It was once again showtime at the Big E, where grace under pressure and hard work paid off. Before the Eastern States Exposition officially opened to the public on Sept. 12, competitions were already taking place in the Mallary Agricultural Complex.
Outside the building, show cows were showered with a lineup of hoses. Inside, hooves were polished, ends of tails were brushed and coats were trimmed. Cows awaited their time to shine as their owners took care of them.
On Sept. 11, Riley Keene from Canton, Maine, of Conant Acres Farm placed second in the 4-H competition with his spring yearling Holstein. So far this year, he and his cows have been in four shows. Now 12, he’s been showing cows since 2022.
“It’s fun to do, to learn about agriculture. You get to learn about how to take care of cows,” he said.
His cousin Aubrey Sneller, 11, also showed a Holstein from Conant Acres Farm. Her cow, Sara, was born last December and entered as a winter yearling. She also won second place. She is a member of the Cumberland County All-Star 4-H Club. “What I like best about showing is being able to have the experience. A lot of other kids don’t get to have the experience,” she said.
Kaelyn Tomkins with her heifer Crush won Reserve Jr. Champion at the Northeast Fall National Holstein Show. Photos by Laura Rodley
Then there are the people who watch over the 4-H contestants. In 1982, Jim Holdridge of New London County, CT, was asked to be a 4-H chaperone and has been a chaperone ever since. Even standing on crutches post-injury, he made sure his charges were accounted for.
“I make sure the kids are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Typically, there are as many as 35 kids. This year we’re down somewhat,” he said, speaking in the cow barn.
Maddison Foreman of Roxbury, CT, arrived Thursday afternoon with her Jersey named Journey. Journey was born in late September last year – a fall calf in the Showmanship class. Foreman is a member of the Litchfield Hills 4-H Dairy Club. She also shows dairy goats at local fairs, most recently at the Dutchess County Fair in Rhinebeck, NY.
Sisters Sara Shaw and Cynthia Shaw showed their Holsteins from Shaw Farm in Oxford, MA. They won fourth in Junior Best 3 Holsteins.
Kaelyn Tomkins of Salisbury, CT, with her Holstein heifer Unforgettable Sidekick Crush won Reserve Jr. Champion in the Northeast Fall National Holstein Show. In the Northeast National Brown Swiss Show in 2025, her Brown Swiss earned other laurels including HM Jr. Champion first spring yearling with Cutting Edge T Thyme and a second-place win with her Brown Swiss winter calf Unforgettable Rampage Myla.
Sara Shaw holding Eileen (left) and her sister Cynthia Shaw of Shaw Farm holding Eden. They won fourth in Jr. Best 3 Holsteins at the Big E.
Paisley Bigelow represented Echo Farm in Hinsdale NH with a milking shorthorn owned by Colton Bornkessel works at Echo Farm Pudding, which offers a line of flavored puddings (vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch and rice pudding) made from milk from the Milking Shorthorns bred and raised at Echo Farm that is distributed throughout the Northeast and nationwide. Bornkessel and his Milking Shorthorn won Reserve Jr. Champion at the Franklin County Fair in Greenfield, MA, on Sept. 7.
Ella Purchase, 11, from Fairmont Farm in East Montpelier, VT, placed second in showmanship with her spring calf MS Fairmont Hulu Freefall as well as third in conformation.
For more information on contest winners, access thebige.com.
by Laura Rodley
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