A Ridgetown farmer is on cloud nine after one of his calves was named grand champion at the 4-H Dairy Classic.
Mitchell Anderson and his heifer took home the top prize last week, beating out hundreds of other calves.
He told CK News Today that he was quite shocked when they were announced as the winners.
"It's such a hard, tough competition to win, but it's quite the feeling," he said.
Anderson added that his heifer will soon be a cow as she's currently pregnant. He joked that her pregnancy may have helped when judges were inspecting her.
"It helps a little bit, but it's not 100 per cent what they're judging on," explained Anderson.
Each of the heifer's body parts is studied, such as its legs, udders, and head.
The plan is to showcase her once she becomes a cow, with the hope that her offspring will also become a champion in the future.
Meanwhile, Anderson took home another award thanks to a different heifer.
He and his partners took part in the 2025 Red & White Holstein Competition, with their calf being declared the best fall heifer. This category was specifically for calves born between September 1st, 2024, and November 30th, 2024.
Anderson explained that his heifer was third for most of the competition, but was declared the winner at the end.
"The judge came back around and pulled the top three heifers out again and, in dramatic fashion, made a big switch," he said.
Anderson added that he wouldn't be able to work with such amazing calves and cows if not for his family, partners, and supporters.
