Meet the Official Judges of World Dairy Expo 2024

International Ayrshire Show

Brandon Ferry, Hilbert, Wis., official judge

Brandon Ferry resides in Hilbert, Wisconsin with his wife, Shianne, and four children, Bryleigh, Ryker, Ledger and Corbin. There, they own and operate Fer-Crest Farms and currently milk registered Holsteins and Jerseys with a BAA of 113.4. Ferry and his family enjoy exhibiting cattle at various shows throughout the year and have achieved several All-American and Junior All-American nominations in multiple breeds. Along with exhibiting their own cattle, Ferry manages large tie-in groups for several breeders and exhibitors at various shows throughout the country. Over the past few years, Ferry has had the privilege to judge numerous state and national shows in various breeds throughout the United States and South America. This is Ferry’s fourth time judging on the colored shavings, and aside from judging in the ring, he has been asked to serve on numerous All-American panels.

Michelle Upchurch, Hebron, Ill.., associate judge

Michelle Upchurch, along with partner Mike Gregory and children Tristen and Willow, reside in Hebron, Illinois where they own and operate Dream Chaser Genetics. Upchurch and her family have bred, cared for and shown multiple national class winners, champions and All-Americans in both the Milking Shorthorn and Jersey breeds. Most recently, Upchurch received banners having the Reserve Grand Champion of the International Milking Shorthorn Show and Junior Champion of the International Milking Shorthorn Show at World Dairy Expo in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Upchurch also had success at the North American International Livestock Exposition last year, sweeping the Milking Shorthorn show as Grand Champion, Reserve Grand Champion, and Honorable Mention Grand Champion. Because of this success, Dream Chaser Genetics received 14 All-American nominations in 2023. Upchurch is a UW-Platteville graduate, where she was on the dairy judging team. She has judged multiple shows across the country in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin.

International Brown Swiss Show 

Phillip Topp, Botkins, Ohio, official judge

Phillip Topp of Botkins, Ohio owns a small herd of 40 registered cows consisting of a variety of breeds along with a fabricating maintenance business, specializing in stainless steel tig welding. Active in showrings across the country, Topp has exhibited many champions at the Ohio State Fair, North American International Livestock Exposition and World Dairy Expo, including the 1999 Grand Champion of the International Brown Swiss Show. In 2016, he was awarded the Ohio Young Breeder Award. This is Topp’s sixth time judging on the colored shavings, having served as the official judge of the Red & White, Guernsey and Ayrshire shows and associate judge for Brown Swiss and Jersey shows. He has also judged in 25 different U.S. states and internationally at the Peru International Brown Swiss Show. Topp and his wife, Carrie, have three children, Aubree, Aiden, and Alaina.

Kaleb Kruse, Dyersville, Iowa, associate judge

Kaleb Kruse hails from Dyersville, Iowa, where he milks 100 cows with his parents, Tom and Sara Kruse, and brothers Cole and Carter. They focus on high type and genomic genetics in all seven breeds and have seen success in the Showring, receiving many accolades in the Junior shows at World Dairy Expo and numerous Junior and Open All-Americans. Outside of the farm, Kaleb works as an Agronomy Sales Advisor at Innovative Ag Services and is also a Sales Team Member for Cowbuyer.com. Kaleb is an active member of the National and Iowa Ayrshire, Guernsey, Jersey and Holstein Associations, and also serves as a Marketing Committee Member for the National Ayrshire Association. He has judged numerous regional and national shows, including the Ayrshire and Junior Guernsey shows at the North American International Livestock Exposition and the Midwest National Ayrshire Show and Midwest Regional Milking Shorthorn Show.

International Guernsey Show

Lynn Harbaugh, Marion, Wis., official judge

Lynn Harbaugh, along with wife Sara and children Jacob, Logan and Madison, own and operate Bella-View Holsteins where they focus on developing elite show heifers of all breeds, with an emphasis on Holsteins. The Harbaugh’s have bred or developed 90 All-American and Junior All-American nominees across multiple breeds and have also garnered nine Junior and Reserve Junior Champion banners at World Dairy Expo. Most notably, Harbaugh has co-owned a Red & White Grand Champion and co-bred the Red & White Reserve Grand Champion at World Dairy Expo. He has a lengthy judging background, judging on the colored shavings at World Dairy Expo eight times, was the associate judge of the All-American Jersey Show at Louisville, and judged 10 National Holstein shows. Harbaugh is also a past president of the Wisconsin Holstein Association and was the inaugural recipient of the Horizon Award from the Wisconsin Holstein Association.

Herby Lutz, Chester, S.C., associate judge

Herby Lutz, of Chester, South Carolina, along with wife Amanda and son Hobbs currently operate Her-Man Jerseys at Sunny Day Farm, a registered Jersey and Guernsey herd. They have sold 3 bulls to AI and exhibited several All Americans in both breeds and concentrate on cows that are profitable from deep cow families. Currently, Lutz is the Jersey Development Manager for Select Sires, a position he has held since 2008. There, he is responsible for leading the Jersey sire program and also assists with marketing. Lutz has judged on the state, national and international scenes for over 20 years. His experiences include judging the National Jersey Jug Futurity, All American Junior and All American Jersey Shows, National Junior Guernsey Show, and Western National Jersey and Guernsey Shows. Internationally, Lutz has officiated in Australia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Brazil and the Isle of Jersey. Lutz is one of the few people to win both the Guernsey and Jersey national youth achievement contest, and is also a previous Young Jersey Breeder award recipient of the American Jersey Cattle Association.

International Holstein Show

Jamie Black, Batavia, N.Y., official judge

Jamie Black of Batavia, New York has spent his life surrounded by cattle. Growing up at Montdale Holsteins in eastern Ontario, Canada, Black now works at Oakfield Corners Dairy where he cares for high-type cattle. He also owns Opportunity Holsteins and Jerseys which is made up of about 70 animals. Black has played a part in developing numerous All-American and All-Canadian Nominees in both the Holstein and Jersey breeds throughout his career. He is no stranger to judging cattle and has evaluated Holsteins at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the Northeastern Fall and Eastern National Shows and the Quebec and Ontario Spring Shows. Black has also traveled internationally to judge in Brazil, Argentina and South Korea and judged the International Red & White Show at World Dairy Expo in 2019.

Aaron Eaton, Marietta, N.Y., associate judge

Aaron, along with his wife Caitlin and daughters Avery and Evelyn, own and operate Eaton

Holsteins in Marietta, New York. Eaton houses their cattle and works alongside the team at Currie Holsteins, where he assists with daily operations, cattle development, showing, marketing and genetic sales. Eaton Holsteins has garnered more than 100 All-American or All-Canadian nominations and has numerous Holstein, Jersey and Red & White Champions at World Dairy Expo and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. Before returning home full-time, Eaton had the opportunity to work with several show herds around the world and worked as a dairy cattle fitter for 12 years. Since then, Eaton has had the privilege to judge many state, regional and National shows throughout North America, most recently serving as the associate judge at the Canadian National Holstein show in 2023.

International Jersey Show

Ryan Krohlow, Poynette, Wis., official judge

Ryan Krohlow lives in Poynette, Wisconsin with his beautiful wife Haley, and four wonderful children Callie, Conway, Cooper, and Case. Under the HammerTime prefix, they have a 40-acre farmette where they manage 8-10 show heifers each year. Krohlow has recently launched HammerTime Auctions, a registered dairy cattle auction service that has sold numerous All Americans over the past 2 years. He has also been a professional hoof trimmer for the past 5 years and a dairy cattle fitter for 20 years, preparing 17 Grand Champions at World Dairy Expo and 10 Grand Champions at The Royal Winter Fair throughout the years. Krohlow has also prepared cattle in numerous countries including Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and Mexico. Some of his judging accolades include serving as the Associate Judge for the 2022 International Jersey Show and 2017 International Junior Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo, as well as judging the Jersey and Red & White shows at the All-American Dairy Show and numerous state, district and county shows throughout the United States.

Jean-Philippe Charest, Saint Alexandre, Quebec, Canada, associate judge

Jean-Philippe Charest resides in Saint Alexandre, Quebec, where he is the owner of Ferme Charest 2001 Inc. and runs the operation with his parents and brother. The farm consists of Ayrshires, Holsteins and Jerseys where they milk 70 cows and farm 450 acres. Charest has judged several shows across Canada and the United States, including Le Supreme Laitier, Ayrshire Summer Spectacular, Maritime Fall Show, and Expo St-Hyacinthe. Charest has also been a fitter for 12 years, traveling to 10 countries while doing so. Charest and his wife, Annick, have four children, Eliott, Florence, Louis and Juliette.

International Milking Shorthorn Show

Chris Lahmers, Marysville, Ohio official judge

Hailing from Marysville, Ohio, Chris Lahmers is the Marketing Director of Select Sires Member Cooperative, in addition to managing Brown Velvet Swiss and Lah-Dale Holsteins. Lahmers’ herd consists of 20 Brown Swiss, 10 Holsteins and a couple of Ayrshires, where he raises the heifers and has the cows milked at partner farms. Lahmers has exhibited All-American nominees in both the Brown Swiss and Ayrshire breeds, in addition to developing the Junior Champion of the International Ayrshire Show at World Dairy Expo in 2022. This is Lahmers’ sixth time judging on the colored shavings, previously judging the Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Junior Holstein and Jersey shows. Lahmers and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children, Elaina, Ava and Audrey.

Mike Maier, Stitzer, Wis., associate judge

Mike Maier lives in Stitzer, Wisconsin, where he operates Lazy M Farm, LLC with his parents, Herman and Peggy Maier, his girlfriend Suzie Benoit and their six-year-old son Brooks. At Lazy M Farm, the Maiers milk 500 cows comprised of five different breeds, and the Holstein herd was recognized as a Herd of Excellence in 2023. Maier enjoys showcasing his cattle at various shows, and has seen the most success within the Milking Shorthorn breed. Over the past three World Dairy Expos, Lazy M Farm was named Premier Breeder of the International Milking Shorthorn Show, as well as winning Junior Champion and Reserve Grand Champion honors in 2014 and 2015, respectively. In the 2023 All-American Milking Shorthorn contest, Lazy M Farm garnered 17 nominations. Maier also partners with Kurt Wolf on multiple Ayrshires, breeding and selling All-American nominees under the Old-N-Lazy prefix, in addition to earning multiple Premier Breeder awards in the International Ayrshire Show at World Dairy Expo.

International Red & White Show

Kevin Doeberiener, West Salem, Ohio, official judge

Kevin Doeberiener calls Queens Manor Holsteins in West Salem, Ohio home. There, he farms 1,000 acres and acquires, develops and markets elite high-type show cattle of all breeds. Doeberiener has seen much success in the showring, having owned and exhibited multiple All-American and All-Canadian recipients and nominees. Included in this list of winners are the Grand Champion Holstein, Grand Champion Red & White and Supreme Champion at the 2022 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, as well as the Reserve Grand Champion Holstein at the 2022 World Dairy Expo, and the Supreme Champion Heifer and the Reserve Junior Champion Holstein at the 2023 World Dairy Expo. Prior to developing his own cattle, Doeberiener was a professional cattle fitter for 10 years, preparing cattle in several different countries. Doeberiener has had the honor of officiating several state and national shows, including serving as the associate judge for the 2021 World Dairy Expo International Jersey Show.

Adam Hodgins, Kincardine, Ontario, Canada, associate judge

Hailing from Kincardine, Ontario, Canada, Adam Hodgins owns and operates Hodglynn Holsteins with his wife, Jess, and children Cole, Austin, Bella, Tessa and Connor. Hodglynn Holsteins is a 350 acre farm home to a herd of 60 milking Holsteins with a focus on breeding for a balance of high type and production, working with several of the top cow families in the industry. Hodgins has owned, bred and sold numerous All-Canadian and All-American nominees including Blondin Unstopabull Maple, Hilrose Moovin Adelina, Errolea Avalanche Brazil, Birkentree Sidekick Ellissia and Starbrite Lyster Lyndsay. Hodgins shares his passion with youth in his area by mentoring local 4-H groups, where he is a strong advocate for the industry and the showring. He also served as the associate for the Quebec Supreme show in 2023 and the International Red & White show at the World Dairy Expo in 2011.

International Junior Holstein Show

Mandi Bue, Freedom, Wis., official judge

Mandi Bue was born and raised on her family’s 100-cow dairy farm, located just outside Baraboo, Wisconsin. She now resides in Kaukauna with her husband Eddie, where they manage the elite show herd at Milksource Genetics. Bue serves as the farm’s Young Stock Manager where she has cared for and developed several champion-caliber animals such as Milksource Gentry Marriot-ET, Milksource Thunder-Red-ET and Milksource Taelyn-ET. Mandi and Eddie have bred and owned numerous All-American nominees and have partnered on several successful show animals, most memorably Floydholm MC Emoji, owned with partners of the La Femme Fatale Syndicate and Shawn and Seth Nehls. Emoji was Intermediate Champion of the International Holstein Show in 2019 and her daughter, Ms Thunderstorm Eternity, was named the Reserve Junior Champion at World Dairy Expo & the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 2022. Mandi has had the honor and privilege of judging numerous shows throughout the United States, as well as the Victorian Winter Fair in Australia, and the 2024 Swiss Dairy Expo Red & White Show in Switzerland. Mandi also served as the Associate judge for the 2022 International Ayrshire Show.

John Erbsem, Lanark, Ill., associate judge

Hailing from Lanark, Illinois, John Erbsen is a Dairy Program Specialist at Select Sires, in addition to working on his home farm, Erbacres, where they milk 50 Holsteins. Erbacres is a prominent prefix on both ends of the pedigree, breeding the two-time World Dairy Expo Supreme Champion, Erbacres Snapple Shakira-ET, and Erbacres Damion, a former #1 Holstein type sire. Erbsen himself is ingrained in the dairy industry and has been awarded for his contributions, being named the Klussendorf award winner in 2022 as well as winning the Illinois Distinguished Breeder Award. Erbsen has judged numerous Holstein and Red & White shows across the country, including Eastern and Southern National Shows and the Wisconsin Championship Show in 2019 and 2023. 

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