Have you attended the Iowa state fair? Winning a contest is not always about getting the top prize – sometimes, it’s about capturing people’s hearts.
This is exactly what happened when Mitchell Miner – a 15-year old teenager from Iowa state – and his cow from a Blairstown dairy farm named Audri, joined the Iowa State Fair dairy cattle show.
Throughout the pair’s preparation for the Iowa State Fair competition – leading, bathing, clipping, and walking Audri almost every day for two months – Mitchell ensured that Audri is in tip-top shape and in her best condition before the contest. Because of that, the two inevitably developed a special bond.
Despite working hard and even staying up past 3am for three days in a row in hopes of winning the contest, the pair placed fifth out of seven contestants.
The intensive preparation that Mitchell and Audri went through wore them out, so they took a nap together inside the barn after the exhausting show. Seeing the adorable moment between the two, Jeremy Miner, Mitchell’s father, took a photo of them all cuddled up and posted it on Facebook, gaining the hearts of thousands of people from all across the globe.
The photo’s caption read:Â “Our son Mitchell and his heifer after showing yesterday”
The post earned more than 15,000 likes by the next afternoon, and it was flooded with comments from people expressing their delight at how endearing the pair was and how reminiscent it was for those who have the same type of relationship with animals.
Although Mitchell is uncertain of how the two of them got close, his mother, Laura, has an idea why.
“I think it’s just when you spend that much time with them; they get really comfortable with you,” she said.
“She likes to lay down a bit. I don’t really understand the bond with my animal either. She just enjoys my company.”, Mitchell told The Des Moines Register. And true enough, for the two months that Mitchell and Audri shared, it is undoubtedly amazing that a unique connection was formed between them.Â
Laura shared that their family borrowed Audri for the summer from a dairy farm in Blairstown and that they will be heading back there this fall, after the family’s final showing in September.
Jeremy and Laura grew up living on farms. Though they were the first generation to break from such traditions, they did not forget where and how they were raised.
“We learned a lot from the farm. We have those values instilled in us and we are trying to do what we can to preserve that.” Jeremy said.
What a cute pair!
Watch the video below from TomoNews US featuring Mitchell and his adorable cow Audri. Share this with your friends and family.