(AP) — Russell Smith of Australia, left, and John Jaeggi of Madison prepare to sample one of the entries in the Smear Ripened Semi-soft Cheese category during the opening day of the World Championship Cheese Contest at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, Wis. on Monday, March 5, 2012.
More than 2,500 entries will be judged throughout the three day gathering, sponsored every two years by the Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association. (AP Photo/Wisconsin State Journal, John Hart )