SYRACUSE - Kevin Ziemba quickly worked his way from one Holstein to the next, giving four of his cows one final inspection before they strutted over to the New York State Fair's coliseum where they would be judged on their appearance.

“We've already washed them and we have filled their udders,” Ziemba said. “We want to make these cows look pretty.”

Kevin, an owner of Ziem-Barb-Way farms in Aurora, and his team had been up since 3 a.m. Monday preparing 19 cows for various Dairy Day competitions meant to highlight the region's dairy industry. The cows were cleaned, trimmed, bleached and colored to highlight their colors and make them look their best.

Barbara Ziemba, Kevin's mother, said the cows were given as much food as they could eat and they were left unmilked for a predetermined amount of time to ensure they add a full body size before they met the judge.

“We let them eat as much as they can, we want them to have a full belly and a full udder to get them to look bigger,” Barbara said. “We even give some of them fake tails, or we bleach some of their tails. We have beauty salon products here to do that. Whatever it takes to make them sparkle, to make them shine.”

While Kevin would be presenting cows throughout the day, not all of them were his, Barbara said.

“Kevin runs what we call a bread-and-breakfast farm,” she said. “It's not really a dairy farm where there are a thousand cows in free stalls. His cows are not in free stalls ... People pay him to take care of their cows and to show their cows. He has 37 cows, and about half of them are from his clients.”

Out of the four cows he had entered into the four-year-old category, two were being led by their owners. Kevin personally led a cow named Preference, who had a distinguished scar going across the side of her body.

“When she was born, her intestine was not connected to her rectum,” Barbara said. “We took her to Cornell to get some emergency surgery. She had a 50-50 chance of surviving, and now here she is at the state fair competing.”

Despite the scar, Kevin said he expected Preference to place among the top five cows in her category. To help do that, Kevin would have to help guide the Holstein through the arena, ensuring the judge notices all the strong qualities in the cow, while trying to make up for any weak points.

“I have got to get (the cows) to walk slowly,” Kevin said. “I want them to step gracefully and walk slow and naturally. The judges will look at how well they move. Each cow that I lead is different. I have to be aware of what each cow needs. Every cow has faults, and I have to hide the faults while emphasizing the good traits.”

As Kevin led Preference around the dirt arena, the judge carefully examined her body looking for all of her flaws and noting any strengths. A win, or even a strong finish at the state fair meant a cow may be good enough to attend the World Dairy Expo in Madison Wisc., which was the competition's equivalent to the Super Bowl, Barbara said.

“You could place first here and still place 20th overall for the entire nation in Madison,” Barbara said. “You really have got to place in to top three or four here to make it worth going. Last year Kevin had a cow that came in first place here, and placed third in Madison.”

Kevin already had a cow which won first place in its class, and another who took third at the fair on Sunday. When the judge made his final decision, Preference would place third in her category, adding another ribbon to Kevin's stall.

But with more cows who needed to be prepared for the next competition, there was little time for Kevin to focus on one strong finish.

“She did good, about what I expected,” Kevin said as he trimmed the hair on the next cow who was scheduled to appear before the judge.

Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net