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“This is an educational program for older children to pass on to younger children for the proper way to groom your dairy animal,” contest director Cindy Danewood said.
The mudders made sure each cow was as dirty as possible, covering every inch of the animal with mud. They also covered themselves with mud and offered hugs to friends and family who had come to watch the event.
The competing teams then used hoses, scrubs and soap to try to make their animal as clean as possible. The kids took turns using the hose to wash the animal as they tried to get the cowhide clean. While doing so the kids got muddy themselves.
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Samantha Foster and Alyssa Christian, both sixth graders attending Northwestern, were crowned the champions. They said cleaning the animal presented challenges.
“Getting under the armpits and their knees and stuff is kind of hard,” Christian said.
The team wasn’t sure if they had won, Foster said, but knew they’d done a good job.
“Our plan was to just work together,” Foster said.
The contest’s judge, John Spencer, said the event is fun but also teaches kids how to work under pressure while making sure they follow state guidelines.
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“I am looking for whether they are using teamwork, are using slip knots and have brought the right equipment,” he said.
The contest has been going on for many years at the fair, Danewood said, and wouldn’t be possible without the help of volunteers, including her grandson, Aiden.
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