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A Canadian teenager won two major prizes at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin, as US-Canada trade tensions simmer and some Americans criticize Trump's trade war.
At the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, a Canadian teenager and her favourite cow scored two major wins on September 27, even as political tension between Canada and the U.S. over the Trump administration's trade war was largely set aside. Alyson Doiron, a 16-year-old high school student from Cap-Sante, Quebec, won the top prize at the International Junior Holstein Show with her five-year-old cow, Arolene Dempsey Ella, known as Ella. The victory highlights the prestige of competitive dairy and the cross-border rivalry that persists despite ongoing trade disputes.
Canadian Teen Wins Big on US Soil
Doiron cheered and cried as she accepted the honour on Ella's behalf at the Expo on Sunday. She said the win means a lot to her and proves that Quebec's show is really strong. The competition, held on the most elite stage in competitive dairy, is a really big deal, with wins potentially boosting a cow's value by tens of thousands of dollars and increasing the value of future offspring. Even though the event is a global gathering, the actual competitions are between animals from Canadian and American farms due to health and safety regulations. Flags from Canada, the U.S., and Mexico hang in the arena, reminding attendees that cross-border competition and co-operation are valued.
Trade War Tensions Simmer Beneath the Surface
While the focus at the Expo is on the bovines, the trade war between Canada and the U.S. remains a sore point for some. Brian Carscadden, executive senior manager of the Quebec-based dairy company Blondin Sires, said his business has not been affected yet and that the trade war does not come up often in conversations. He noted there are jokes here and there from American friends, along with the odd snide remark that makes things interesting. Carscadden drove more than 1,500 kilometres from St. Placide to Madison with 25 cows in trailers. He advises Canadian colleagues not to talk about politics, saying it is not our country or our politics.
American Voters Express Discontent with Trade Policies
Some Americans at the Expo are critical of the trade war. Paula Lawver, a single mom from a farming community in Indiana, said there is no lowering of grocery or gas prices and that it makes her struggle. She called the dispute with Canada nonsense and said it will influence her vote in the midterm elections this November. She will not support candidates in favour of tariffs and trade wars. Gary Craugh, a retired farmer from Wisconsin, described the trade war as needless, pointless, and childish on both sides. He said he has voted hard Republican in the past but is now considering backing candidates with a more moderate agenda. Another farmer, Muck, said his cash crops and farm inputs have been affected, with fertilizer prices double what he paid last year, though he still hopes economic conditions could improve. CBC News did not find any Americans at the Expo supportive of the heated rhetoric that has upended the Canada-U.S. relationship.
World Dairy Expo Canada US Trade War Alyson Doiron Holstein Show Donald Trump Wisconsin Dairy Farming
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