WISCREPORT.COM (9/27/07) - A Guernsey dairy cow named Majestic Oak Invest Sareen is the 2007 Cow of the Year, accoding to Secretary of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Rod Nilsestuen.

"Congratulations to Scott and Lindsay Weisensel of Waterloo, Wis. on the selection of this outstanding animal as the Wisconsin Cow of the Year 2007," said Nilsestuen. "She represents the outstanding attributes that make Wisconsin America's Dairyland."

Nilsestuen also congratulated Jerry Lang of Marshfield, Wis., Sareen's breeder.

Gov. Jim Doyle will make the Cow of the Year Proclamation at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 at the International Guernsey Classic Sale held during the World Dairy Expo at the Alliant Energy Center, Madison.

Scott Weisensel noted that Sareen is an outstanding cow that any Guernsey breeder would be proud to own. Her long, successful show career includes being named Res. All-American Aged Cow in 1998 and 2000. In 1998, Sareen was Grand Champion of the Junior Show at World Dairy Expo. Two years later, she was Res. Senior Champion of the Open Show.

Sareen has produced 145,400M, 4.9%, 7,142F, 3.4%, 4,688P in 2,455 days.

"I was happy and surprised when I got the news she had been named Cow of the Year," said Weisensel. He and his wife, Lindsay, own and operate Guernsey Prairie II, located in Waterloo, Wis. Sareen resides on the 120 acre Guernsey Prairie farm in Marshall owned by his parents, Howard and Kay Weisensel.

Scott purchased Sareen in 1996 as a four-year-old cow from Arthur and Florence Edblom. She has served as the foundation of the Guernsey Prairie herd, passing outstanding genetics onto her daughters, including six daughters, three granddaughters and two great-granddaughters.

There are numerous Junior All-American and All-American titles in the family, including Guernsey Prairie Cad Shania VG-89. Shania was Res. Junior Champion at the National Guernsey Junior Shows in Madison and Louisville. She went on to be named Junior All-American and All-American.

Another of Sareen's progeny, Guernsey Prairie Tiller Sassy EX-90, was undefeated in 2006. Sassy found her way to the top of an especially competitive Sr. Two-Year-Old class at World Dairy Expo. She also won the Fight-Bac Futurity, was Intermediate and Honorable Mention Grand Champion at World Dairy Expo.

Scott Weisensel began showing Guernsey's as a 4-H project and he encourages young people to get involved showing animals, whether or not they live on a farm.

"The more show-ring experience you have, the better prepared you are for the national show circuit," says Lindsay.

Scott began his dairy career as a herdsman after graduating from high school in 1997. Over the next five years, Scott and Lindsay plan to build a milking facility of their own and continue to breed and show Guernseys.

The Guernsey breed was selected to receive the Cow of the Year award according to a succession plan between the major dairy breeds as determined by the Wisconsin Purebred Dairy Cattle Association.