Congratulations to Gabrielle Elizabeth Murphy, of Airville, Pa., she was crowned the 55th Pennsylvania Dairy Princess last week. Murphy is the daughter of Donna and Greg Kennard, and Sheri and Patrick Murphy, of York County.
Contestants were judged on public speaking skills, knowledge of the dairy industry, poise and personality. Each contestant prepared a speech, skit, radio spot and poster display promoting milk and dairy products, submitted a scrapbook of promotion activities, and participated in a personal interview with a panel of four judges.
A sophomore at Delaware Valley College, Murphy is studying livestock management and is active in the collegiate Dairy Society, FFA, Farm Bureau and the Block and Bridle Club. A 2010 graduate of Red Lion Area High School, she works part-time at Pennview Dairy Farm, helps on her grandparents’ Alta Vista West dairy farm and plans to become a large animal veterinarian. Murphy is a Little League baseball umpire and a junior firefighter for the Airville Volunteer Fire Company.
Two alternates were chosen to support the new princess. The first alternate is Deidra Bollinger, of Manheim, Pa., Lancaster County. The daughter of Ruby and Darryl Bollinger, she is a senior at Elizabethtown Area High School where she is active in the FFA. Her family operates Darr-Lynn Holsteins, and she is a member of Lancaster County Milk Duds 4-H Dairy Club and Elizabethtown Grange, and enjoys showing cattle and playing the viola.
Chosen as second alternate, Somerset County’s Courtney Brant is the 16-year-old daughter of Mark and Shannon Brant. Her grandparents operate Silver Valley Farms, were they milk nearly 300 Holsteins, of which Brant owns and shows four. Brant is involved with the Somerset County Fair and the Maple Festival and is a member of the Pennsylvania Junior Holstein Association. A junior at Meyersdale Area High School, she is on the varsity cross country and track and field teams.
For the next year, the new state royalty team will represent Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and its 7,400 dairy farm families. The dairy industry is the state’s top agriculture industry, contributing nearly $5 billion to the economy and 45,000 jobs across the state.
Source: All-American Dairy Show