N.Y. Dairy Royalty Crowned

Diana Curtis
N.Y. Correspondent

LIVERPOOL, N.Y. — Kristen Davenport, the 2007-2008 Columbia County Dairy Princess, was crowned the 2008-2009 New York State Dairy Princess during the 45th Annual New York State Dairy Princess Coronation. The pageant took place February 19, 2008 at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool, N.Y.

As state princess, she will receive a $1,200 scholarship and will represent the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc. (ADADC) at county dairy princess pageants, farm meetings, and a variety of special events. In addition, she will help train new county promoters at seminars and workshops.

Kristen is the daughter of Jim and Karen Davenport of Ancramdale, N.Y., where she resides on a Registered Holstein and Ayrshire Farm. Davenport is currently a senior at Taconic Hills High School where she serves as her class president, is a member of the National Honor Society, and school band. She also is a member of the New York Holstein Association, where she served as the Junior Holstein Convention Chairperson. Kristen would like to future her education at Tufts University, where she plans on majoring in bio-chemistry.

“I’m excited and a little overwhelmed,” said Davenport after all the photographs had been taken. Kristen said the hardest part of the pageant was the personal interview. It’s hard “to convey who you are in five minutes.”

During her reign as New York State Dairy Princess, Kristen hopes to communicate that “Three A Day” is doable for everyone and teach everyone how to incorporate dairy into their diets. She hopes everyone will jump onto the dairy bandwagon.

“I can’t wait,” said Kristen. “This will be a peppy group!” when asked about promoting with her state alternate dairy princesses. Natalie Chlus, the Herkimer County Dairy Princess was named First Alternate New York State Dairy Princess. Natalie is the 17 year old daughter of David and Debie Chlus. She is currently a senior at Little Falls High School where is a class officer, involved in student government and plays field hockey. Chlus plans to study medicine after graduation.

Crowned Second Alternate New York State Dairy Princess was Valerie Brock, the Rensselaer County Dairy Princess. Brock is the 19 year old daughter of Unc and Kristin Brock. She is currently a sophomore at the State University of New York Cobleskill majoring in Dairy Science. Valerie is involved in the honors program at Cobleskill, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and Holstein USA. She has been involved in the dairy princess program for 14 years.

The seven semi-finalist dairy princesses included; Casey Arlig, Allegany County, Kristen Davenport, Columbia County, Natalie Chlus, Herkimer County, Amanda Flansburg, Niagara-Orleans County, Valerie Brock, Rensselaer County, Katie Donnan, Saratoga County and Jamie Norton, Washington County.

Other awards were presented during the pageant. The top three speech winners were Valerie Brock, Rensselaer County; Emily Brooks, Cortland County; and Natalie Chlus, Herkimer County. In the written communications contest, the contestants were given a hypothetical press event that they had to promote by writing a press release for the event. The top three princesses for written communications went to Molly O’Hara, Cayuga County; Natalie Chlus, Herkimer County; and Kristen Davenport, Columbia County. In the product knowledge contest, the contestants had to answer multiple choice, essay, and short answer questions about dairy products. The top three winners in this contest were: Kristen Davenport, Columbia County; Valerie Brock, Rensselaer County; and scoring the highest on the test was Molly O’Hara, Cayuga County.

“Thanks guys!” said Kristen Davenport as she was named Miss Congeniality by her peers. This award goes to the one princess that “always stays on the sunny side of things” explained Emcee Dale Sweetland.

Hannah McDermott, the 2007-2008 New York State Dairy Princess, thanked her teammates First Alternate, Brynn Gillen-Dennis and Second Alternate, Julia Hudyncia, Hannah stated they were strong, dedicated and amazing young women. She also went on to thank her family and “hoped they had as much fun as I did.” McDermott explained her job as dairy princess was to teach, but she leaned as well and will “continue to spread the importance of milk.”

Other awards given during the pageant were the Robert S. Turner Dairy Promoter of the Year. This award goes to “a county that had done an outstanding job promoting milk and dairy products” said Melissa Osgood of ADADC. The award went to the 2006-2007 Madison County Dairy Princess Court. Accepting the award was Natalie Taylor, the 2006-2007 Madison County Dairy Princess. Taylor and her court broke the newspaper article record by writing and have 329 newspaper articles published throughout there year. The previous record was 240 set in 2005-2006. Madison County also presented 325 school programs, and attended 11 farm meetings.