Brattleboro, Vt. (February 7, 2012)…Registration is now available for the 2012 Holstein Association USA Judges Conference, slated for April 15, in Syracuse, N.Y., in conjunction with the New York Spring Dairy Carousel. Running from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the conference will include placing heifer and cow classes, as well as classroom discussion time. Holstein Association USA Judges Conferences are open to anyone 22 years of age or older who is interested in judging U.S. Holstein shows and/or applying to be included on a Holstein Association USA Judges List, including international judges.

The fee to attend is $50 for pre-registrants and $100 for late registrants. Pre-registration closes April 1, 2012, and is now available online at www.holsteinusa.com/shows/judges_preregister.html. Online registrants may pay with a credit card through a secure online payment site. Late registration will be accepted from April 2, 2012, until the morning of the conference. Walk-ups may pay the $100 late registration fee by cash or check at the door, however, pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Tentative plans have been made for future conferences, including two in 2013, in California and Wisconsin, one in Ohio in 2014, and one in Utah in 2015.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Inn at the Fairgrounds, 670 State Fair Blvd, Syracuse, N.Y., 13209. To make a reservation, call 315.484.0044, and ask for the "Holstein USA" block to receive a $79 per night rate. The cut-off date for the room block is March 31, 2012.

All individuals currently on the Holstein Association USA National or Qualified Judges Lists, or those planning to apply for the lists in the future must have attended and receive a "satisfactory" rating at a Holstein Association USA Judges Conference within a three year period to be eligible. All National Holstein Shows are required to choose their judge from the National Judges List. Nationally-sanctioned Junior Holstein Show Judges and National Holstein Show associate judges must be selected from either the National or Qualified Lists. Applications for the Judges Lists are available on the Holstein Association USA web site, and are due August 1, 2012 for the 2013 lists.

More details about the conferences can be found at www.holsteinusa.com/shows/judges.html, under the Judges Conferences tab. With questions, contact Jodi Hoynoski at 800.952.5200, ext. 4261.

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Brattleboro, Vt. (January 6, 2012)…Holstein Association USA is excited to report that 2011 was an exceptional year for U.S. Registered Holsteins. Enthusiasm for the Holstein breed is high and growing, evidenced by the 360,149 Holsteins that were registered, as of December 31, 2011. This exceeds 2010 totals by over 20,000 animals, an increase of six percent, and is the most animals registered on an annual basis since 1995.

“The last time we registered 360,000 animals in a year was 1995, when there were well over 120,000 dairy operations in the United States,” said CEO John M. Meyer. “Today, the number of licensed dairies is less than half of that. We’re very excited that Holstein Association members and dairy producers nationwide continue to realize the added value U.S. Registered Holsteins bring to their operations.”

“We are pleased that the number of U.S. Registered Holsteins continues to grow.  These numbers are a testament that Holsteins are the United States’ and world’s most popular and profitable cow,” CEO Meyer continued.

For more information about Holstein Association USA or U.S. Registered Holsteins, visit www.holsteinusa.com. A complete report on the Association’s 2011 performance will be presented at the 2012 Annual Meeting, June 29 and 30, in Springfield, Mo.

Pictured here are several members of the Association's registry department, responsible for processing registrations for all U.S. Registered Holsteins!

Front Row: Donna Jones, Maureen Petrie, Michelle Quinn, Karen Bokum, Dixie Goodwin, Kathy Rogers, Sandy Rancourt

Back Row: CEO John Meyer, Maureen Phelon, Joanne Plansker, Angie Facey, Laura Slate, Rochelle Franklin, Kathy Nebelski, Pam Barrale, Diane Gerry, Debbie Dandrea, Peter Cole, Executive Director of Association Processing Services

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