‘Amazing return’ for top type and production Jersey, now a 100,000 lb All-American nominee 

By Sherry Bunting, reprinted from Farmshine, Nov. 22, 2013

 MADISON, Wis. — Wendy Schmidt remembers the kindness of passersby a year when a distracted driver tipped her trailer not far down the road home to Bloomer, Wisconsin after the 2012 World Dairy Expo in Madison.

One animal died. The rest of the show string was traumatized.

“Jersey cows are like people,” says Wendy. She and her husband Jon own and operator Woodmohr Jerseys – home to 40 Jersey cows with a classification average of 91 points and four generations of Godiva.

“After the accident a year ago, it took all of us a while to get over the trauma. For weeks, the cows would follow me around in the pasture. I was their comfort and they were mine,” she recalls. “I got up every night to check on them, and found myself checking them constantly throughout the day.”

Especially ‘Jade Diva.’ She was positioned on the trailer right next to the one cow that died that night.

“Jade Diva had a lot of injuries after the trailer tipped. She had cuts all over and swelling. Her head was even swollen, and she wanted the other cows to keep away from her for days because her head hurt. Our vet prepared us to see issues later with all the animals that were traumatized, and we did see some pregnancy issues,” says Wendy, quite thankful a year later the cows are alive and pregnant or have calved.

Reflecting on that night, she is quick to add her gratefulness to the folks who stopped along the road to help with the cattle. “It was such a relief and we are so thankful,” she says.

Wisconsin dairywoman Carrie Mess, of ‘Dairy Carrie’ blogging fame, was one of the people who stopped that night.

“We just pitched in,” Carrie recalls. “It’s instinctive for any of us, you know? These cattle were pretty shook up. I had lots of Udder Comfort in my car from the Expo, and so once the animals were secured, we just started spraying legs and udders… right there.”

“That was the first thing we did. And if we had not done that for this cow in the accident, we don’t know what would have happened to her,” adds Wendy, referring to GB Jade Diva of Woodmohr — the EX-94 winner of the 2013 NASCO type and production award at the International Jersey Show during the 2013 World Dairy Expo last month.

Jade Diva was third place in the 100,000-lb class before going on to receive this high award in fine show condition just one year after the accident in which she sustained numerous injuries.

“It was amazing to bring her back to Expo this year to get third in production and win the NASCO type and production award,” Wendy says with a smile. “I love working with purebred cows and fell in love with the Jersey breed 20 years ago. These cows are my life.”