Winning Supreme Champion Cow is a huge honor that takes a lot of work back home on the farm to prepare. But winning the Supreme Champion title in both the open and junior shows in the same year is a whole different honor.
Ashley Sears Randle, did just that in 2007 with her bred and owned cow, Pistachio Pie. She shares more about that experience and how it has led her to where she is today in the agriculture industry.
Being the first individual in the history of the show to win both the junior and open division supreme champion was a life changing experience for Randle. To celebrate her success, Randle and her family handed out pies to individuals that came down their aisle.
Randle’s family purchased Pie’s granddam, Pecan Pie, in 1995 and she was honorable mention at World Dairy Expo. From there they had Pumpkin Pie and the Pie family really took off as they all had dairy strength and good feet and legs for the Guernsey breed.
“When Pistachio Pie was born, she was premature and only 40 pounds,” says Randle. “We were very fortunate that she was a good eater and took off.”
Pistachio Pie needed time to develop as a heifer and a young cow, explained Randle. Pistachio Pie was finally showring ready as a 4-year-old and was named Grand Champion at the All-American Dairy Show and the North American International Livestock Exposition. The following year, Pistachio Pie was named Supreme Champion of the junior and open shows at both the All-American Dairy Show in Harrisburg and World Dairy Expo.
Many of Pie’s offspring are on the top of the CPI list and still remain a part of Randle’s herd today and helped her get to where she is today as the Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources.
“I always had an interest in agriculture policy, especially dairy,” adds Randle. “That and my experiences with Pie helped me realize that I wanted to find a way to give back and make a positive impact on the dairy industry.”
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