Upcoming Contests
Dairy Challenge offers several contests for undergraduate students as part of the premier dairy event in the country. National and regional contests give students the opportunity to evaluate a well-managed dairy and then recommend management enhancements to a panel of judges comprised of industry and academic professionals. The Dairy Challenge Academy runs in conjunction with the national contest and offers students an intensive program using the educational component of the Dairy Challenge contest without the competition.
National Contest & Academy
2025 North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge
April 6 - 8, 2025
Hosted by the Southern Region in Gainesville, Florida
Future dates:
April 12-14, 2026 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The 2025 North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge contest & Academy will be hosted by the Southern Region in Gainesville, Florida April 6-8, 2025. We invite you as a student, sponsor, or volunteer to learn more about the event and make your plans to join us.
Funded in part by Visit Gainesville, Alachua County.
LOGIN TO ACCESS 2024 NATIONAL CONTEST & ACADEMY MATERIALS
Note: All 2025 National Contest & Academy data will be released on Sunday, April 6, 2025 in Gainesville.
Coaches: as a reminder, you have access to past presentations and data sets that you can also use for student preparation. If you need assistance logging in, contact Molly Kelley at mollyk@dairychallenge.org.
| Volunteer Information | |
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| Information for Sponsors and Volunteers | Volunteer Registration |
| 2025 Contest Information | |
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| 2025 Save the Date Information | Rules & Regulations |
| University Letter of Invitation | |
| Entry Form | Schedule |
| Computer Requirements | Hotel and Travel Information |
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2025 Coaches Webinar Thursday, January 16, 2025 On this webinar we reviewed plans for the 2025 National Dairy Challenge Contest & Academy April 6-8, 2025 in Gainesville, Florida. To view the recording: Click Here Passcode: K*9KP$J0 To view the slides only: Click Here |
Student Information Forms ACADEMY Student Information Form CONTEST Student Information Form |
| Students: Upload Resumes Here |
Academy Advisor Information |
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University Housing University Housing Form Housing Allocations |
Saturday Corporate Technology Presentations |
| Travel Assistance Application | Scorecard |
| Dairy Questionnaire | |
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Contest and Academy students, Academy Advisors and Judges should install this software before traveling to the event: DCTeach Info Sheet - Attention Academic Version Users, click to view and download ACADEMIC backup. If you need help, click here DHI-PLUS Software Installation Information - To install DHI-PLUS software, click here. If you have questions, contact: Cathy Myers, Amelicor at (559) 289-2585. PCDART Software Installation Information - To install PCDART software, contact: Kas Ingawa, DRMS at (919) 889-9131 |
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| Activity Suggestions for Early Arriving Schools | |
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Resources for Student Preparation NAIDC Financial Statements 2023 Addendum Sample Farm File Coaches Building Cost Spreadsheet |
Social Media Corps Application |
| Sponsorship Information | Donate Now |
| 2025 Contest Results | |
| 2024 Post-Event Press Release | Download Team Photos Here |
| Archived Contest Results and Photos | |
Northeast Regional Event
2025 Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge
October 16 - 18, 2025
Hosted by The Ohio State University – Wooster and the Northeast Regional Committee in Wooster, OH
Hilton Garden Inn Wooster, 959 Dover Road, Wooster, OH 44691
Arden Shisler Center for Education and Economic Development, 1625 Wilson Rd Wooster, OH 44691
The 2025 Northeast Regional Dairy Challenge contest will be held in Wooster, Ohio October 16 - 18, 2025. We invite you as a student, sponsor, or volunteer to learn more about the event and make your plans to join us.
Coaches: as a reminder, you have access to past presentations and data sets that you can also use for student preparation. If you need assistance logging in, contact Molly Kelley at mollyk@dairychallenge.org.
| Volunteer Information | |
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VOLUNTEER SIGN UP 2025 information coming soon! HOTEL INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS Hilton Garden Inn Wooster Reservations: +1 330-202-7701 |
Southern Regional Event
2024 Southern Regional Dairy Challenge
November 17 - 19, 2024
Hosted by Virginia Tech at the Highlander Hotel in Radford, Virginia
The 2024 Southern Regional Dairy Challenge contest will be held at the Highlander Hotel in Radford, Virginia, and hosted by Virginia Tech November 17-19, 2024. We invite you as a student, sponsor, or volunteer to learn more about the event and make your plans to join us.
LOGIN TO ACCESS 2024 SRDC CONTEST MATERIALS
Note: Southern Regional participants will be given access to some information on Thursday, November 14, the rest will be released onsite at the contest.
Coaches: as a reminder, you have access to past presentations and data sets that you can also use for student preparation. If you need assistance logging in, contact Molly Kelley at mollyk@dairychallenge.org.
| Sponsor/Volunteer Information | |
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| Sponsor Brochure | How to Sponsor |
| Sponsor Volunteer Information | Sponsor Volunteer Registration Form |
| 2024 Contest Information | |
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| Letter of Invitation for Coaches | Rules & Regulations |
| Entry Form for Coaches | Schedule |
| Computer Requirements | Hotel and Travel Information |
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Coaches Webinar Friday, October 11 at 10:00 AM EDT, 9:00 AM CDT Zoom Webinar Recording: Click Here Passcode: sw&bD@K8 |
Scorecard |
| Resources for Student Preparation | Social Media Corps Application |
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Horizon Installation Information - The 2024 SRDC host farm uses Lely robotic milking units. Herd information is collected using Lely’s Horizon app. This farm does not use PC-DART or DairyComp. Participants should download the Horizon app to your devices before coming to the contest. Instructions for downloading the Horizon app: Click Here. Participants can log into a demo version of the Horizon app loaded with a demo herd for practice prior to the contest. Be watching this site for training (hard copy and either video or Zoom) on how to get reports that are similar to the summary reports students are used to seeing in PC-DART and DairyComp. KPI and Metrics KPI Explanation and Metrics Southern Regional Dairy Challenge Horizon Training Session - View Recording Here Southern Dairy Challenge coaches, students, mentors, judges, and volunteers: A training session was offered at Virginia Tech to learn about analyzing a robotic herd with the Lely Horizon system, which is being used for the upcoming Southern Regional Dairy Challenge. A recording of the session is now available. DCTeach Info Sheet - Attention Academic Version Users, click to view and download ACADEMIC backup. If you need help, click here PCDART Software Installation Information - To install PCDART software, contact Kas Ingawa, DRMS at (919) 889-9131 |
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BENCHMARKS |
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| Dairy Questionnaire | Student Information Form |
| Students: Upload Resumes Here | Sample Presentation |
| 2024 Results | 2023 Post-Event Press Release |
| Archived Contest Results and Photos | |
Midwest Regional Event
2025 Midwest Regional Dairy Challenge
February 12 - 14, 2025
Hosted by South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota
The 2025 Midwest Regional Dairy Challenge contest will be hosted by South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota February 12-14, 2025. We invite you as a student, sponsor, or volunteer to learn more about the event and make your plans to join us.
LOGIN TO ACCESS 2025 MWRDC CONTEST MATERIALS
Note: 2025 Midwest Regional participants will receive access to information on Wednesday, February 12 in Brookings.
Coaches: as a reminder, you have access to past presentations and data sets that you can also use for student preparation. If you need assistance logging in, contact Molly Kelley at mollyk@dairychallenge.org.
| Sponsor/Volunteer Information | |
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| Registration Information for Sponsors & Volunteers | Sponsor/Volunteer Registration Form |
| Sponsor Flyer | MW Producers: Sponsor a Dairy Challenge Student! |
Western Regional Event
2025 Western Regional Dairy Challenge
February 27 – March 1, 2025
Hosted by College of Sequoias and the Western Region in Tulare, California
The 2025 Western Regional Dairy Challenge contest will be hosted by the Western Region at College of Sequoias in Tulare, California February 27 – March 1, 2025. We invite you as a student, sponsor, or volunteer to learn more about the event and make your plans to join us.
LOGIN TO ACCESS 2025 WRDC CONTEST MATERIALS
Note: All Western Regional participants will receive access to information onsite at the contest.
Coaches: as a reminder, you have access to past presentations and data sets that you can also use for student preparation. If you need assistance logging in, contact Molly Kelley at mollyk@dairychallenge.org.
| Volunteer Information | |
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| Information for Sponsors & Volunteers | Sponsor/Volunteer Registration |
| Sponsor Brochure | |
| 2025 Contest Information | |
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| Letter of Invitation | Rules & Regulations |
| University Entry Form | Schedule |
| Travel Information | Computer Requirements |
| Pre-Event Press Release | Student Information Form |
| Resources for Student Preparation | Students: Upload Resumes Here |
| Social Media Corps Application | Dairy Questionnaire |
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DCTeach Info Sheet - Attention Academic Version Users, click to view and download ACADEMIC backup. If you need help, click here DHI-PLUS Software Installation Information - To install DHI-PLUS software, contact Cathy Myers, Amelicor at (559) 289-2585 PCDART Software Installation Information - To install PCDART software, contact Kas Ingawa, DRMS at (919) 889-9131 |
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| Scorecard | |
| 2024 Post-Event Press Release | 2024 Results |
| Archived Contest Results and Photos | |
Dairy Challenge Vet
2025 Contest Information
March 20, 2025
Hosted by The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
The 2025 Dairy Challenge Vet contest will be March 20, 2025 at Mount Sterling Dairy in Mount Sterling, Ohio. This event will be sponsored by Merck and hosted as a part of The Ohio State University’s Food Animal Medicine Student Symposium. Any veterinary students are welcome to participate, regardless of past experience.
Coaches: as a reminder, you have access to past presentations and data sets that you can also use for student preparation. If you need assistance logging in, contact Molly Kelley at mollyk@dairychallenge.org.
| 2025 Contest Information | |
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| Invitation Flyer | Schedule |
| Resources for Vet Preparation | Contest Invitation Flyer |
| Scorecard | |
| Post-Event Press Release | |