#WORLD DAIRY EXPO SUPREME CHAMPION PROFESSIONAL#

His endeavors in his professional life earned him the DeLaval Extension Service Award from the American Dairy Science Association and saw him inducted into the Wisconsin 4-H Hall of Fame, as well as being named World Dairy Expo Industry Person of the Year in 1994. He regularly judged 4-H dairy shows across the state and developed educational material for 4-H dairy publications. He was an enthusiastic advocate for dairy youth and 4-H programs. Howard’s career work with the cooperative extension service saw him as an innovator in introducing computer technology as a tool for education, communication and dairy herd management. expo was like a family reunion for him and many.” There you would find Terry laughing, telling stories and shaking hands with people he may not have seen for a while. Lunch was always served to volunteers in the administration area of the Coliseum during the show.

He would always take time to visit with exhibitors, ask how things were going and what could expo do to help. Stampfl reflects, “Terry also enjoyed a good time, especially once the show was up and running. Like most volunteers at World Dairy Expo, his years of service were also a labor of love. Everyone enjoyed working with and respected Terry, and the superintendents would again confirm their assistance during the show.” His favorite saying was, ‘There would be an increase in their pay,’ then there would be a big chuckle. At that time, Terry would contact the breed superintendents to confirm their role for the upcoming show. Stampfl recalls, “In the early years, Terry would start checking in with staff a couple months prior of the show, wondering about dairy cattle entry numbers and show details. During his time as a superintendent, milk sample testing, ultrasounding udders and minimizing topline hair length were standards implemented by the show to ensure fairness for all exhibitors.īut along with his professional handling of the superintendent role, Howard’s sense of humor was always evident. Howard did not shy away from the tough job of enforcing rules put forward by show management that propelled the expo breed shows to the highest ethical and professional caliber. He would say, ‘This is Terry Howard please move all cattle trucks and trailers to a parking stall immediately.’ And most usually listened.” However, as the overall breed superintendent, Terry’s stern deep voice could be heard over the loudspeaker on the grounds reminding cattle exhibitors of their responsibilities. His height and deep voice were very intimidating at first, but he truly was a gentle giant, you might say. Because of his tall stature, he would have to duck coming through the door. “I remember the first time I met Terry – it was at the expo office in 1989, which then was an old house across the street from the now-Alliant Energy Center grounds. Ruth Stampfl, former administrative services manager at World Dairy Expo before her retirement in 2018, worked with Howard for over 26 years, and she recalls his unforgettable presence. Over and over, those who knew Howard comment that people respected his firm, steady demeanor as superintendent. He also served on the show’s executive committee for several years, along with other committees. He became a member of the WDE board of directors in 1990 and represented the Purebred Breeders of WDE for more than 25 years. He was equally respected on the expo grounds, where he served as the Holstein breed superintendent for 21 years, then as overall dairy superintendent for 18 more. WDE staff brought forward the concept of naming it after Howard, and that suggestion was enthusiastically accepted and approved by the Dairy Cattle Exhibitor Committee and the Howard family.Ī professor in the dairy science department and an extension state specialist at the University of Wisconsin – Madison for 31 years, Howard was highly respected for his knowledge of dairy cattle nutrition. The idea of a supreme heifer award – selecting the best of the junior champions from the seven breed shows – originated with the dairy cattle exhibitors. A fitting addition to this expo all-star lineup is Terry Howard, who volunteered thousands of hours in his commitment to guiding and developing the dairy cattle shows at World Dairy Expo. The named awards at World Dairy Expo commemorate people who have been instrumental in the event’s growth and success – names such as Nelson, Hetts, Voegeli, King, Krueger and Blaska. The award is new to World Dairy Expo, but the name on the trophy is not. Low-lignin alfalfa receives Quality Counts award at World Dairy Expo

World dairy expo supreme champion