NZ DAIRYEVENT 2026
The 2026 judges:
HOLSTEIN – TANNER SCHMALING
Delavan, USA
Tanner Schmaling is a name routinely in the mix at the top end of the North American show circuit and premium boarding for registered cows under Maple-Leigh Futures at Delavan, Wisconsin.
Tanner was the associate judge for the Red & White Holstein show at the 2023 World Dairy Expo (WDE) and his show strings are always a must-visit. After graduating from UW-River Falls, Tanner spent five years as a professional fitter travelling throughout North America. He then returned home to Schmaling Farm Inc., his family’s 120-cow registered Holstein and crop farm he now farms with his wife, Madeline and parents John and Jill.
In 2017, the family expanded the operation to include Maple-Leigh Futures. The facility houses 100-head of cattle and is known for its premier individualised care for both high genomic and high-type cattle. Its services include IVF, conventional flushing, and advanced donor management.
Maple-Leigh Futures also specialises in show cattle housing and it has cared for and exhibited a number of Grand Champions. In its first eight years of the business it has amassed more than 65 All-American, Jr. All-American, and All-Canadian nominations.
Tanner and Madeline have two daughters, Haisey and Hollyn.
Top-five most significant judging experiences:
• 2023 International Red & White Holstein Show – Associate Judge
• 2024 Minnesota Holstein State Junior Show
• 2024 Fond Du Lac Holstein Futurity
• 2024 Houston Livestock & Rodeo Dairy Show
• 2025 Fort Worth Junior Dairy Show
JERSEY – WAYNE KUHNE
Victoria, Australia
Photo: Fiona Hanks.
Wayne Kuhne – of Bushlea Jersey fame which has won Grand Champion Jersey five times at Australia’s International Dairy Week – will judge the Jerseys at the 2026 NZ DairyEvent at Feilding from January 25 to 28.
Wayne and wife Lisa are the third generation to operate Bushlea Farms at Koonwarra in South Gippsland. They milk 420 seasonal calving cows over a 10-12-week period once-a-year. Wayne has been a board member of Jersey Australia for the last six years, and he is the current chair of its Genetic and Breed Development.
Wayne’s involvement in the South Gippsland Jersey breeders club spans more than 30 years, and he is its current president.
Showing, promoting, and selling Jersey cattle has been an integral part of Bushlea’s business. In addition to IDW broad ribbons, Bushlea has won Champion Cow at the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane Royals. It has also been the name on multiple high-sellers throughout a profile career for this popular family. Notably, Bushlea sold Bushlea Van Fernleaf 10 EX93 for AUD$50,000 – an Australasian record price – at the Global Impact Sale in 2017 after she had won Grand Champion Jersey at IDW the January before. She went on to win back-to-back Grand Champion in 2018 for the international syndicate that had bought her.
Wayne is quick to acknowledge the opportunities Jerseys have afforded him. He judged the 2025 Central Gippsland Jerseys Fair (which coincided with the World Jersey Tour), the 2023 Great Northern Jersey Challenge, the 2023 Brisbane Royal Show, the 2019 New South Wales State Jersey Show, the 2019 Sydney Royal, the 2017 Gatton QLD State Show, various features shows throughout Victoria, and the Waikato On-Farm Competition.
Wayne and Lisa have a daughter, Ruby, who is studying Year 12.
AYRSHIRE – SCOTT BRAENDLER
Mount McIntyre, South Australia.
Scott with his sister and partner in their business, Cheryl Liebich. Photo: Mike Henschke.
Boldview Ayrshires needs no introduction within the Ayrshire fraternity. Scott Braendler is the co-owner and manager of a South Australian family operation, which includes Cher-Bar Ayrshires (owned by his sister, Cheryl Liebich). In a unique twist, 20% of the herd includes animals from 28 other studs – who rely on Boldview to keep their interest in the breed alive by housing their show animals.
Boldview is also Australia’s biggest Ayrshire herd – milking up to 420 Ayrshires, 25 Jerseys, seven Holsteins, and two Illawarras – through a 60-unit rotary. It is also one of the most successful breeders and exhibitors in Australia, winning significant numbers of championships at its hometown Royal – Adelaide – along with International Dairy Week, and at local country shows. Its Adelaide Show teams are renowned for being exceptionally big – and for representing the many exhibitors Boldview helps sustain an interest in the breed by showing on their behalf. Boldview has also won many All-Australian and All-World Photo Competition winners.
In December 2018, the home farm relocated to a 270ha property at Mount McIntyre, in the south-east region of South Australia, which as a 27-inch rainfall (and underground aquifers via three centre pivots and 40ha of fixed sprinklers). It recently bought an additional 160ha of dryland for silage production and heifer growing.
Scott held Federal positions on Australian Ayrshire Committees between 2004 and 2020 – including four years as Treasurer of AABA Inc, and four years as President of AABA Inc. His involvement co-incided with the 2015 amalgamation of the two Australian Ayrshire Breed organisations, and was followed by his three-year term as Federal President of Australian Ayrshires Ltd. During his presidency, Australia hosted the 2020 World Ayrshire Federation Conference Tour. In 2017, Scott was awarded Life Membership of Australian Ayrshires Ltd.
COMBINED BREEDS – BRENT CROTHERS
Shropshire, UK
Brent Crothers and his wife, Anne, relocated to the UK 10 years ago for an employment opportunity and he continues to maintain close ties with the registered dairy industry. Brent is the UK Sales Manager for MilkTechNZ, and he and Anne also run an elite group of Brown Swiss, Holstein, and Jersey animals under their Toi Toi Genetics prefix in Shropshire in the UK’s West Midlands.
They have enjoyed significant success since buying their first Swiss calf in 2018, Kedar Aurora. She remains one of their highest profile animals. Aurora went on to be a two-time Junior Champion at the UK Dairy Expo, she was Intermediate Champion at the UK Dairy Day when she was two years old, and she won 27 Championships across the UK during her career. She was also the top producing UK Brown Swiss of all ages, twice. Brent is extremely active in the Holstein breed and has (among others) owned and marketed direct daughters from Garay Awesome Beauty *RC VG88-USA 2yr who was 1st Junior 2yr. Old at the 2018 Royal Winter Fair and 2nd Jr. 2-Yr Old at the World Dairy Expo.
Brent is chairman of the Shropshire Holstein Club, and he is on the UK Holstein and UK Brown Swiss judging panels, in addition to own Red & White Holsteins. Toi Toi has quickly become a force in All-Britain nominations in the Holsteins and Brown Swiss. In the 2024 All-Britain Brown Swiss photographic competition, Toi Toi animals won four of the five classes. Brent is looking forward to visiting with everyone.
The youth show judge and showmanship judges will be added when they are announced.