1987 National Dairy Shrine president also developed McKown Holsteins at Belleville, N.Y. He had great admiration for the farmer breeder. The Klussendorf Memorial Association, considered by many as the Hall of Fame for dairy cattle exhibitors, began in 1937 in memory of Arthur B. Klussendorf, considered the outstanding dairy cattle showman of his time. Each year, the Klussendorf Association votes to add a new dairy cattle exhibitor to its rolls with lifetime membership for their cumulative works.

President of the Klussendorf Association Mark Rueth, left, and Honorary Member Cory Geiger, present Palmyra the McKown Master Breeder Award for 2022.