Madison MacKenzie Cook is Oklahoma Dairy Princess

At the 87th Annual Sooner State Dairy Show, Guthrie resident Madison MacKenzie Cook was selected to represent the state of Oklahoma as the 2014-2015 Oklahoma Dairy Princess.

The state dairy princess competition is held annually at the Sooner State Dairy Show. In order to qualify to become a contestant, a young lady must be between the ages of 13 and 19 and must either own and exhibit dairy or be a member of an active dairy farming family. Each contestant must submit an application with an essay detailing her qualifications for competition.

During the first day of the show, contestants must sit for a personal interview with a panel of judges. Attire is traditional church dress and interview topics range from personal experience with dairy production and dairy promotion to political issues facing the dairy industry today. The young ladies are judged on their personal presentation and their interpersonal skills in addition to the depth of their dairy knowledge and experience.

The following evening, the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Ag Committee sponsors and serves a banquet. Sooner State Dairy Judging results from the day are announced and prizes awarded, as are the year-long dairy judging sweepstakes results. A distinguished service award is presented to a deserving member of the farming community. Princess pageant contestants model formal gowns on the stage as they are introduced and highlights of their essays are read to the audience. The 1st and 2nd runners-up are announced and awarded plaques and keepsake charms. The Oklahoma Dairy Princess receives a traditional crown, sash, and two-dozen red roses. Additionally, the winner receives a plaque, keepsake charm, assorted gifts from both Dairy Max and the Southwest Dairy Farmers, and a $250 prize from the Sooner State Dairy Show.

As the Oklahoma Dairy Princess, Maddie Cook will represent Oklahoma dairy producers at a variety of events and promote dairy as part of a healthy diet and promote the Oklahoma dairy industry. She will work with Dairy Max and Southwest Dairy Farmers. To kick off her year, Maddie is already scheduled for Septemberfest at the Governor’s Mansion, the Oklahoma State Fair ice cream contest, and cheese promotion at the Made in Oklahoma – Exchange Center of the Tulsa State Fair. She is currently working on the Great American Milk Drive which allows people to donate milk to local food banks (like the ones in Logan County) by simply sending a text. She will make appearances and do promotional work until July of 2015 when she will have the honor of crowning the next Oklahoma Dairy Princess.

Miss Maddie Cook is a life-long Guthrie resident and an incoming freshman at Crescent High School where she is active in the FFA program with dairy production entrepreneurship, dairy judging, cattle grading, cattle handling, and public speaking. Maddie has been breeding and raising registered dairy cattle and orphan calves for five years. She is the 2014 Oklahoma Jersey Cattle Club’s Youth Secretary and has represented either the Oklahoma Ayrshire or the Oklahoma Brown Swiss breeders‘ association as a Jr. Princess for the past four years. Recently Maddie was a member of both the 3rd place FFA Dairy Judging Team at the Sooner State Dairy Show and the 1st place FFA team at the Perkins Cattle Grading event.

Maddie is the daughter of Kevin and Julie Cook, granddaughter of Robert and Mary Reupert, as well as Jerry and Charlene Cook; great-granddaughter of Russell and Helen Reupert; and Eva Robinson (all of Guthrie); and great-granddaughter of Charles Scannell (Muskogee.)