Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy Brings Home Gold in 2022 World Championship Cheese Contest

Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy becomes the ‘big cheese’ after taking first place for their cheese Bamboozle during last week’s biennial World Championship Cheese Contest in Madison, Wisconsin on March 1-3, 2022. The World Championship Cheese Contest is the largest technical cheese, butter, yogurt, and dry dairy ingredient competition in the world. Hosted by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association since 1957, this year’s contest received a total of 2,919 entries from 28 countries worldwide.

“You could call us bamboozled,” joked India Loevner, co-founder, Goat Rodeo Farm and Dairy. “But really, we couldn’t be more proud of this honor. Our team works hard every day to craft delicious cheeses and to care for our goat herd. Our partnerships with neighboring cow and goat dairies and Cinderlands Beer Co. make Bamboozle really special and we’re grateful for the recognition.”

Bamboozle is created from a blend of goat’s and cow’s milk. The cheese is aged for at least two months and washed with “Tracks Again,” an unfiltered pilsner from Pittsburgh’s Cinderlands Beer Co. The cheese, which has a supple, semi-soft texture and notes of prosciutto and peanuts, took first place among 109 entrants in the Surface Ripened Mixed Milk Cheese Class.

Goat Rodeo Farm & Dairy is a 130-acre family-owned farm north of Pittsburgh, PA in northern Allegheny County. The farm is home to a herd of more than 140 Alpine and Nubian dairy goats and also brings in other locally sourced goats and cow’s milk to make a variety of fresh and aged cheeses using traditional techniques for artisan cheese production. 

Entries were evaluated by a team of skilled technical judges from all over the world and were graded starting from a maximum possible 100 points and given deductions for various defects found by each judge. Bamboozle received a score of 98.8 and accolades of “Best in Class.” Attendance at the contest was closed to the public this year, but the livestream can be accessed on the World Championship Cheese Contest Facebook page.

Earlier this year, Bamboozle took home “Best in Show” at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Bamboozle, and Goat Rodeo’s full family of award-winning cheeses, are available at retail outlets across the commonwealth and online at goatrodeocheese.org.