Page 50 - BCHNews-122023-Web

July 10-12, 2023 – Prairieland Park, Saskatoon
50 WC DAIRY NEWS  CHRISTMAS 2023
Introducing Ria Vanzessen,
my grandchildren are starting to participate, Hayden Anderson and
Saskatchewan Holsteins New Branch Secretary
BELGIUM TRIP REPORT
Ria owns and operates Vanzessen Dairy near Rosthern, along with husband Tymen and their sons Kevin and Steven.
SASKATCHEWAN DAIRY HEIFER SHOW RESULTS
July 10-12, 2023 – Prairieland Park, Saskatoon
amazing job for a long time. I’m excited to help make the magazines and organize the Annual Picnic, Golf Days and Breeders Cup.
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Saskatchewan Holstein Branch
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ry industry and have been involved in 4-H
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and WCC before. I am also one of the organizers of the Saskatchewan Dairy Heifer Show and am very excited about that, especially since
Ryker Fisher. HOLSTEIN CANADA It will be difficult to follow in Tricia Flaman’s footsteps, who did an
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I am committed to listening, learning and serving for our dairy industry.
Sincerely, Ria Vanzessen
August 28 - September 4, 2023 Submitted by Ethan Nienhuis
Ethan Nienhuis Reports on the European Young Breeders School
August 28th to September 4th 2023 I had the privilege of participating for team Canada at the European Young Breeders School in Battice, Belgium. I earned my spot through winning the highpoint participant at the Western Canadian Classic in 2022.
Only a couple days after WCC 2023, I met up with my five teammates and our chaperones in Montreal. Together we made the long plane ride to Brussels, Belgium. We arrived and spent the rest of the day exploring Brussels, eating chocolate, waffles and drinking some European beers.
The next day we traveled to the fairgrounds in Battice and started setting up our display and meeting the calves that we were given to compete with for the rest of the week. I was given a calf named Tina, who became very popular amidst the barns throughout the week due to her good looks, even better looking leadman and her easily recognizable name.
Felix, one of my teammates, and I were placed with a family on a small dairy farm just outside of Battice. Through Felix’s French translations, we spent the afternoon having supper and chatting with our host family.
Throughout the next few days we sat through multiple lectures on making pack for the calves, washing, clipping, judging, leading, marketing and conformation. Throughout the week, we clipped our calves and practiced leading them (most were barely halter broke at the start of the week).
Thursday and Friday all participants underwent a judging competition, which consisted of two heifer classes and a cow class. I was rewarded as the highest placing judge on Team Canada. Friday was also our first show day, Conformation. Tina went on to be first place Jr Yearling.
As a team, we spent the rest of the day
meeting new friends and watching the local show that went on after our show was completed. Later, we spent the evening going around ‘country to country’ eating foods and drinks that were brought by each country. We also served all the other countries our Canadian delicacies, poutine and caesars.
The Showmanship competition was Saturday morning. Tina and I went on to place second in a large and highly competitive class of showmen. Concluding the show, we took down our display and had an awards ceremony. Through all of the competitions throughout the week, I ended as the 8th highest placing participant out of 152.
Sunday, we traveled back to Brussels where we ate more waffles and chocolate before traveling all the way back to Canada. It was a very successful EYBS for Team Canada, with some of the best team results Canada has ever gotten.