2007 Virginia Dairy Princess,
Miss Billy Jo Swope,
With her court,(L-R),Erica Davis, Dairy Duchess; Amanda
Messick, Dairy Duchess;
Billy Jo Swope, Va Dairy Princess; Stephanie Messick, Alternate Dairy
Princess
Virginia Crowns a New Dairy Princess
and Her Court
Billie Jo Swope, of Churchville, Va., was crowned Virginia Dairy Princess at
the 100th Anniversary of the Virginia Dairymen’s Convention in Roanoke, Va.,
held at the historic Hotel Roanoke. Swope attends Buffalo Gap High School
and she has been part of the dairy princess and promotion program for five
years. She is a member of three breed associations, and she enjoys showing
and judging dairy cattle on the local, state and national levels. Billie Jo
lives with her parents Dwight and Betty Ann on their 175-head dairy
operation in Churchville, Va.
Stephanie Messick, daughter of Ronnie and Cyndi Messick of Midland, Va., was
crowned the Virginia Alternate Dairy Princess. Stephanie Messick is an
18-year-old high school senior at Liberty High School where she is active in
National Honor Society, swim team, band and wind ensemble.
The Virginia Dairy Princess Program also crowned
Erica Davis and Amanda Messick Virginia Dairy Duchesses.
Erica Davis is an active five-year 4-H member and an active FFA participant.
She owns 10 dairy cows and heifers and attends Gretna High School where she
is a junior and is involved in the Science Club. Erica and her parents Mike
and Ellen Davis recently moved to Chatham, Va., where Mike is a herd manager
at Mountain View Dairy.
Amanda Messick and her siblings will be the
fourth generation to dairy farm in Midland, Va. The daughter of Ronnie and
Cyndi, Amanda is a junior attending Liberty High School where she is active
in band and vocal groups. She is a veteran of the dairy princess and
promotion program in Virginia having served seven years as a maid.
The program also inducted Ginny Sayre of Churchville, Va., and Makayla Davis
of Chatham, Va., as Virginia Dairy Ambassadors.
Milk and dairy products rank as Virginia’s third largest commodity
group, contributing more than $278 million annually to the state
economy. Billie Jo and her new court, Alternate Stephanie Messick,
Duchess Erica Davis and Duchess Amanda Messick, along with Virginia’s
Dairy Maids and Ambassadors will represent Virginia’s vibrant dairy
industry at various festivals, fairs, agricultural shows and events
throughout the Commonwealth. In
their travels the girls will tout milk and dairy products’ nutritional
benefits in healthy, balanced diets.
The next stop for the dairy royalty promotion team will be the
state legislature in February where Billie Jo and her court will
re-dedicate milk as Virginia’s official beverage.
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