Crowns and Cows

Not too long ago, Marah Ripley, with a smile ear to ear, reached out to accept a highly coveted North American International Livestock Exposition purple banner from a crowned Guernsey Queen. Fast forward two years, she is back on the green shavings sporting her own crown and a sash with “2025 National Guernsey Princess” sprawled across in bold letters.

“This show holds a lot of memories for me,” Ripley said. “It was the first time I had ever experienced getting a big purple ribbon. I ended up with five.” 

While Ripley is no stranger to NAILE, the 2025 National Guernsey Queen, Josie Bailey, is here for the first time. As Guernsey royalty, they are both honored to educate individuals on the docile Dairy Cattle breed and work to remove any misconceptions about it. Guernsey have a unique combination of high milk production, butterfat, and protein in addition to the breed's A2A2 genetic variant of the beta-casein milk protein. 

“Guernseys are a great family cow,” Ripley said. “That’s why they’ve become popular with homesteading and small dairies. It’s a niche breed, but it’s making an impact.”

The network and relationships throughout the National Guernsey Association greatly reflect the core value of community instilled in the NAILE culture. Since arriving, Bailey said Louisville has exceeded her expectations of the show in every way. She credits this feeling to the family atmosphere while strolling through the barns. The outgoing and friendly nature of the exhibitors has shown both Bailey and Ripley just how many people are eager to help and stay involved in the breed. 

“We just want to be the happy, inviting faces who make people feel welcome in the Guernsey Association, so they know there’s a place for them here,” Bailey said.

Ripley expressed the same sentiment ignited from the number of people who want to help stay involved in both the Guernsey breed and Dairy industry as a whole. Experiencing NAILE has grown their deep love for the industry and has inspired both to enter the 2026 North American International Livestock Exposition Guernsey Show.